Lord Thurso presents Richard Brodie, chair of The Devils Porridge museum, with the five star award
EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND, 2016-Sep-19 — /Travel PR News/ — A state-of-the-art museum in Dumfries & Galloway which charts the history of a munitions factory during World War 1 has achieved VisitScotland’s highest Quality Assurance grading.
The Devil’s Porridge Museum in Eastriggs near Annan received the Five Star Museum award from VisitScotland following a recent assessment visit by a Quality Tourism Advisor – the first five star museum in the region.
Run by over 40 dedicated volunteers, the museum built up its reputation over 20 years in temporary premises. It moved to a purpose-built modern building in 2014 and tells the story of the Greatest Munitions Factory, HM Factory Gretna and the lives of the 30,000 people who worked there. Built during the First World War, the factory stretched nine miles along the Solway Coast and at its height, produced more cordite explosive – the so-called ‘Devils Porridge’ – than all the other UK factories combined.
Featuring interactive displays and exhibitions, the museum offers an insight into what life was like for the workers who flocked to the area to do their bit for the country, as well as into life on the front line for soldiers during World War One.
The museum was presented with the accolade by VisitScotland’s Chair John Thurso on a recent visit to Dumfries & Galloway.
Lord Thurso said: “I was delighted to present The Devil’s Porridge museum with their five star award. VisitScotland’s Quality Assurance (QA) schemes are world-leading and provide a trusted, independent and impartial source of information for visitors. They allow you to not just meet visitor expectations, but exceed them.
“During my visit to Dumfries & Galloway, I took the opportunity to meet with local businesses to discuss tourism in the region and how we can continue to work together to generate economic success and opportunities for growth by continuing to showcase the very best of what the region has to offer.”
Richard Brodie, Chairman of The Devil’s Porridge museum said: “We are delighted to have been awarded the Five Star Award from VisitScotland for our museum. We are committed at The Devil’s Porridge to offering our visitors the highest standards to ensure their experience of our museum and Dumfries & Galloway as a whole is the very best.
“Our museum has something for everyone and we hope that our visitors go home with a unique understanding of what life was like during World Ward 1 and the remarkable contribution that was made by the factory here.”
Developed and improved for over 30 years, the QA scheme is delivered by a dedicated team of experts who offer valuable business advice and support. The scheme is not just about driving standards; it aims to help businesses reach their full potential so they can reap the benefits and secure their success. That in turn delivers benefits for the economy of their region and for Scotland’s tourism industry.
For more information, visit http://www.devilsporridge.org.uk/
For more information on the VisitScotland Quality Assurance scheme, visit www.visitscotland.org
Lord Thurso presents Richard Brodie, chair of The Devils Porridge museum, with the five star award
Notes to Editors
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2016 Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design - 2016 will shine a spotlight on Scotland’s achievements in innovation, architecture and design through a wide-ranging, variety of new and existing activity.
- The Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design started on 1 January 2016 and will end on 31 December 2016.It will build on the momentum generated by the 2015 Year of Food and Drink as well as previous years including Homecoming Scotland 2014, the Year of Creative and the Year of Natural.
- Through a series of exciting events and activity, the year will showcase Scotland’s position as an “innovation nation”, its outstanding built heritage, and its thriving, internationally acclaimed creative industries sector.
- The Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design is a Scottish Government initiative being led by VisitScotland, and supported by a variety of partners including Creative Scotland, Architecture + Design Scotland, Scottish Tourism Alliance, Scottish Enterprise, The National Trust for Scotland, Historic Environment Scotland, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and The Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS).
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- The Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design events fund is managed by EventScotland, part of VisitScotland’s Events Directorate.
- Join the conversation at #IAD2016
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