Star-grading scheme

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VisitScotland uses a five-level star-grading system to indicate the standard of customer care and range of facilities on offer at assessed establishments.

  • A VisitScotland (Scottish Tourist Board) star grading award badge outside the driveway to a holiday park
    Star gradings cover all types of accommodation and attractions
  • A B&B sign with a VisitScotland star grading logo outside a rural house
    Star gradings cover all types of accommodation and attractions
  • A guest house owner stands with a tray of afternoon tea outside her sunlit property
    Star gradings cover all types of accommodation and attractions
  • A waiter with a tray of drinks hurries up an elegant hotel staircase
    Star gradings cover all types of accommodation and attractions

The awards focus on the standard of the welcome, hospitality and service they provide, as well as presentation and the standard of toilets, shop or café if they have them. The number of stars awarded to a property indicate the levels visitors can expect of the establishment:

  • 1 star: clean and tidy, a fair and acceptable, if basic, standard
  • 2 stars: a good overall standard
  • 3 stars: a very good standard
  • 4 stars: an excellent standard
  • 5 stars: an exceptional standard 

Gold awards

The Gold award recognises serviced accommodation businesses which consistently achieve the highest levels of excellence within their VisitScotland star grading. Businesses achieving the award will excel in the areas of customer care and hospitality and show evidence of a real commitment to staff development and training.

Star-graded properties

An extensive range of properties is assessed under the various star-grading schemes. These include:

Serviced and self-catering accommodation

B&Bs, budget hotels, campus properties, country house hotels, cruise ships, exclusive-use venues, farmhouses, guest accommodation, guest houses, hotels, inns, international resort hotels, lodges, metro hotels, restaurants with rooms, self-catering, serviced apartments, small hotels, townhouse hotels and trains.

Visitor attractions

Activity centres, arts venues, castles, gardens, garden centres, historic attractions, historic houses, leisure centres, museums, tours, tourist shops, wildlife experiences.

Caravan and camping

Camping parks, holiday caravans, holiday parks, Thistle parks and touring parks.

Hostels

Activity accommodation, backpackers, bods and bothies, bunkhouses, group accommodation and hostels.