Opt-in membership is available to businesses that either exist out-with the catchment area of Nairn BID, or whose property’s rateable value lies below the £1000 threshold, but still wish to support the BID and receive most of the benefits that members do. As Nairn BID exists for the improvement of Nairn as a whole then supporting the BID can be a valuable way of saying to your customers that you as a business are contributing to making Nairn a better place.
Opt-in members receive the same benefits as other members, they just don’t have the voting rights that levy area businesses do when it comes to the renewal ballot for the BID. For the five year business plan which outlines the main areas of spending and objectives of Nairn BID, please click here.
They can apply for free stalls at our events and markets, benefit from free marketing and promotion (website listing, social media sharing and member of the month), and attend our meetings, business workshops and networking events.
Nairn BID organises street markets along the High Street several times a year. The BID also runs Taste of Nairn, Wheels of Nairn and the Countdown to Christmas events.
If you think your business would benefit by being part of the BID and you would like to join, please fill in our application form. You can also send us a photograph and listing wording for the VisitNairn website.
Opt-in membership starts from £125 a year. Membership runs for our financial year from 1st October to 30th September. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to get in touch – office@nairnconnects.com
Tourism is central to Nairn’s economy. We are the Destination Management Organisation (DMO) for Nairn and run VisitNairn – the website and all the social media platforms. We are supporting and promoting local tourism businesses by:
Promoting Nairn as a year-round destination
The summer and winter promotional videos which we had made a few years ago remain fantastic assets and continue to be used on social media and in VisitScotland iCentres in Inverness, Aberdeen and Aviemore. With the iCentres now being earmarked for closure by VisitScotland, we will continue to promote Nairn online and through the Visit Scotland website and campaigns.
Our full page advert on the back cover of the Landmark room-book for accommodation is now a regular annual feature with photos being swapped out annually. We also advertise Nairn in a variety of Highlands-wide publications and the Nairn Games programme.
We provide free printed pads of desk maps & stickers for our members – if you need some, please get in touch. You can also download them from our media bank
The VisitNairn Website and social media continue to be our online tourist office, where visitors can find out about places to stay, eat and shop as well as activities & events. It hosts comprehensive listings of local businesses and regularly receives compliments as a one stop shop for all things about Nairn.
We work closely with Visit Scotland and the Highland Tourism Partnership to ensure Nairn is included in National campaigns and retains a high profile within the Highlands.
Driving footfall to the town as a whole
In addition to the 3 main events that Nairn BID hosts, Taste of Nairn, Wheels of Nairn and the Countdown to Christmas event, we also support other town events. Our figures show that in 2024 the Nairn Show had 14,421 visitors, Nairn Games had 15,233 visitors, and the Nairn Book & Arts Festival over 6,000 visitors. We helped to publicise these great events through our VisitNairn platforms.
Radio and press/media coverage of events – we have had at least 15 of our press releases published this year and The Inverness Courier Nairnshire edition featured regular columns from our staff and volunteers.
Supporting local businesses and charitable organisations – for example, Nairn Rotary (who are an opt in member of the BID) raised over £2000 through its attendance at our events, which this year went to Nairn Beach Wheelchairs.
Many other members take free stalls at our market events and use this opportunity to raise extra income as well as awareness of their organisation/business in the local community.
Helping tourism businesses with regulation and council licensing etc.
Nairn BID tries to make sure our members who run businesses that rely on tourists are fully informed about any developments in regulation introduced by either National or Regional government, or any important consultations that they should be taking part in, such as the recent consultation about the proposed Highland Visitor Levy. We continue to sit on the reference group for this and will keep members informed of what happens while speaking up on behalf of our members in any planning discussions.
We are Affiliate members of the ASSC, and all of our members can join this organisation without paying a joining fee or pay half price for any events. In our work through the Highland Tourism partnership and with the Highland Council and Nairn Common Good, we campaign for things such as public amenities, paths and toilets, as well as applying for funding to make these things happen. We can use our position to leverage extra funding, and get additional projects, such as signage and benches, achieved. If you wish to discuss any aspect of this work, please get in touch with our friendly team.
10th June 2026
A tidy town is talk of the town
BID director Marie Matthews accompanied by Claire who supports BID with publicity and organises the events hit the town centre today to visit businesses. Top of the agenda, as it often is, was the cleanliness and general tidiness of the town. The pair spoke to managers or representatives from eight businesses and almost all of […]
5th June 2026
Seagull forum held with neighbouring regions
Nairn BID manager, Lucy Harding has attended the first meeting of the Moray Coast Gull Forum which was held in Elgin. The meeting was arranged by NatureScot with the aim of facilitating discussions with an aim towards developing area-based management and enabling opportunities for engaged groups to share information and evidence. The meeting was attended […]
3rd June 2026
Wheels of Nairn rolls into town
A modern and classic car show is taking place for a sixth time and this year, the public is being encouraged to vote for their favourite motor. Wheels of Nairn will take place on Saturday, September 19 and will see over 300 vehicles descend on the Links in the seaside town. Organisers of the event, […]
3rd June 2026
Embrace Scotland Loves Local Week
Nairn businesses are being encouraged to get involved in Scotland Loves Local week by creating special offers and getting involved in a fast-paced business breakfast. Scotland Loves Local Week will take place from Saturday June 13 until Saturday June 20 and is an initiative run by Scotland’s Towns Partnership. The week is a chance to […]
