VisitScotland: Important changes to how your self-catering property is found online

VisitScotland has made significant changes to how tourism businesses appear on visitscotland.com, and this affects how self-catering properties are discovered by visitors.

What’s changing from early 2026?

A new interactive map feature is being introduced on visitscotland.com, powered by Google Maps Platform. This will replace VisitScotland’s existing listings and product search, including the accommodation availability search.

Visitors will be able to:

• Discover accommodation and attractions across Scotland using text search and intuitive category filters
• Explore locations through an interactive map
• Continue their journey in Google Maps or click directly through to business websites or booking platforms

As part of this change, VisitScotland will no longer host traditional accommodation listings.

Where will your business information come from?

In future, the majority of tourism business information on visitscotland.com will be sourced from external platforms, most notably Google.

This means:

• Businesses with Google Business Profiles will no longer need to maintain a separate VisitScotland listing
• Updates will be managed in one place, saving time and reducing duplication
• Having an accurate and well-optimised Google presence will be essential

What does this mean for self-catering businesses?

For most self-catering operators, Google Holiday Rentals will be the most appropriate way to appear across Google Search and Google Maps  rather than relying solely on a Google Business Profile.

VisitScotland has produced a helpful webinar that explains:

• How Google Holiday Rentals works
• Why it’s recommended for most self-catering properties
• How to set up a listing using a connectivity partner
• How to optimise your listing with strong images, reviews, descriptions and key features

Watch the guidance webinar

The video below walks you through everything you need to know to ensure your property appears accurately and attractively across Google’s platforms:

Taking action now will help ensure your self-catering property remains visible, competitive and easy for visitors to find as these changes take effect.