*Update as of 2026, the ASSC secured a total of 355 separate pieces of media coverage in 365 days in 2025.
The Association of Scotland’s Self-Caterers (ASSC) has delivered an extraordinary year of media impact and public advocacy, firmly establishing itself as one of the most influential voices in Scotland’s tourism and business landscape – and the year is not yet over.
To date, the ASSC has secured approximately 348* separate pieces of media coverage across broadcast, print and online outlets. This represents an 83% increase on the whole of 2024, which saw 190 items of coverage in total – a remarkable uplift achieved before the end of the calendar year.
The ASSC has appeared in every Scotland-wide daily newspaper, both online and in print, including The Times, Scottish Daily Mail, Scottish Daily Express, Scottish Sun, The Herald, The Scotsman, Daily Telegraph (Scotland), The National and Daily Record. The organisation has also featured regularly on BBC News and STV News online.
Its influence has extended well beyond Scotland. The ASSC has featured in major UK-wide publications such as The Daily Telegraph, i, The Guardian, The Independent, Financial Times, Daily Mail and LBC online. Coverage also reached the Welsh press, following the ASSC Chief Executive’s appearance at the Welsh Parliament – highlighting the organisation’s growing profile across the wider UK policy landscape.
At a local level, the ASSC has maintained strong visibility in newspapers across the length and breadth of Scotland. This includes city titles such as Press & Journal, Evening Times, Edinburgh Evening News, Evening Telegraph, Inverness Courier and Dunfermline Press, alongside rural and regional publications including The Courier, Ayrshire Post, Perthshire Advertiser, Strathspey & Badenoch Herald and Dumfries and Galloway Standard. The organisation has also featured in island media, notably Shetland News.
Online regional outlets such as Glasgow Live, Aberdeen Live and Edinburgh Live have regularly carried ASSC commentary, as has the trade press, including Daily Business, Scottish Housing News and Scottish Business Insider.
Broadcast coverage has been equally strong. The ASSC Chief Executive has appeared on the BBC on 21 separate occasions across radio and television, ranging from BBC Radio Scotland’s Good Morning Scotland to BBC Debate Night. She has also featured on UK-wide BBC programmes, including BBC Radio 4’s Today programme. Additional television appearances have included STV News, alongside interviews with commercial radio stations such as Forth, Tay FM and Original 106.
The ASSC’s voice has even reached international audiences, with coverage on the BBC World Service and in Time Out Magazine.
This extensive media presence reflects a deliberate and effective mix of proactive and reactive engagement. Proactive work has included campaigns such as Stop the Scapegoating, the continued promotion of the BiGGAR Economics research, and the publication of ASSC surveys – all attempting to shape and change the narrative around self-catering and responsible tourism. At the same time, the organisation has been a trusted commentator in response to Scottish Government and local authority proposals on short-term lets, visitor levies and rates revaluations.
Taken together, this level of exposure demonstrates how the ASSC has clearly established itself as a respected, authoritative and go-to stakeholder within the Scottish media – frequently achieving reach and influence that surpasses that of significantly larger business and tourism bodies.
With two weeks of the year still ahead, the ASSC’s media performance to date underlines both the strength of its advocacy and the growing recognition of self-catering as a vital part of Scotland’s tourism economy.