Scone Palace boss William Stormont has written exclusively for The Courier ahead of a major business summit in Perth this week.

Here he sets out how local people can play a part as national forces, such as Edinburgh’s tourist tax, threaten the Perth and Kinross economy.

I spend a lot of my working life persuading people to visit Perth and Kinross.

Whether it’s a family day out at the racecourse or a tour company planning a visit to Scone Palace, my business depends on people buying in to the fact that this is somewhere worth coming to.

And I genuinely believe this is the truth. Perth and Kinross has an incredible amount to offer.

That’s not me being naive about the challenges.

It’s difficult to do business anywhere at the moment, and particularly so in a regional, rural town.

Margins are under extreme pressure, and our High Street is beginning to struggle, more visibly than it was three years ago.

I don’t think that’s down to anything Perth-specific. It’s the rise of Amazon, the shift in the global economy, businesses downsizing or moving on for reasons that have very little to do with this place.

But that is not to say we are powerless and that local solutions cannot be found.

‘Criticism now comes from within Perth and Kinross’

It’s worth noting that the independent shops across our towns and city provide an eclectic, resilient mix. And they deserve our support, not our indifference.

Communities need sustainable businesses that provide good employment and help us all stay rooted in place.

What frustrates me is........

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