MEET YOUR GUIDE
Hi, I'm Kirsty.
Tourism has never just been my career, it has shaped my life.
I grew up in a small fishing village in the Scottish Highlands, where tourism wasn't just an industry; it was the heartbeat of our community. My parents owned a 14-bedroom hotel, and from an early age I saw what it really meant to run an accommodation business.
I watched them work long hours, solve problems on the fly and do whatever it took to look after their guests. Summers were incredibly busy, while winters were quiet, and every booking mattered. Long before I ever studied marketing, I understood just how much heart, hard work and resilience goes into running a tourism business.
I also helped run and market my parents' self-catering accommodation long before Airbnb existed. Looking back, that's where my curiosity for marketing really began. I loved understanding why people chose one place over another and how a great story could inspire someone to book.
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FUN FACT
I Think My Love Of Business Started Pretty Young.
I think my entrepreneurial spirit started even earlier.
At just 12 years old, I started my own little bike hire business, renting bikes to visitors exploring our village. It wasn't a grand business plan, just a young girl who loved tourism and wanted to be part of it. Looking back now, I think that was the first chapter of a journey that's led me here.
BRINGING TOURISM & MARKETING TOGETHER
As much as I love tourism, I've always been fascinated by one question.
Why do people choose one business over another?
That curiosity led me to study Applied Graphics Technology back in Scotland, specialising in graphic design, website design, and multimedia. I was fascinated by how good design, clear messaging and thoughtful marketing could influence the decisions people make.
Over the years, that curiosity became a career.
I've worked in government communications and social media, where I learnt how to communicate clearly, strategically and with purpose. I've mentored businesses across Tasmania as a Digital Ready Business Mentor and ASBAS Digital Solutions Advisor, helping owners simplify marketing and embrace digital with confidence.
I've also had the privilege of speaking at events, including the Tasmanian Women in Business Conference, sharing practical marketing strategies with business owners.
Today, I combine everything I've learnt, from growing up in tourism to formal education, communications, mentoring and real-world marketing, to help accommodation and tourism businesses stand out in an increasingly crowded market.
Because great marketing isn't about chasing every trend.
It's about understanding your guests, telling your story well and building a business that people remember.
TRUST
Why People Trust Me.
Over the past two decades, I've had the privilege of working with hundreds of businesses across accommodation, tourism and small business.
Along the way I've been fortunate to:
Work in government communications and social media, learning to communicate clearly, strategically, and with purpose.
Be an accredited Digital Ready Business Mentor, helping Tasmanian businesses embrace digital marketing with confidence.
Supported businesses as an ASBAS Digital Solutions Advisor, providing practical advice that owners can actually implement.
Speak at conferences and industry events, including the Tasmanian Women in Business Conference, sharing practical marketing strategies with business owners.
Coach and mentor more than 500 businesses through workshops, one-on-one mentoring and digital programs
But more than any qualification or title, I think what makes me different is this...
I genuinely understand what it's like to run a tourism business.
I know you're not "just" creating social media. You're also welcoming guests, changing beds, answering late-night messages, finding staff, fixing maintenance issues, juggling bookings and trying to create memorable experiences every single day.
That's why I don't believe marketing should be complicated.
It should be practical. It should fit around your business.
And most importantly, it should help you build a business that feels more
independent and less reliant on chance.
STORY BEHIND SOCIAL BOTHY
It's More Than A Name. It's The Feeling I Want Every Person To Experience.
If you've never heard the word bothy before, you're definitely not alone.
Growing up in the Scottish Highlands, though, it was a word I always knew.
A bothy is a simple shelter hidden away in the mountains. It's not luxurious and it's certainly not somewhere you'd go for five-star accommodation. It's simply there for anyone who needs it, with it's door always left unlocked.
A PLACE TO REST
Imagine you've been walking through the Tasmanian wilderness all day.
Your backpack is getting heavier, the weather has turned, your boots are soaked and your feet are aching. Then, just when you need it most, you spot a little bothy.
You step inside, drop your backpack on the floor and finally take a deep breath.
For a little while, the storm doesn't matter anymore.
BACK TO BASICS
A bothy isn't about luxury. In fact, that's the whole point.
It's about going back to the basics and appreciating the simple things that suddenly become incredibly important after a long day in the mountains.
A roof over your head, a fire to warm your feet, somewhere to cook a simple meal, a dry place to sleep and, if you're lucky, a wee dram of whisky to warm you from the inside. It's amazing how those simple comforts can make you feel rested, grounded and ready to face whatever tomorrow brings.
A BOTHY BOOK
One of my favourite things about a bothy is the Bothy Book.
It's an old notebook left behind for every traveller who passes through. Some people write about the weather. Some share stories from their journey. Some leave practical advice for the next person. Others simply write a few words of encouragement.
Then, if you're lucky, another walker arrives. You sit around the fire together, complete strangers only hours before, swapping stories, sharing lessons and laughing about the day's adventures.
There's something really special about that. No competition.
No judgement.
Just people helping people.
WHY
That's Why I Created Social Bothy.
I realised one day that running an accommodation business feels a lot like that walk through the mountains.
Some days everything's going beautifully. Other days you're carrying the whole business on your back. You're trying to keep guests happy, fix maintenance issues, answer enquiries, find staff, manage bookings, keep up with social media and somehow still find time to enjoy why you started the business in the first place.
It can feel lonely. Sometimes you just need somewhere to stop for a while.
That's what I want Social Bothy to be.
A place where you can come in from the digital storm, ask questions without feeling silly, learn practical marketing that actually makes sense and leave feeling more confident than when you arrived.
500+ BUSINESSES SUPPORTED ✦ BEST OFF-SEASON IN 10 YEARS FOR A CLIENT ✦ 20+ YEARS IN TOURISM ✦ DIGITAL READY MENTOR ✦ SPEAKER AT TASMANIAN WOMEN IN BUSINESS CONFERENCE ✦
My Hope.
Just like a real bothy, I hope you never leave empty-handed. I hope you leave with a clearer direction. A backpack that's a little fuller than when you arrived and more confidence.
Maybe even a story of your own to add to the Bothy Book, so someone else can learn from your journey too. Because that's what Social Bothy has always been about.
Helping accommodation and tourism businesses find their feet, build their confidence and continue the journey knowing they don't have to do it alone.