Privacy Policy

About Us

The Wildaboutargyll.uk domain and website are wholly owned assets of Argyll and The Isles Tourism Cooperative Limited (AITC) (“We”), and all content published on the site is © AITC.

This website is operated by Argyll & Isles Tourism Cooperative Ltd (AITC), which is the data controller responsible for the collection and use of your personal information.

Wild About Argyll provides visitors with information on tourist attractions, accommodations, places to eat and drink, and activities. It also provides trip planning information about the Oban, Lorn & the Isles area within the destination of Argyll & the Isles.

You can contact us at:
Address: AITC, c/o Ainsley Smith, Argyll Square, Oban, Argyll, PA34 4AT  Email: admin@wildaboutargyll.co.uk 

Our website is not intended for children under the age of 13. If you are under 13, please ensure you have obtained permission from a parent or guardian before sending us any personal details.

What information we collect and how we use it

We collect and use personal data in the following ways:

1. When you contact us, we collect your name, email address, phone number, and message so we can respond to your enquiry and manage your relationship with us.
2. When you sign up for updates and join our mailing list, we use your email address to send newsletters and other information you have requested.
3. When you use our website, we automatically collect certain technical information, including your IP address, browser type, device information, pages visited, and your interactions with the site. This helps us improve our content and services.
4.  We use cookies and similar technologies to ensure our website functions correctly and, with your consent, to measure and improve its performance. For more details and controls, see our Cookie Policy.

Our legal reasons for using your information

We only process your information when we have a lawful reason to do so:

• When you contact us with a question or request, we use your details under our legitimate interests, as this allows us to respond and follow up appropriately.
• If you sign up for our newsletter or updates, we rely on your consent, which you can withdraw at any time by clicking “unsubscribe” in any email or contacting us directly.
• To understand and improve how people use our website, we currently rely on your consent, as indicated by your interaction with our cookie banner.
• Upcoming changes to UK data protection law will allow us to use certain low-risk cookies, such as basic analytics and performance tools, without needing explicit consent. When these rules take effect, we will update our cookie notice and continue to provide clear options and controls.

Sharing your information

We sometimes share your information with trusted partners and service providers so we can run our services efficiently and securely:

• Website and IT providers that host and maintain our systems.
• Email and communications platforms that help us send requested information or newsletters.
• Tourism partners, such as Argyll & Bute Council, VisitScotland, and Highlands & Islands Enterprise, as relevant to your enquiry.
• If any of these partners is located outside the UK or the EEA,  we use approved safeguards such as the UK International Data Transfer Agreement (IDTA), the UK Addendum to the EU Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs), or, for US-based services, the UK–US Data Bridge. These safeguards ensure that your information is protected to standards that are not materially lower than those required by UK law.

How long do we keep your information?

We keep your personal information for no longer than is necessary:

• Enquiry and communication details – up to 12 months after your enquiry has been closed.
• Newsletter subscriptions – until you unsubscribe or withdraw consent.
• Website analytics data – for up to 26 months, unless you withdraw consent earlier.

Where your information is stored

• Your data is stored on secure servers in the UK or the European Economic Area (EEA).
• If we need to transfer information outside the UK or the EEA, we will always use approved legal safeguards and ensure that your data is protected to a standard that meets or exceeds UK requirements.

Your rights

• Under UK data protection law, you have a range of rights regarding your personal information. You can exercise these rights by emailing us at admin@wildaboutargyll.co.uk.
• Right to be informed – to know how and why we process your personal data (this notice explains that).
• Right of access – to request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
• Right to rectification – to have inaccurate or incomplete information corrected.
• Right to erasure (‘right to be forgotten’) – to ask us to delete your personal data in certain circumstances.
• Right to restrict processing – to ask us to limit how we use your data in certain situations.
• Right to object – to object to processing based on legitimate interests or a public interest task, including opting out of direct marketing at any time.
• Right to data portability – to receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format, or have it sent to another provider (applies where processing is based on consent or contract and is automated).
• Rights related to automated decision-making and profiling – if we ever use automated processes that significantly affect you, you can request human review, express your views, and challenge the decision.
  Right to withdraw consent – where we rely on consent, you can withdraw it at any time without affecting the lawfulness of past processing.
• Right to complain – if you’re unhappy with how we’ve handled your information, you can email admin@wildaboutargyll.co.uk]. We’ll acknowledge your complaint within 7 working days and aim to resolve it within 30 days. If you’re not satisfied, you can raise the issue with the UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) at [www.ico.org.uk](https://www.ico.org.uk) or, if you live in the EU/EEA, with your local data protection authority.

For access requests (Subject Access Requests), if we require additional information to verify your identity or clarify your request, the one-month response period will be paused until we receive that clarification.

Competitions and Prize Draws

• From time to time, we may run competitions, prize draws, or other promotions (collectively, “competitions”) through our website, social media channels, or partner platforms.
• When you enter a competition, we may collect and process the following information:
  • Entry details – such as your name, email address, postal address, phone number, and any entry content you submit (for example, stories, photos, or videos).
  • Eligibility details – such as your age (to verify that you meet entry requirements) or location (to confirm the prize can be delivered or booked in your region).
  • Social media handles or usernames – if the competition is run through platforms such as Instagram or Facebook.

How we use your information

• We use your personal information for:
  • Managing and administering the competition, including contacting you about your entry or prize.
  • Verifying your eligibility and compliance with the competition rules.
  • Publicly announcing the winner’s name and general location (for example, “Jane Smith from Oban”), unless you object.
  • Promoting future competitions or sharing anonymised results or stories, where you have provided separate consent for marketing purposes.

Lawful bases for processing

• Legitimate interests – to run and administer the competition fairly and transparently
• Contract – if providing your entry is necessary to fulfil the competition terms.
• Consent – for any additional uses of your data, such as including your photo, story, or name in marketing materials or social media posts. You can withdraw this consent at any time by contacting us.

How long do we keep your information?

• Entry information is kept for up to 6 months after the competition closes to allow for winner verification and prize fulfilment.
• Winner details may be kept for up to 6 years for legal and audit purposes.
• Any materials you have consented to share publicly (such as stories or photos) may remain available until you withdraw consent.

Sharing your information

• We may share your data with:
  • Prize providers or booking partners to arrange delivery or fulfilment.
  • Judging panels or selection committees as necessary for administering fair competition.
  • Third-party platforms, such as Facebook or Instagram, where competitions are hosted or promoted (please refer to their own privacy policies).

If any data is transferred outside the UK or the EEA, we will use approved safeguards, such as the UK International Data Transfer Agreement (IDTA), the UK Addendum to the EU Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs), or, for US-based providers, the **UK–US Data Bridge**.

Your rights in competitions

You retain all of your usual rights under data protection law. You can:

• Request a copy of the information we hold about your entry.
• Ask for corrections or updates.
• Withdraw consent for promotional uses of your name, image, or story at any time.
• Object to any further use of your personal data beyond what is needed to administer the competition.

To exercise your rights or raise any concerns, email Admin@wildaboutargyll.co.uk.