Donations from the Moffat Charitable Trust to Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU) have reached the £1million mark.

Over the last 10 years, more than 200 travel and tourism students have benefited from scholarships and the creation of the Moffat Centre for Travel and Tourism Business Development on campus,

The trust was established in 1998 following the death of the founder of the A.T. Mays travel agency chain, Jim Moffat.  

Jim was a bank clerk turned RAF pilot who saw the potential of selling package holidays and opened his first shop in Saltcoats in Ayrshire in 1955.

Scores of students have received scholarships worth £3600 each as part of the trust’s relationship with GCU.

Professor John Lennon, who is director of the Moffat Centre and also head of Cultural Business within the Caledonian Business School at GCU, said: “The support the Moffat family has given CBS over the last 10 years has been tremendous.  

“It has been a catalyst for the development of the Moffat Centre and hugely beneficial to the students involved.  

“Their commitment to the development of young people for the travel and tourism industry has been visionary and exemplary.”

Scholarships may be awarded to undergraduate or postgraduate, home or overseas students, and students may apply in more than one year.        

Approximately 15 – 20 scholarships are awarded each year, with applications currently being considered to study not only in Glasgow but also for an MSc in International Tourism Enterprise at GCU’s new graduate university college in London,

The £1million milestone was celebrated at a dinner in the new five-star Blythswood Square hotel in Glasgow.

For more information on scholarships at Glasgow Caledonian University visit www.gcu.ac.uk/scholarships.