The Lochranza Centre lifts top rural award
The centre was praised by judges
The Lochranza Centre CIC is celebrating a win at the 2017 Scottish Rural Awards last week at Dynamic Earth in Edinburgh.
Winning the highly commended award in the business start up category the centre was praised by judges for the community interest company’s restructure and re-launch in October 2015.
Comedian Fred MacAulay took to the stage as compere for the evening, hosting more than 400 guests and presenting three awards in each of the 11 open categories – a highly commended, runner up and overall winner.
Businesses were able to self-nominate, or be nominated by someone else a friend, family member, customer or member of the public. Finalists in each of the open categories, which encompass every aspect of rural life, from agriculture and food production, to conservation, education and tourism, were announced in December last year.
Other finalists from Arran included: The Bay Kitchen and Stores for rural enterprise, Isle of Arran Distillers and VisitArrann, both Rural Tourism, and the Best Western Kinloch Hotel for rural hospitality.
The Scottish Rural Awards are described as the ultimate benchmark of success in Scotland’s countryside, highlighting the enterprise, skill and innovation of those who live and work in rural areas.
It is the culmination of a third year of partnership between Scottish Field, the Banner’s sister publication, and the Scottish Countryside Alliance to host the awards, in association with the Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland, RHASS.
The awards are backed by category sponsors including Aldi, the Bank of Scotland and Subaru UK.
Richard Bath, editor of Scottish Field, said: ‘More than ever before, Scotland’s rural communities are displaying a quite remarkable amount of energy, innovation and imagination as they diversify existing businesses and create new and exciting opportunities from scratch.
‘As a magazine we are constantly writing about the rural entrepreneurs who are bringing wealth and jobs to the countryside, so it’s exciting for us to be able to honour the men and women who are doing so much to make the economy of rural Scotland a true success story.;
Overall winner in the business start up category was Oban-based telecoms engineering company Craine Communications, with Trossachs Mobility in Callander taking home the runner up award.