Loch Duart recognised in rural awards
SALMON farmer Loch Duart has been named runner up in the Best Food Business category at the Rural Business Awards North, held in Bolton, Lancashire.
The awards, which are supported by online retailer Amazon, celebrate ‘all that is great’ about rural business in the north of the UK, said the organisers.
Alban Denton, managing director of Loch Duart, which farms in Sutherland and the Hebrides, said: ‘It’s great for Loch Duart to be named runner up at the Best Rural Food Business Award.
‘Our efforts to raise extraordinary salmon, asked for by name and enjoyed around the world, are completely wrapped up in being located in the Highlands and islands.
‘The beautiful rural environment we work in and the wonderful people who live and work in this area are central to Loch Duart’s success.’
The awards ceremony took place at the Last Drop Village Hotel in Bolton last month.
As a major business and employer in remote north west Scotland communities, Loch Duart makes a substantial contribution to the local economy.
Among the projects it has supported are the rewiring Scourie Village Hall in Sutherland to enable it to secure an entertainment licence; the funding of local school trips; and donating to the Lochinver Lifeboat Station.
Loch Duart has also promoted a new honey and bumble bee community project in partnership with Plan Bee; funded an automated external defibrillator (AED) in Uist; and supported the refurbishment of Lochinver Community Hall.
And it has kick-started funding for a kit car project for pupils from Durness, Kinlochbervie, Scourie and Lochinver; donated money towards Kinlochbervie Playing Field Association football pitch refurbishment; and supported both Ross County Development Squad and Lochinver Junior football team.