Proudly partnered by Scottish Field
What does the former crowning palace of Scottish kings have in common with an island gin distillery? Success, innovation – and the honour of a top accolade at the 2015 Scottish Rural Awards.
As the first major event of a five-year partnership between Scottish Field and the Scottish Countryside Alliance, the bar, naturally, was set high for the inaugural gala dinner and awards ceremony at Dynamic Earth in Edinburgh back in March – and the night itself rose above and beyond the hefty expectations of everyone involved. Nominations re-open on 21 September ahead of the 2016 Awards, and we can’t wait to meet the new batch of businesses who make us so rightly proud of Scotland’s countryside.
Having received over 200 unique nominations, the 2015 awards were a true testament to the power of community support. Spanning the Outer Hebrides to the Borders, and Orkney to Fife, nominees encompassed every aspect of rural life; from aquaculture to artisan drinks producers, and butchers to business start-ups.
The importance of honouring Scotland’s freshest new talent is vital to the Scottish Rural Awards. ‘We were delighted to receive this recognition so soon after launching Shetland Reel Gin,’ said Debbie Strang, director of The Shetland Distillery Company, which picked up two Highly Commended awards in the Artisan Drink and Business Start Up categories. ‘It was a pleasure to appear beside other inspirational businesses making a real difference to their communities throughout rural Scotland.’
Sarah Butler, chief executive for Scone Palace, which won last year’s Rural Tourism category, added: ‘We are absolutely delighted! This award recognises the strong contribution Scone Palace makes as a visitor attraction, local employer and in putting Perthshire on the map as a key Scottish tourist destination.’
Local employers, like Scone Palace, are at the forefront of what the Scottish Rural Awards is here to promote. Money raised at each gala dinner goes towards the Scottish Countryside Alliance’s Routes to Rural Employment (R2RE) initiative – a government-backed scheme which builds employment links for young people in rural communities.
The 10 standard categories for the 2016 Scottish Rural Awards will also be honoured with two separate accolades – the Rural Hero Award and the Scottish Rural Lifetime Achievement Award. Plans for the 2016 Awards are already building up to be a huge success, and we can’t wait for you to get involved! Take the opportunity to make sure your favourite rural business receives the recognition it deserves – or why not nominate yourself?