Scottish Rural Awards move to Glasgow
The Scottish Rural Awards 2020 awards ceremony will take place in Glasgow for the first time on April 2, 2020 at the glamorous Glasgow Hilton.
For the previous six years, the awards have taken place in Edinburgh. The awards are organised by Scottish Field magazine and run in association with the Scottish Countryside Alliance. RHASS are the headline sponsors and the charity partner for 2020 is the National Rural Mental Health Forum.
Brian Cameron, commercial director of Scottish Field, said: ‘We’re thrilled to be bringing the Scottish Rural Awards to Glasgow for the first time.
‘Nominations close on November 4 so businesses will have to get their nominations in fast if they want to be in with a chance of being shortlisted.’
The all-new award titles for the 2020 Scottish Rural Awards, which were announced this summer, are:
Best Scottish Artisan Food Award Best Scottish Artisan Drink Award Rural Business Diversification Award Best Rural Business Start-Up Award Best Farming Business Award
Best Rural Employer Award
Rural Hospitality Award
Best Rural Innovation Award
Best Rural Skills Educator Award Most Sustainable Rural Business Award Best Rural Tourism Initiative Award Rural Hero Award
Lifetime Achievement Award
New for 2020: Best Countryside Digital Innovator Award.
The awards mark the culmination of five extremely successful years of rewarding local heroes, innovative businesses and enterprising community projects which make the Scottish Rural Awards the most sought-after rural awards in Scotland.
Finalists will be invited to attend a blacktie, three-course dinner held at the Hilton Glasgow on April 2.
Richard Bath, editor of Scottish Field, said: ‘The Scottish Rural Awards go to the heart of Scottish Field’s commitment to showcase the best that Scotland’s countryside has to offer. That is why it has been an enormous pleasure to be a part of an awards that has grown in stature with every passing year.
‘Our involvement with the SRA has also been an educational process: judging the awards each year has revealed the extraordinary levels of innovation and energy of the people who live in rural Scotland. In turn, the awards have given those dynamic custodians of Scotland’s rural economy the public recognition which they so richly deserve.’
Jamie Stewart of the Scottish Countryside Alliance said: ‘Land-based businesses contribute more £2 billion to the Scottish economy. Despite the multiple challenges they face, they are hugely valuable brand ambassadors for Scotland, and many provide vital support to their local communities. These awards give Scotland a chance to recognise the resilience, innovation and contribution that rurally-based people and businesses make to its success.’
There are only a few weeks left to enter the awards. Businesses and individuals can nominate themselves or a friend on a website. It only takes five minutes to fill in the online form to register your nomination. Enter at www.scottishruralawards.org.
Businesses have until Monday November 4 to put forward their nomination. Businesses can either self-nominate or be nominated by a friend, family member, customer or member of the public.
The full criteria for each award, along with nomination forms, are available at www. scottishruralwards.org.
As an added bonus, every nominee will receive a free copy of Scottish Field magazine and will enter a prize draw to win one of five bottles of Arran 10 Year Old whisky.
Finalists will be announced at the beginning of December 2019, with winners revealed at the Scottish Rural Awards ceremony and gala dinner in April.
Watch our video from this year’s Scottish
Rural Awards on our website at www.obantimes.co.uk.