Scottish Thistle Awards

Invitation to sponsor from Steven Walker
Chair, Scottish Thistle Awards Industry Panel & VisitScotland Board Member

The Scottish Thistle Awards shines a spotlight on the outstanding businesses and people working within the tourism and events industry in Scotland.

As chair of the Industry Panel, I’m delighted to invite you to support our 2024 event.

This year marks an important milestone for the Scottish Thistle Awards as we celebrate our 30^th edition. Since its creation, the Scottish Thistle Awards have recognised excellence within this vital part of the Scottish economy. An industry that creates jobs, sustains communities and attracts investment.

Becoming a sponsor of the Scottish Thistle Awards is an excellent opportunity for your business to reach thousands of tourism businesses and potential customers. The 2023 awards programme achieved over 1,100 nominations and over 600 entries, with circa 1,600 guests attending across the 5 regional awards and national final. Our media partnership with News UK reached 570,000 adults across Scotland in print, with on average, the print campaign being seen 4.2 times.

The 2023 Television Advertising Partner STV delivered an 11-day airtime campaign with almost 1 million (985k) Scots adults seeing the advert at least once.

Across our own promotion we saw 84 items of coverage across regional and national press, eight new stories published on visitscotland.org which receives 700,000 page views every year. Regular social media content on VisitScotland’s corporate social media accounts with a combined audience of 106,500.

Of course, we don’t ask you to just take our word for it, here is what our national headline sponsor had to say:

“It is important for us to build awareness of our brand and offering through the tourism sector, which is the reason why we opted to sponsor the Scottish Thistle Awards. They have given us the opportunity to network with many businesses and organisations resulting in many new joint working opportunities.”
George McNeil, Managing Director Retail, Johnstons of Elgin - National headline sponsor since 2022

To learn more about sponsorship opportunities and how we can work together, email us at: info@scottishthistleawards.co.uk

I hope to welcome you on board in supporting this valuable industry, one that makes Scotland among the most iconic and resonating destinations in the world.

Johnstons of Elgin
Headline Sponsor

At the heart of every compelling story lies a narrative and Johnstons of Elgin is no different. Since 1797, the Johnstons of Elgin signature innovation and quality have been without compare. The Johnston family name has always been synonymous with craft, patience, elegance and luxury. A byword for innovation and benchmark-setting, over the past 220 years Johnstons of Elgin has defined and redefined the industry, again and again.

Its impeccable credentials stem from a mastery of the yarn and how its craftspeople handle, finesse and manipulate it in ways impossible for any other manufacturing brand to match.

Abbey UK

The Abbey Group is a collection of travel companies based in Dublin and Edinburgh. Established in 1978, the Group is owned and managed by a team of experienced travel professionals and its core business is selling the destinations of Ireland and the UK to the worldwide travel trade on a B2B basis. Abbey UK specialises in leisure tourism and offers the full range of services for Group and Individual Travel. Our experienced multi-lingual teams are on hand to service requests and enquiries on a tailormade basis.

Abbey UK sponsors Best B&B or Guest House Experience

AccessAble

AccessAble is the largest provider of accessibility information across the UK.

Founded in 2000, AccessAble’s mission to create a more inclusive society was initially inspired by the personal experience of Founder Dr. Gregory Burke and developed with 1000s of disability groups.

AccessAble supports over 475+ organisations to publish 70,000 + Detailed Access Guides across a wide range of sectors, including healthcare, retail, education, and public spaces. Available for free on the AccessAble website, the Guides enable disabled people to make informed decisions about where to go and to navigate new places with confidence.

Fishers

Fishers, a K-BRO company, is the market leader for textile rental, industrial workwear and laundry throughout Scotland and the north of England. The Cupar-based company, established in 1900, cleans, irons and delivers more than two million items every week, providing linen rental, workwear hire and cleanroom garment services to the hospitality, healthcare, manufacturing and pharmaceuticals sectors. Fishers operates six sites in Scotland and the North of England. Fishers’ client base includes major hotel chains such as Travelodge, Hilton, Marriott and Leonardo, as well as prestigious venues such as the Balmoral Hotel, Blythswood Square, Turnberry, Cameron House and the Crieff Family of hotels.

Fishers sponsors Best Hotel Experience

Historic Scotland

We are the largest heritage attraction provider in the country with over 300 Historic Scotland properties across the country from the Borders and Dumfries and Galloway to Orkney and Shetland, including some of the country’s iconic visitor attractions such as Edinburgh and Stirling Castles and Skara Brae. We welcome visitors from all over the world and are committed to working in and supporting partnerships across the country to develop the tourism economy. Our priority is to ensure the historic environment is protected, understood and shared, now and for future generations.

Historic Scotland sponsors Inclusive Tourism Award

HIT Scotland

Now celebrating its 30th anniversary supporting the industry, the Hospitality Industry Trust (HIT) Scotland has provided empowering inspirational development to literally tens of thousands of people studying or working in the hospitality industry in Scotland. This year HIT awarded its 7000th inspirational scholarship. The charity's scholarship programme is open to applicants from all levels and sectors of the industry, including further and higher education, and offers learning experiences, designed to give you new skills or knowledge, to experience best practice, or refresh your way of thinking.

HIT Scotland sponsors Rising Star

Jacobite Loch Ness Cruises

Jacobite Loch Ness Cruises offers a variety of tours and cruises on Loch Ness ranging from 30 minutes to two hour leisurely sailings. You can cruise the Caledonian Canal from Dochgarroch, then sail onto Loch Ness where you can visit Urquhart Castle.

From three departure points: Dochgarroch Lock, 4 miles from Inverness, Clansman Harbour, 9 miles from Inverness and from Urquhart Castle we offer 5 different cruise options, including the new for 2024 - Enchantment, a 50minute cruise from Dochgarroch, along the Caledonian Canal and onto Loch Ness.

At our Dochgarroch base on the banks of the Caledonian Canal, you will also find our café and retail destination An Talla with plenty of parking and a small herd of Highland Cows.Jacobite Loch Ness Cruises has a VisitScotland five-star accreditation and is open year-round.

Jacobite Loch Ness Cruises sponsors Best Visitor Attraction

Johnnie Walker Princes Street

Johnnie Walker Princes Street offers a personalised whisky experience where you can explore the flavours of Scotland in the heart of Edinburgh. Embark on your journey of flavour tour, shop whiskies you won't find anywhere else and visit our 1820 rooftop bar for unbeatable views of Edinburgh Castle.

We’re not here only for whisky drinkers, we’re here for those looking to try something new. Come on in and discover five-star tours, immersive tastings, rooftop bars, astonishing Edinburgh Castle views, expertly crafted cocktails, locally sourced cuisine, and an outstanding store all in one unique building right in the heart of Edinburgh, Scotland. Welcome to Johnnie Walker Princes Street.

Johnnie Walker Princes Street sponsors Drinks Reception

LNER

London North Eastern Railway (LNER) is one of the UK's leading long-distance train operators with services linking London to Yorkshire, the North East of England and Scotland. Our Azuma trains travel on the East Coast Mainline and are designed to connect our destinations in a more comfortable, faster, and eco-friendly way.

Our top destinations include York, Newcastle, Edinburgh, Inverness, and Aberdeen.

LNER operate up to 3 services an hour between London and Edinburgh with a travel time of 4 hours and 16 minutes, 3 services a day between London and Aberdeen, and 1 service a day from London to Inverness.

LNER sponsors Climate Action Award

The Macallan Estate

The Macallan 200 Years Young

Two centuries have passed since Alexander Reid, founder of The Macallan, distilled the first batch of whisky in his curiously small stills in Speyside, Scotland, in 1824, beginning the extraordinary legacy of the single malt Scotch whisky.

The outstanding quality and distinctive character of each whisky is influenced by exceptional oak casks seasoned with sherry wine - a commitment to natural colour underpinned by mastery. Designed by internationally acclaimed architects, The Macallan Distillery is located on a beautiful 485-acre Estate and takes inspiration from the surrounding ancient Scottish hills. The past 200 years have been a prologue for everything that is still to come. This is a journey through time. This is The Macallan, 200 Years Young.

The Macallan Estate sponsors Best Luxury Experience

Scottish Licensed Trade Association

Founded in 1880 The Scottish Licensed Trade Association is the only national organisation which represents all sectors of the Scottish Licensed Trade Industry.

Our aim is to give a voice to everyone involved in the Scottish Licensed Trade. You may own one bar or multiple outlets, you may be a tenant, a manager or are employed in any way in the industry, whatever your role we are working tirelessly on your behalf.

Scottish Licensed Trade Association sponsors Best Bar or Pub

STV

STV is Scotland’s home of news, entertainment, and drama, providing audiences with top-quality programming on air, online and on demand. STV reaches 2.8 million viewers each month on-air and Scotland’s number one commercial BVOD platform, STV Player, offers access to over 800,000 Scots a month, all tuning in to a diverse array of content.

The STV Growth Fund supports Scottish businesses by making advertising with STV even more accessible for businesses of all shapes and sizes. From retail and travel to leisure and ecommerce businesses, our members have attained success, experiencing heightened awareness following their campaigns. Working with the STV Growth Fund is simple, we collaborate with businesses on marketing solutions to maximise reach and impact by connecting with consumers across Scotland.

STV sponsors Outstanding Cultural Event or Festival

SPONSORS