Over the past 30 years, the Scottish Thistle Awards has crowned hundreds of businesses and individuals as winners. See our latest winners below, or check out our Winners’ Academy to view winners from years gone by.
National Winners
Best B&B or Guest House Experience
Nithbank Country Estate, Thornhill
Best Business Event
The World Congress of Soil Science at the Scottish Event Campus, Glasgow
Best Hotel Experience
Cromlix, Dunblane
Best Bar or Pub
The Cross Keys Inn Ettrickbridge, Selkirk
Best Eating Experience
Edinbane Lodge, Edinbane
Best Luxury Experience
Airhouses, Lauder
Best Outdoor or Adventure Experience
Wilderness Scotland, Aviemore
Best Visitor Attraction
The Burrell Collection, Glasgow
Climate Action Award
Wilderness Scotland, Aviemore
Best Self-Catering Accommodation Experience
Arden Holiday Cottage, Dumfries
Celebrating Thriving Communities
Rediscovering the Antonine Wall Project, West Dunbartonshire Council, Dunbarton
Inclusive Tourism Award
Glasgow Science Centre, Glasgow
Innovation in Tourism Award
Camera Obscura & World of Illusions, Edinburgh
Outstanding Sporting Event
Genesis Scottish Open, East Lothian
Tourism Individual of the Year
Melanie Allen, Nithbank Country Estate
Outstanding Cultural Event or Festival
Fringe by the Sea, North Berwick
Tourism & Hospitality Employer of the Year
SEA LIFE Loch Lomond, Alexandria
The Silver Thistle Award was presented to David and Wilma Finlay.
Wilma and David are partners in family farm Rainton Farm in Dumfries & Galloway – home of The Ethical Dairy, the first farm in Europe to successfully implement cow calf dairy farming at a commercially viable scale. They are widely respected as pioneers in ethical agricultural techniques.
They have also created two exceptional food product ranges that have origins in the land of Galloway, as well as a successful visitor attraction – Cream ’ Galloway. The couple has recently retired and sold their successful ice-cream making business, which has opened under new ownership.
They undertook groundbreaking work – and continue to do so – linking their business and the visitor economy with what would now be referred to as responsible tourism. They would be described as way ahead of their time in this respect. They have been a huge contribution to net zero through their collection of businesses by achieving carbon negative, implanting regenerative techniques and sharing best practice with others. They have also shown a real commitment to their local community – community renewable energy trials, employment and skills shared and developed.
Wilma and David Finlay are regarded as true ambassadors for tourism in Scotland and continue to inspire and encourage others to follow in their footsteps.
Regional Winners
Best B&B or Guest House Experience
The Auld Kirk, Ballater
Melfort House, Oban
Newton Farm Holidays and Tours, Forfar
Nithbank Country Estate, Thornhill
Best Eating Experience
Allanton Inn, Berwickshire
Amuse by Kevin Dalgleish, Aberdeen
Drift, North Berwick
Edinbane Lodge, Edinbane
Lamlash House, Newmilns
Best Outdoor or Adventure Experience
Down on the Farm, Fraserburgh
Foxlake Adventures, Dunbar
Kitchen Coos & Ewes, Newton Stewart
Pinkston Watersports, Glasgow
Wilderness Scotland, Aviemore
Best Bar or Pub
The Brae, Dreghorn
The Cross Keys Inn Ettrickbridge, Selkirk
MacGregor's Bars, Inverness
The Original Roslyn Inn, Roslin
Best Hotel Experience
Auchrannie Resort, Isle of Arran
Cromlix, Dunblane
Cringletie, Peebles
Duisdale House Hotel, Isle of Skye
The Ferryhill House Hotel, Aberdeen
Best Self-Catering Accommodation Experience
Arden Holiday Cottage, Dumfries
Grampian Campervan Hire, Huntly
Jack's Alt-Stays, Millport
Lindores - Stay, Ride, Relax, Cupar
The Tin Shed, Moray
Best Visitor Attraction
Aberdeen Art Gallery, Aberdeen
The Burrell Collection, Glasgow
Camera Obscura & World of Illusions, Edinburgh
Seabird and Seals - The Original Noss Boat Tours, Shetland
Trimontium Museum, Melrose
Climate Action Award
Cairngorm Bothies and Lodges, Deeside
Glasgow Life: Tourism and Conventions
Nithbank Country Estate, Thornhill
Wilderness Scotland, Aviemore
Innovation in Tourism
Camera Obscura & World of Illusions, Edinburgh
Dalscone Farm, Dumfries
Mharsanta, Glasgow
Stories of Scotland, Nairn
Celebrating Thriving Communities
Alloa Hub, Alloa
The Devil's Porridge Museum, Eastriggs
Gairloch and Loch Ewe Action Forum (GALE), Gairloch
Rediscovering the Antonine Wall Project, West Dunbartonshire Council
Royal Deeside Golf Week, Aboyne
Inclusive Tourism Award
Crathie Opportunity Holidays, Ballater
Glasgow Science Centre, Glasgow
RSPB Loch Leven, Kinross
Seabirds and Seals - The Original Noss Boat Tours, Shetland
Outstanding Cultural Event or Festival
Borders Book Festival, Melrose
Dandelion Festival 2022, Glasgow
Fringe by the Sea, North Berwick
HebCelt Festival, Stornoway
Spectra, Scotland's Festival of Light, Aberdeen
Tourism & Hospitality Employer of the Year
The Aberdeen Altens Hotel, Aberdeen
The Beagle Country Club and Barend Holiday Lodges, Dalbeattie
Old Course Hotel, Golf Resort & Spa, St Andrews
The Drumossie Hotel, Inverness
SEA LIFE Loch Lomond, Alexandria
Tourism Individual of the Year
Alan McDougal FIH, Crowne Plaza
Ian Pithie, The Gordon Highlanders Museum
Katie Scott, The Real Mary King's Close
Melanie Allen, Nithbank Country Estate
Michael Golding, Visit Loch Ness Inverness