Scottish Countryside Alliance Awards

Rural businesses across Scotland received an early Christmas present today when they were announced as finalists in the country's prestigious Scottish Countryside Alliance Awards.

Local food producers, retailers, community organisations and activity businesses, from the Borders to the Highlands have been selected for detailed judges' visits for the awards by the Scottish Countryside Alliance.

The finalists,will now be invited to attend an awards ceremony at the Scottish Parliament in January, where the category winners will be announced. Scottish winners will go on to represent the nation in a GB-wide competition against challengers from all corners of England and Wales.

The award's categories are for local food, village shops and post offices, rural enterprises, traditional businesses and promotion of bio-diversity through country sports.

A special open category, the SCA Rural Hero Award to celebrate personal or organisation contributions, has attracted nominations ranging from district nurses and gamekeepers to the staff of a local radio station. All of the nominees in this category are true rural heroes and therefore it is inappropriate to announce a shortlist – the eventual winner will be announced at the SCA Awards ceremony in January.

Scottish Countryside Alliance director Ross Montague said: “The annual SCA Awards never fail to produce an amazing range of sometimes unsung but thriving and imaginative countryside businesses, run by dynamic and imaginative people.

“The final judging process is therefore no easy process but those who have got to this stage of the awards are all special examples of how these types of activity underpin and enhance the quality of Scotland's rural life.”

The full SCA Awards shortlist is:-

SCA BEST LOCAL FOOD AWARD
Food from Argyll,Cambeltown,Argyll
Ardross Farm (farm shop),Elie,Fife
Connage Highland Dairy, Ardersier,Invernesshire
Summer Isles Foods,Achiltibuie,Rosshire

SCA BEST VILLAGE SHOP / POST OFFICE AWARD
Mither Tongue (Scots language speciality shop),Keith,Aberdeenshire
Ravenstone Deli,Whithorn,Galloway
Scottish Deli / Menzies of Dunkeld,Dunkeld,Perthshire
Bridge of Cally Post Office,Bridge of Cally,Perthshire

BEST RURAL ENTERPRISE AWARD
*Craigies Farm, Deli and Café,Edinburgh
Armadilla (speciality cabins),Rosewell,Midlothian
Badenoch and Strathspey Community Transport Company,Aviemore,Invernesshire
*MacBeths (farm diversified to butchers),Forres,Morayshire

SCA BEST TRADITIONAL BUSINESS AWARD
*Winston Churchill Venison,Dunoon,Argyll
Mitchells (doorstep dairy deliveries),Inverurie,Aberdeenshire
*JC Douglas (butchers),St Boswells,Roxburghshire
R Macleod & Son (firearms dealers),Tain,Rosshire

SCA BIODIVERSITY THROUGH COUNTRYSPORTS AWARD
Philliphaugh Estate,Selkirk,Selkirkshire
Alvie & Dalraddy Estates,Kingussie,Invernesshire