Highland businesses celebrated at annual Business Excellence Awards
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The much-anticipated SCDI Highlands & Islands Business Excellence Awards returned to the Drumossie Hotel tonight for an all-star celebration of regional businesses and a gala dinner.
The Awards, which were due to take place in September, but were postponed following the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, brought together businesses from across the region to celebrate the mutual successes of one another, presenting awards to outstanding organisations across nine categories.
This year marked the return of the Awards to an in-person format for the first time since 2019, following a hiatus in 2020 and moving to an online format in 2021. The previous couple of years have presented many challenges for businesses and society alike, and the awards have given the opportunity to celebrate the triumphs of the region’s businesses in the face of adversity.
Like prior years, the Highlands & Islands Awards welcomed a star host to provide guests with an evening of entertainment and of course, the all-important awards. This year comedian and impressionist Rory Bremner regaled guests with unrestrained satirical japery. Rory joins the long list of prominent hosts including Ruby Wax, Milton Jones and Marcus Brigstocke.
MSP Richard Lochhead for Moray and Minister for Just Transition, Employment and Fair Work provided a ministerial address.
Fiona Larg, SCDI’s Highlands & Islands Committee chair welcomed guests to the awards, saying: “We have so many successful organisations operating across the Highlands and Islands, large and small. We have had a great variety of entries across a range of sectors so choosing winners has been a difficult job.”
The award categories were designed to bring out the best of the region’s businesses, making sure to be inclusive of the Highlands & Islands diverse landscape and communities in rural and coastal areas.
The Award categories along with finalists and winners are:
- Alvance Aluminium Award for Outstanding Business Leader: Winner - Carroll Buxton, Deputy Chief Executive, Highlands and Islands Enterprise. Finalists: Charles Milne, The Seafield Arms (Cullen), Anne Gracie Gunn, The Sonas Hotel Collection, Professor Donald Maclean, Strategy Story.
- Bakkafrost Scotland Award for Outstanding Island Business: Winner – Essence of Harris. Finalists: Mesomorphic, North Uist Distillery, Isle Develop CIC, Sonas Hotel Collection.
- Benromach Award for Excellence in International Business: Winner – The TEFL Org. Finalists: Orion Engineering Services Ltd.
- Crown Estate Scotland Award for Outstanding Supporter of Coastal Communities: Winner – Highland Coast Hotels Limited. Finalists: Bakkafrost Scotland, Opportunity Cromarty Firth, The Carnegie Club at Skibo Castle.
- Highlands and Islands Enterprise Award for Excellence in Fair Work Practices Leading to Workplace Innovation: Winner – teclan. Finalists: The Apprentice Store, Strategy Story.
- Loganair Award for Excellence in Customer Service, Care & Experience: Winner – Loch Ness by Jacobite. Finalists: The TEFL Org, The Carnegie Club at Skibo Castle.
- The Highland Council Award for Purposeful Business: Winner – Winner – Swansons Fruit Company Ltd. Finalists: The Apprentice Store, Strategy Story, FUEL10k, Isle Development CIC.
- Stromar Award for Excellence in Natural Capital, Climate Change and Sustainable Communities: Wester Ross Biosphere Ltd. Finalists: Trees for Life, Visit Inverness Loch Ness, Highlands and Islands Airports –Sustainable Aviation Test Environment.
- SCDI Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Regional Economy: Winner – The University of the Highlands & Islands.
SCDI’s Highlands & Islands manager, Grant Campbell provided closing words, saying: “We can all recognise the social and economic challenges of the last two and half years, but looking
to the future and the exciting opportunities for the region to not only be world-class for food, drink, tourism and energy, but to lead the way in new and emerging technology for green energy, space & aerospace, health and social care, and the opportunities for advanced manufacturing which, when all supported by a successful green freeport bid for the region, will be truly transformational.
"The SCDI team, are all committed to supporting these opportunities to the fullest extent and through our policy work, member events, Productivity Clubs and our Young Engineers and Science Clubs, we will be counting on you to help in shaping the thinking and action towards the creation of prosperity for the people, businesses and organisations in the towns and rural communities of the Highlands and Islands.”
