Outstanding contributions to rural Scotland honoured in Helping it Happen Awards

Press Release

Three leading figures working in rural Scotland have been nominated today for a prestigious outstanding contribution award.

The Helping it Happen Scottish Award for Outstanding Contribution to Rural Scotland aims to celebrate those who have spent their lives working in and for Scotland’s countryside.

Scottish Land & Estates has announced the finalists for this year’s Helping it Happen awards which are supported by headline sponsor NatureScot and focus on estates, farms, rural businesses and individuals enabling success in rural communities.

The finalists for this year’s award  for Outstanding Contribution to Rural Scotland are Bruce Farquharson - Deputy Assistant Chief Officer of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, Scotland's leading proponent of raising awareness of wildfire; Henry Graham – a driving force in land management having held multiple prominent roles throughout his career including acting as an advisor to the Scottish Agricultural College and chair of LANTRA, Scotland; and Julian Pace,  Head of Rural at Scottish Enterprise, responsible for leading its approach to rural economic development.

The awards enjoyed a record-breaking number of nominations this year across 11 categories, including two new additions for 2023.

Finalists for the Rural Rising Star award are Caroline Millar, sector lead for Scottish Agritourism, Claire Taylor, a specialist broadcaster and writer on agriculture, food and the rural environment and Laura Warrender, a land manager and a board member of the Galloway and South Ayrshire UNESCO Biosphere and Scottish Land & Estates.

Other awards will be made for contribution to the environment, tackling climate change, conservation, education, communities, farming innovation, rural business, tourism and property.

Scottish Land & Estates’ Chief Executive Sarah-Jane Laing said:

“We are delighted to receive a record-breaking number of nominations for this year’s awards and these stories of success from all over Scotland are, as ever, inspirational. A number of categories have been been hotly contested and we’re looking forward to the opportunity to celebrate with our finalists and winners at the awards ceremony in October.”

Claudia Rowse, NatureScot’s Deputy Director of Green Economy, and a judge on the Helping it Happen panel, said:

“It has been a privilege to review a fantastic range of applications, and this made it so difficult to choose winners. So many nominees are showcasing how to address the nature and climate crises alongside running profitable businesses that are forward looking and resilient.”

The Helping it Happen Awards ceremony will be held on 5 October at The Sheraton Grand Hotel & Spa, Edinburgh.

 

Book your tickets for the Helping it Happen Awards 2023

 

The finalists for the Helping it Happen Awards 2023 are:

The Award for Outstanding Contribution to Rural Scotland

• Bruce Farquharson - Deputy Assistant Chief Officer Bruce Farquharson, of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, is Scotland's leading proponent of raising awareness of wildfire in Scotland.
• Henry Graham - Henry has been involved in land management all his life. A farmer himself, he was also an advisor to the Scottish Agricultural College before becoming a senior figure in agricultural banking and then holding non-executive positions with SRUC, Forestry & Land Scotland and Lantra as Chairman for Scotland.
• Julian Pace - Julian Pace is Head of Rural at Scottish Enterprise, responsible for leading its approach to rural economic development, the delivery of its rural initiatives, and business leadership development.

 

The Conservation Award sponsored by Anderson Strathern

• Butterfly Conservation Scotland and Balnagown Estate - This collaboration between Balnagown Estate and Butterfly Conservation Scotland aims to improve the habitat for the Small Blue and Dingy Skipper butterflies by controlling scrub encroachment, clearing open space and then fencing an area of approximately 40ac to allow winter grazing of cattle to maintain the habitat.
• East Neuk Corn Bunting Project - The Corn Bunting is one of the rarest birds in Scotland and one of its last strongholds is East Neuk where there is a remnant population of about 200.
• River Calder Restoration Project - Pitmain and Glenbanchor Estates have been instrumental in delivering collaborative, nature-based solutions to secure the future of Atlantic salmon through a flagship project involving private and public sector partnerships.

 

The Education Award sponsored by SRUC

• The Cairngorms National Park Junior Ranger Project - The Cairngorms National Park Junior Ranger Project is a fun and exciting way for young people aged 11-18 to learn about the outdoors.
• Lantra Scotland - Lantra is the Sector Skills Council for the land-based sector. It's an independent, UK-wide charity that exists to ensure the skills needs of the sector are met.
• Leys Estate - The Leys Estate Group launched its Education Strategy, which formalised its commitment to working in partnership with local schools and organisations to bring the curriculum to life, engage with young people and provide high quality work experience opportunities.

 

The Enhancing Our Environment through Land Management Award sponsored by NatureScot

• The Crichton Carbon Centre - Since 2007, the Crichton Carbon Centre ("CCC") - an independent environmental charity - has been at the forefront of innovative peatland restoration, carbon management, sustainable land use and environmental education, developing practical solutions and landscape improvements to combat climate change.
• Dougarie Estate - Dougarie Estate has embarked on an ambitious Green Network project to develop connectivity across the diverse habitats it manages.
• Scottish Invasive Species Initiative - The Scottish Invasive Species Initiative is an exciting and ambitious partnership project providing an innovative, community-based, strategic approach to the management of invasive non-native species at a landscape scale along the rivers of northern Scotland.

 

The Innovation in Farming Award sponsored by Douglas Home & Co

• Arbikie Highland Estate - Owners of Arbikie, the Stirlings, have been farming for over 400 years, and since the three brothers who currently run it, Iain, David and John, added the distillery to their operation nearly a decade ago, they have made it their ambition to develop a ‘field to bottle’ model of growing, harvesting and distilling everything on-site.
• Cowbog Farm / Wilson’s Farm and Kitchen - Seasonal, locally sourced food is the philosophy of Wilson's Farm and Kitchen and ingredients are sourced locally wherever possible to create the delicious menus they serve at their events.
• Farming Partners - Farming Partners is a group of professional farmers who have come together to run a number of dairy farms in Scotland and Ireland. The business model is a partnership approach where landowners become 'partners'.

 

The Iver Salvesen Award for Combatting Climate Change sponsored by Murray Beith Murray

• Balbirnie Home Farms - Balbirnie Home Farms has been working with AHDB over the last three years as its Strategic Cereal Farm in Scotland, and an approach that has prioritised plant and soil nutrition to save money and reliance on chemical inputs has the potential to reduce variable costs across different crops, around £200 per hectare.
• Cairngorm Bothies - Cairngorm Bothies, which proudly holds a Green Tourism’s GOLD AWARD, offer woodland retreats within a 100 year old Scots pine forest targeted at eco-conscious guest seeking self-catering holidays.
• PlusZero - PlusZero is a Harris-based clean power start-up which is decarbonising the events sector by replacing greenhouse gas-emitting diesel generators with zero-carbon alternatives.

 

The Rural Business Award sponsored by Shepherd + Wedderburn

• Bright Spark Burning Techniques - As pioneers in sustainable land management and wildfire prevention, Bright Spark Burning Techniques has revolutionised traditional burning practices, igniting a new era of responsible and efficient land stewardship.
• Leys Estate - Leys Estate is the historical home of the Burnett of Leys family and has been within the ownership of the family since 1323. As well as traditional rural activities, Leys Estate provides land and buildings for a diverse range of over 150 independent local businesses, community organisations and charitable organisations in addition to operating a number of Group businesses.
• We hae meat - We hae meat is a butchers business established in 2007 by Alex & Carlyn Paton as a diversification from their family farm.

 

The Rural Property Award sponsored by Bidwells

• Active Kids Adventure Park - From small beginnings, Active Kids Adventure Park has grown to become a destination venue for families.  It provides educational play for children up the age of 12 years and now includes a full restaurant and kitchen providing home cooked meals for all to enjoy.
• The Wee House Company - Driven by a desire to make bespoke building accessible anywhere in the UK, father and daughter team Ian Hope and Jennifer Higgins launched The Wee House Company in 2013. The family has a multi-award-winning history in house building and The Wee House Company is leading the way in modular house building.
• West Peaston Cottages - The Peaston development aims to regenerate the redundant farm steading and its 17 dwellings into a modern village. A key focus in the design of the development has been to respect the original farmstead whilst creating attractive, efficient homes where residents can enjoy 21st century living and community in a rural setting.

 

The Rural Rising Star Award

• Caroline Millar - Caroline Millar lives in the county of Angus, in Scotland on the family farm located just north of the City of Dundee. She is Sector Lead for Scottish Agritourism and since 2008, has worked with others to raise the profile of agritourism as a significant opportunity for Scotland.
• Claire Taylor - Claire Taylor is a specialist in communications within agriculture, food and the rural environment, and a Nuffield Scholar. She grew up on a farm on the West coast of Scotland, going on to study politics and International Relations at Edinburgh University.
• Laura Warrender - Laura is a board member of both the Galloway and South Ayrshire UNESCO Biosphere and Scottish Land & Estates, as well as Chair of the Clydeside Region of SLE.

 

The Tourism & Visitor Management Award sponsored by GLM

• Duncan McConchie, Laggan - Duncan is Chief Executive of Laggan, a rural destination of excellence with tourism, hospitality and sustainability at its core. He is a board member of South of Scotland Enterprise and Chairman of the Scottish Wedding Industry Alliance.
• Go Girvan: Community Led Tourism - In 2022 the first Girvan Tattie Fest was organised to celebrate the Ayrshire Epicurean tattie grown by Girvan Early Growers. They celebrated the tatties through art, poetry, live music, food stalls and, of course, lots of tattie eating!
• Heads of Ayr Farm Park - Heads of Ayr Farm Park is a popular tourist destination offering a unique blend of educational experiences, interactive attractions and memorable animal encounters.

 

The Working with Communities Award sponsored by Hampden & Co

• Ardkinglas Estate - A rural business run by long-standing members of the local community, forward thinking yet rooted in the past and present history of the area and landscape.
• Communities Housing Trust - Communities Housing Trust engage with local communities throughout Scotland with particular reference to the Highlands to promote, support and develop affordable housing plans and the wider benefit these bring to the local communities.
• Galloway & Southern Ayrshire UNESCO Biosphere - The Galloway and South Ayrshire UNESCO Biosphere is internationally recognised as a world-class environment for people and nature.