Scottish Rural Awards 2019

Scottish farming businesses are celebrating following award wins at the 2019 Scottish Rural Awards last night (Thursday 21 March).

Mossgiel Farm, an Ayrshire based dairy enterprise, were overall winners in the Agriculture category last night, with judges praising their original approach to single use plastic waste in the dairy industry.

Taking Runner-up spot in the Agricultural category was Air An Lot, a crofter from the remote Isle of Lewis, using methods that have been used for hundreds of years and bringing 21^st century aspects such as social media.

Finalists from the Agriculture category who missed out on a podium spot were Renfrewshire based Fullwoodhead Dairy Supplies Ltd; Growers Garden, based in Fife; Kelso based JN Fulle-Shapcott & Co.; River Croft, pedigree pig breeders in Inverness-shire; Ruthven Farm, from Tomintoul; South Corton Farm in Ayr; and Baddinsgill Farm, in the Scottish Borders.

Growers Garden, a fife based farming coop, won the Business Start Up category for their zero waste broccoli crisps. St Andrews Farmhouse Cheese Company, who make artisan cheese from their Dairy cow’s milk, came runners up the Artisan Food category.

The Scottish Rural Awards highlight the enterprise, skill and innovation of those who live and work in rural areas.

The event, held at Dynamic Earth in Edinburgh, is the culmination of a fifth year of partnership between Scottish Field and the Scottish Countryside Alliance to host the awards, in association with the Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland (RHASS). The awards are backed by category sponsors including ArdMoor, Chiene + Tait and Gillespie MacAndrew.

Veteran broadcaster and Deacon Blue drummer, Dougie Vipond took to the stage as compere for the evening, hosting over 450 guests and presenting two awards in each of the 11 open categories – a Runner-Up and overall Winner.

Richard Bath, Editor of Scottish Field, commented: 'More than ever before, Scotland’s rural communities are displaying a quite remarkable amount of energy, innovation and imagination as they diversify existing businesses and create new and exciting opportunities from scratch. As a magazine we are constantly writing about the rural entrepreneurs who are bringing wealth and jobs to the countryside, so it’s exciting for us to be able to honour the men and women who are doing so much to make the economy of rural Scotland a true success story.'

Browse the full list of Scottish Rural Awards winners at www.scottishruralawards.org.