The most southerly cinema in Scotland, situated on the isolated Isle of Whithorn in Dumfries, has won the prestigious UK Best Rural Enterprise Award, made by the Countryside Alliance. Machars Movies serves a population of 300 and provides an all-purpose venue with an 80-seat cinema. It is a self-funding venture supported by members and 80 volunteers.

Judges of the awards, which have been dubbed the UK Rural Oscars, were impressed that the community started the project from scratch for the people of Machars. The award was made at a ceremony at the Houses of Parliament (Wednesday 3rd February).

Mike Marshall, who is the Chair for Machars Movies which beat other nominations from all over the UK, said: “It was engrossing seeing the immense range of impressive entries for the awards. These really were the best companies and organisations rural UK has to offer. We are absolutely elated at winning the award which is a tribute to the persistence and endurance of the Machars community in making this project work. It is their support which is so important to its success.”

Machars Movies had qualified for the UK awards by first winning its category at the Scottish Countryside Alliance awards. The community project then went forward to compete in the same category against enterprises from England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Ross Montague, Director of the Scottish Countryside Alliance said: “For the second year running Scotland has produced the UK winner of the Best Rural Enterprise category of the Countryside Alliance Awards. It is a wonderful achievement for the people of the Machars peninsula. They truly were up against some very stiff competition, beating 12 regional finalists and securing a unanimous vote from all five judges. Their award highlights just one of the exciting stories to be found in the Scottish countryside which we are working to promote.”

 

The national Mountain Rescue Committee which represents mountain rescue teams throughout Scotland has won the prestigious Rural Heroes Award at the Scottish Countryside Alliance Awards presented in the Scottish Parliament (Tuesday 8th December).

Other businesses from around rural Scotland were also presented with winner and highly commended awards which mark high standards of excellence.

Entrants for the awards are nominated by the public and judged by a panel of experts who visited the companies and individuals shortlisted for the categories. The other winners and highly commended businesses are:

Best Local Food
Winner: The Blackface Meat Company, Dumfries
Highly Commended: Taste of Arran, Arran

Best Rural Enterprise
Winner: Machars Movies, Wigtownshire
Joint Highly Commended: WG Young, Overton Farm, Lanarkshire;
Point and Sandwick Development Trust, Lewis

Best Traditional Business
Winner: Amayzing Saddlery (correct), Renfrewshire
Highly Commended: Kays of Scotland Ltd, Ayrshire

Best Village Shop/Post Office
Winner: Glenbarr Stores, Kintyre
Highly Commended: The Ancrum Pantry, Roxburghshire

Each year the awards attract an increasing number of nominations and this trend has continued. Each of the categories highlights important elements of community life in rural Scotland.

Mr John Lamont, MSP for Roxburgh & Berwickshire presented the awards. He said: “These awards recognise the hard work and innovation of businesses and organisations which are vital to rural Scotland. The winners and highly commended companies are all to be congratulated on their success against tough competition. It is particularly fitting that the Mountain Rescue Committee for Scotland and its members be recognised for the valour and selflessness they display every time they go to someone’s rescue.”

Ross Montague, director of the Scottish Countryside Alliance, said: “The judging was extremely difficult but that is a good sign that Scotland’s countryside has a range of thriving and imaginative businesses, created by hard working people.

"The Assynt Mountain Rescue Team was originally nominated for the Rural Hero award, but at the discretion allowed to the panel of judges we extended that award to the Mountain Rescue Committee for Scotland. In the light of the hazards braved by all volunteer search & rescue and mountain rescue teams in the country, we felt it only right to recognise all of them for their great service.

“Our list of winners and highly commended businesses deserve their recognition and we wish them and all the other nominees continued success in 2010.

“We are grateful to John Lamont MSP for presenting the awards and I’d also like to thank this year’s judges, Wendy Barrie from the Scottish Food Guide, Norette Ferns of the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations, and Julian Pace from Rural Operations at Scottish Enterprise.”