Angus tourism industry stars celebrated at Scottish Thistle Awards

Three Angus tourism businesses and events have received recognition at Scotland’s premier tourism and events awards.

Newton Farm Holidays & Tours was awarded Best B&B or Guest House Experience, Over Lunan by Aproxima Arts received the Outstanding Cultural Event or Festival award and WeeCOOK Kitchen in Carnoustie (see Carnousite section) was named Best Eatery Experience at the Scottish Thistle Awards regional finals for Central, Fife & Tayside, which took place last week.

Newton Farm Holidays & Tours offers accommodation on a traditional, working farm in rural Angus. The business received praise from judges for promoting the natural and culture heritage of the farm and the area, as well as its support for the community.

Newton Farm Holidays & Tours Proprietor Louise Nicoll said: “Graeme and I are delighted that Newton Farm Holidays & Tours, has been awarded the Best B&B or Guest House Experience in the region.

Newton Farm Holidays & Tours with its award.

"We love to invite visitors to share in the story of our epic farming life, making memories to last a lifetime. Receiving recognition from VisitScotland after all our efforts is amazing and we are truly thankful to our two and four-legged friends who are a huge part of our life and family, and to everyone who have visited us and supported our efforts in educating young and old about our farming life, and where their food comes from.

"This award will be treasured and we look forward to sharing it with you on your next visit to our farm.”

Over Lunan took place at Lunan Bay and was delivered by Aproxima Arts, a charity that encourages a profound appreciation of the arts, heritage and culture in Scotland.

The event was praised by judges for drawing on local folklore and the beauty of the location, whilst promoting sustainability themes at its core.

Angus Farquhar, Artistic Director, said: “As a young charity, Over Lunan was our first large-scale production and it was very exciting and not without its challenges to produce this outdoor work during a worldwide pandemic. We are enormously proud of Over Lunan and all it has achieved for audiences and team members alike.”