Shortlist And New Award Unveiled For The Returning South Of Scotland Thistle Awards

The South of Scotland shortlist for the region’s second dedicated Thistle Awards has been unveiled alongside the announcement of brand-new award category  

The shortlist for the South of Scotland’s dedicated regional Thistle Awards – Scotland’s leading tourism and events industry accolades – has been revealed today alongside a brand-new award category.  

Back following a hugely successful inaugural year, the South of Scotland Thistle Awards is once again showcasing the very best of the region’s burgeoning visitor economy. 

The South of Scotland Destination Alliance (SSDA) today announced the shortlist for the South of Scotland Thistle Awards, with 30 tourism businesses, events and individuals – including over 20 new entrants – in the running to receive the prestigious awards selected from a pool of over 100 entries from across the region.  

Of the finalists, three have been shortlisted for the Rising Star Award, a brand-new for 2024 award category which aims to recognise the emerging talent shaping the future of tourism and hospitality in the region.   

In the running for the new award category are Kylah Anderson from Barend Holiday Lodges in Dalbeattie, Lizzie Koronka from New Town Hall Bunk House in Wigtown and Thania Meneses Flores from Trimontium Museum in Melrose.  

Trimontium Museum also features in the shortlist for the Inclusive Tourism Award category as well as the Celebrating Thriving Communities category, going head-to-head with All Roads Lead to Whithorn in Whithorn.  

Meanwhile Gather near Gatehouse of Fleet is once again shortlisted for the Best Eating Experience accolade, alongside The Globe Inn in Dumfries and Knockinaam Lodge Hotel in Portpatrick.   

In the running for the Best Visitor Attraction category are Gretna Green Ltd in Gretna Green; Robert Smail’s Printing Works in Innerleithen; The Whithorn Trust in Whithorn, all new entrants to this year’s South of Scotland Thistles Awards. 

The South of Scotland Thistle Awards, delivered by the South of Scotland Destination Alliance and supported by South of Scotland Enterprise and VisitScotland, with headline sponsor Caledonia Park Designer Outlet, will take place at the Peebles Hydro on the 3rd of October later this year.  

Spearheaded at national level by VisitScotland, in collaboration with regional partners, the 2024 Thistle Awards commemorate the 30th anniversary of the esteemed Scottish Thistle Awards Programme.  

Finalists’ reactions: 

Thania Meneses Flores, Trimontium Museum, said: “I am delighted to be shortlisted for the Rising Star Award – it’s so important to have an award recognise those of us at the beginning of our careers in tourism. Having started at Trimontium as a remote intern in 2020 I first joined the staff team as Community Archivist for Creativity and Inclusion and I am now the Heritage Environment Resources Officer, focusing on digital resources, accessibility and inclusion, as well as developing the new Heritage and Landscape Observatory project at Trimontium with digital and hybrid experiences merging archaeology, history and VR technology.”  

Lee Medd, Group Marketing, PR & Training Manager for Annandale Distillery, which took ownership of The Globe Inn in 2019, said: “We are delighted to have been shortlisted for the Best Eating Experience in this year’s Thistle Awards. With the recent promotion of the hugely talented Fraser Cameron from Sous Chef to Head Chef and being named runner up in the Restaurant of the Year category in the Scottish Excellence Awards, it’s been an incredibly exciting couple of years for The Globe Inn.” 

Julia Muir Watt, The Whithorn Trust, said: “We’re absolutely delighted to be shortlisted, recognising the hard work of our staff and the inspiration we get from our archaeological collection to tell new stories to visitors. Whithorn’s heritage is world-class and awards like this help increase public awareness and interest in the exceptional archaeology we have here.” 

Gethin Chamberlain, Five Turrets, said: “We’re delighted to have been shortlisted for a Thistle Award. It’s more important than ever for tourism businesses to be seen to be at the heart of their communities and hopefully this reflects the way we have tried to create something that benefits our guests and local residents and businesses.” 

David Hope-Jones OBE, Chief Executive of the South of Scotland Destination Alliance, said: “The first South of Scotland Thistles Awards last year was a resounding success, with so many brilliant tourism and hospitality businesses, events and individuals recognised for their excellent contributions to the region’s community and tourism economy.  

“This year’s Thistle Awards sees the introduction of the Rising Star Award, which aims to spotlight the achievements of outstanding individuals who are at the start of their careers within the tourism and hospitality industry. 

“My congratulations to those shortlisted today for the South of Scotland’s returning Thistle Awards, whose hard work and remarkable achievements continue to put the region on the map as a leading global destination!” 

Russel Griggs OBE, Chair of South of Scotland Enterprise, said: “Congratulations to all the finalists for the South of Scotland Thistle Awards, whose nominations reflect the hard work, dedication and passion our tourism and hospitality sector has. 

“I look forward to the 2024 Awards night, and the winners going on to the national Thistle Awards, which last year saw businesses and individuals from the South pick up a magnificent six titles.” 

Gordon Smith, Destination Development Director at VisitScotland, said: “Congratulations to all those shortlisted for the South of Scotland Thistles, which builds upon the success of the inaugural awards last year. 

“These entries show the strength and depth of the tourism offer in the region, from quality accommodation and experiences to examples of collaboration and innovation, that brought wins at the national finals in 2023. 

“Tourism excellence is at the forefront of South of Scotland Responsible Tourism strategy and it’s encouraging to see so many businesses and experiences matching those ambitions.” 

Caledonia Park Designer Outlet Centre Director Scott Wells said: “We are incredibly proud to sponsor the South of Scotland Thistle Awards for a second year running – last year we supported the inaugural regional awards in showcasing the success and excellence of tourism talent across both the Scottish Borders and Dumfries and Galloway, and we’re excited to use our platform to champion these brilliant individuals, businesses, and events once again.  

“Recognising the quality and innovation that the region has to offer is hugely important to us and we are honoured to play a part in such a vital celebration of the tourism and events industry in the South of Scotland.” 

The full South of Scotland Thistle Awards shortlist, by category: 

Best B&B or Guest House Experience 

• Inglestone House Guest House, Kelso 

• Queensberry House B&B, Moffat 

Best Bar or Pub 

• The Beagle Country Pub, Dalbeattie 

• Cross Keys Inn, Ettrickbridge  

Best Eating Experience 

• Gather, Laggan, Gatehouse of Fleet  

• The Globe Inn, Dumfries 

• Knockinaam Lodge Hotel, Portpatrick  

Best Hotel Experience 

• The Cairndale Hotel & Spa, Dumfries  

• Gretna Hall Hotel, Gretna Green  

• The Ship Inn, Gatehouse of Fleet 

Best Outdoor or Adventure Experience 

• Beirhope Alpacas, Hownam near Kelso  

• Glentress, by Peebles 

• Mostly Ghostly Tours, Thornhill   

Best Self-Catering or Unique Stay 

• Five Turrets, Selkirk  

• Grobdale of Girthon, Laurieston  

• The Outdoor Hotel, Dumfries  

Best Visitor Attraction 

• Gretna Green Ltd, Gretna Green  

• Robert Smail’s Printing Works, Innerleithen 

• The Whithorn Trust, Whithorn  

Celebrating Thriving Communities 

• All Roads Lead to Whithorn, Whithorn   

• Trimontium Museum, Melrose 

Inclusive Tourism Award 

• Trimontium Museum, Melrose 

Outstanding Cultural Event or Festival 

• Alchemy Film and Arts, Hawick 

• Borders Book Festival, Melrose  

• Upland Arts Development CIC (Spring Fling), Dumfries and Galloway 

• Wigtown Book Festival, Wigtown  

Rising Star Award 

• Kylah Anderson – Barend Holiday Lodges, Dalbeattie 

• Lizzie Koronka – New Town Hall Bunk House, Whithorn 

• Thania Meneses Flores – Trimontium Museum, Melrose 

Tourism Individual of the Year 

• Kirsty Archer-Thompson – Abbotsford, Melrose 

The Scottish Thistle Awards are delivered by VisitScotland in partnership with regional awards programmes. The five different regional award ceremonies will take place in September and October before the regional winners battle it out for a Scotland-wide accolade at the National Final in November.   

Responsible tourism is at the heart of the Scottish Thistle Awards, supporting the aim for Scotland to be recognised globally as a leader in this field.   

 Find out more about the South of Scotland Thistle Awards here. 

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