Awards and accreditations

6 minute read• Last updated: 28 August 2026

Recognition awards are a great way to celebrate your business and give you further credibility with potential customers. If you’ve reviewed your business, now is the time to nominate yourself for an award, and have your efforts recognised amongst your local industry.

Scotland's tourism industry is globally renowned for its quality and the dedication of its professionals, offering unforgettable experiences and products. Numerous prestigious awards recognise this excellence and innovation. Putting yourself forward for consideration can enhance your credentials and open doors to new and exciting opportunities that will benefit you and your business.

The benefits of winning a recognition award

Enhanced credibility
gives you an enhanced reputation with customers and potential business partners.
Increased visibility
attracts more customers through additional marketing exposure.
Quality benchmarking
serves as a mark and recognition of the quality you offer.
Celebrate successes
to boost staff morale by giving them well-deserved recognition of their excellent service and results.
Networking opportunities
offers the chance to meet industry leaders and peers, leading to potential collaborations.

Scottish Thistle Awards

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Make the most of the Scottish Thistle Awards webinar

The Scottish Thistle Awards are among the most recognised in Scotland's tourism industry, celebrating excellence and innovation across different sectors.

Regional Thistle Awards

Every autumn, five regional Thistle Awards ceremonies take place.

Aberdeen City & Shire
Central & East
Highlands & Islands
South of Scotland
West of Scotland

View the 2026 regional award shortlists.

National Scottish Thistle Awards final

Winners from each regional Thistle Awards ceremony progress to the national Scottish Thistle Awards final. At the national final, the overall winner is announced for each award category.

As well as a range of awards for the various accommodation, visitor experience, events, and food and drink sectors, award categories also include:

Climate Action Award
Employer of the Year
Inclusion Award
Individual of the Year
Innovation Award
Rising Star Award

The winners of the 2025 national awards were crowned at the national final ceremony on the 20 November 2025.

The winners of the Scottish Thistle Awards 2025 pose proudly on stage with their awards — Scottish Thistle Awards 2025
© VisitScotland

Entering the Scottish Thistle Awards

Before entries open, customers to have their chance to nominate tourism businesses and events that have stood out to them. Once a business has been nominated, they’ll be informed and encouraged to enter.

Any tourism business or event – whether they have been nominated or not – can enter the Scottish Thistle Awards.

Entries for the 2026 Scottish Thistle Awards are now closed. The final will take place in November.

Find out more about the Scottish Thistle Awards.

ASVA Scottish Attractions Inspiring People Awards

Tour group in medieval type underground lane — Real Mary King’s Close
© The Real Mary King's Close

These awards focus on celebrating the achievements of individuals who enhance Scotland’s visitor attractions through exceptional service and innovation.

Categories include:

Rising Star – For the up and comers making waves in the industry.
Audience Builder – Recognising those growing audiences and finding new ways to connect people with their attraction.
Commercial Excellence – Recognising those driving commercial success while supporting a great visitor experience.
People’s Hero – Acknowledging the heart of our communities, fostering inclusivity and accessibility among teams, communities, stakeholders, and visitors.
Experience Maker – Recognising those delivering world-class experiences, face-to-face or behind the scenes.

Find out more about the ASVA’s Scottish Attractions Inspiring People Awards.

Food and drink awards

These awards showcase excellence in food an drink, highlighting the top flavours and beverages from Scotland's finest kitchens and distilleries.

Scotland Food & Drink Excellence Awards

Celebrates the best of Scotland’s exceptional food and drink scene.

Categories include:

Tasted categories – includes fish & seafood, meat, dairy and distilling.
Business categories – includes Food Tourism Business of the Year, recognising businesses that demonstrate excellence in delivering food or drink experiences.

Find out more about the Scotland Food & Drink Excellence Awards.

Cook receiving a tray of produce from supplier — The WeeCook Kitchen

SLTN Awards (Scottish Licensed Trade News)

These awards recognise the best venues and individuals in Scotland's hospitality industry, with a focus on bars and pubs.

Categories include:

Best pub - awards the best overall pub based on atmosphere, service, and beverage selection.
Best Bar None Award - recognises bars that excel in operational standards, knowledge, and responsible serving of alcohol.

Find out more about the SLTN Awards.

Spirit of Speyside Whisky Awards

The Spirit of Speyside Whisky Awards highlights regional whiskies through a unique customer-driven process. Expert judges initially shortlist entries through blind tastings, followed by global whisky enthusiasts voting at various events, making this the only whisky competition where customers ultimately choose the winners.

Categories include:

12 Years & Under - whiskies in this category are judged for their quality and character among younger spirits.
13 - 17 Years - this category showcases mid-aged whiskies, balancing maturity and the distinct Speyside character.
18 Years & Over - features older whiskies, highlighting depth, complexity, and ageing finesse.
Non-Age Statement - focuses on whiskies where age isn't specified, allowing unique blends and innovations to compete.

Find out more about the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Awards.

Visitors enjoying The Scotch Whisky Experience — The Scotch Whisky Experience
© VisitScotland / Natalia Wrobel

Scottish Whisky Awards

Focuses on celebrating Scotland’s whisky industry, from distillation to hospitality.

Categories include:

Whisky Distillery of the Year - recognises the top distillery for overall excellence in production and visitor experience.
Whisky Bar of the Year - awards the bar that offers an exceptional whisky drinking experience, including variety, education, and atmosphere.

Find out more about the Scottish Whisky Awards.

Inclusive and accessible awards

Scottish Thistle Awards - Inclusion Award
This award celebrates a business who has a developed an outstanding welcome for all customers and provides accessible facilities which can enjoyed by all customers.
Find out more about the Inclusion Award.
Autism Friendly Award
The Autism Friendly Award is designed to support customer-facing organisations of all sizes to provide an autism-friendly environment and inclusive customer service. 
Find out more about Autism Friendly Award.
Blue Badge Access Awards
Recognising the very best in accessibility for the disabled guest, the Blue Badge aims to reward hotels, restaurants, leisure and tourism venues and people that are getting ‘accessibility with style’ right.
Find out more about the Blue Badge Access Awards.

RSPB Nature Tourism Award

A flock of geese fly over a peaceful loch at sunset — Pink-footed geese at Loch Leven

One of the RSPB’s annual Nature of Scotland Awards and supported by VisitScotland, this award recognises tourism businesses that not only have taken steps to reduce net zero but have also made a positive difference for nature.

Tourism businesses and initiatives of all sizes are eligible to enter. Achievements will be judged relative to the size and scale of the business.

Find further information on the RSPB Nature of Scotland Awards.

Green certification schemes

While not awards, green certification schemes underscore a business's commitment to standards of excellence in sustainability and should be celebrated. They highlight a level of environmental stewardship and social responsibility that will make your business stand out from the competition.

EarthCheck - supports the tourism industry in sustainable practices like energy efficiency and waste reduction. It offers guidance and certification that help businesses lower costs and improve their environmental impact.

Learn more about the EarthCheck certification.

Green Key - certifies tourism facilities that meet strict environmental standards, helping them conserve resources and reduce pollution.

Find out more about the Green Key certificate.

Green Tourism - certifies tourism businesses committed to sustainability, focusing on energy saving, waste recycling, and ethical practices.

Learn more about Green Tourism certification.

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