Thistles win for HebCelt in last regional final

It was a wonderful night of celebration as the winners of the 2023 Highlands and Islands Thistle Awards were announced. HebCelt won in the Outstanding Cultural Event or Festival category.

The winners were revealed at a sold-out gala dinner and ceremony at the Macdonald Drumossie Hotel in Inverness on Friday.

The awards covered all the regions of the Highlands and islands; from Argyll in the west, to Moray in the east, and Orkney and Shetland in the north. The annual Highlands and Islands Thistle Awards brought together industry leaders, rising stars, new enterprises and trusted names to celebrate achievements and recognise excellence in the sector. 

Read our news item on the Highlands and Islands Thistle Award regional finals.

About the Scottish Thistle Awards

The Scottish Thistle Awards are delivered by VisitScotland in partnership with regional awards programmes.

Winners of the regional finals will now progress to the national final. The following events won in the regional finals:

• Fringe by the Sea, North Berwick (Central and East)
• Spectra, Aberdeen (Aberdeen City and Shire)
• Dandelion Festival, Glasgow (West of Scotland)
• Borders Book Festival, Melrose (South of Scotland)
• HebCelt, Stornoway (Highlands and Islands)

These events will join national-only nominees in the national final. The following events will compete in the Outstanding Sporting Event category:

• Battle of the Brits, Aberdeen
• Genesis Scottish Open, North Berwick
• Mull Rally

The national final will take place at the Hilton Glasgow on Friday 1 December.

Find more information on the national final visitscotland.eventsair.com.

The awards champion innovation, collaboration, and sustainable practices. This is in line with the ambitions of the national tourism strategy, Outlook 2030. 

Read more about the Thistle Awards on visitscotland.eventsair.com.