Press Release

GLENLIVET ESTATE CELEBRATES GREEN TOURISM AWARD

24 November 2009

The Crown Estate has won a major industry award in the Highlands and Islands Tourism Awards held recently.

The Glenlivet estate, part of The Crown Estate, won the green award category. The green award recognises organisations or groups which are proactive in raising awareness of the environment, adopts high standards of sustainable business management and have a strong involvement in local conservation activities.

Glenlivet estate countryside manager Vicky Hilton received the award on behalf of The Crown Estate. Speaking afterwards, she said: “Receiving this award is a great honour, as it recognises The Crown Estate’s focus on sustainability which is embedded within our core values. A lot of our education and outreach work is built on promoting environmental understanding and we have worked proactively in partnership with our tenants, stakeholders and the local community to help ensure a long term sustainable future for the environment and economy of this remote rural area.”

The judges acknowledged that the Glenlivet estate was driven by a powerful vision of sustainability and that the green agenda was at the forefront of the entire organization. They were also impressed at the way The Crown Estate demonstrated collaboration with its tenants, visitors and many other stakeholders to drive public access and a whole series of projects aimed at improving the environment.

These have included the provision of an extensive network of paths and trails to help put Glenlivet on the map as a tourism destination, educational services for schools, the restoration of historic buildings, investment in tourism infrastructure and a wide range of community projects which have helped develop new local services, tourism marketing activities and community involvement in conservation and biodiversity management. Recently proposals for the development of new cross country mountain bike trails on the estate have been launched for consultation and if the project goes ahead, it has the potential to add significantly to the attractions of the area, in a way which does not have unacceptable environmental impact.

Eleven winners from Caithness to Inverness to Argyll were winners this year at the Highlands & Islands Tourism Awards. The awards recognise the area’s tourism businesses, initiatives and individuals covering such areas as best visitor experience, community tourism initiative and developing people.