A travel business built from scratch with just a camera, a van, and a love for adventure has won a regional tourism award.
Highlands2Hammocks, based in Renfrew, was named winner of the Innovation Award at the West of Scotland Thistle Awards, hosted by Garry Spence and delivered by VisitScotland, on September 24 at Glasgow’s Radisson Blu.
The business, run by Gemma and Campbell Kerr, began as a personal travel account and has since grown into a £1.1 million enterprise.
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Reflecting on the award, Gemma and Campbell said: "Winning a Scottish Thistle Award would mean everything to us.
"We started with nothing but a camera, a van, and a passion for Scotland's beauty.
"To have that recognised by VisitScotland would validate every risk we took and inspire us to keep pushing the boundaries of what a travel business can be."
The Scottish Thistle Awards have been running for more than 30 years, celebrating excellence, collaboration and innovation across Scotland's tourism sector.
The Innovation Award recognises businesses that are making bold steps to shape the future of tourism and events in Scotland.
Judges praised Highlands2Hammocks for its audience-first approach and deep understanding of evolving traveller behaviour, as well as its ability to inspire visitors to explore Scotland.
Lynne Cooper, regional director at VisitScotland, said: "Congratulations to Gemma and Campbell on this fantastic achievement, a clear recognition of the hard work and passion they have dedicated to building Highlands2Hammocks.
"Being honoured with a Scottish Thistle Award places businesses among the very best in Scotland’s tourism and events sector.
"The awards help to ensure that tourism, and the individuals who work in the industry, are praised for the positive impact they bring to the country and our communities.
"I wish them the best of luck for the national final in November where they will be representing Renfrewshire and the wider West of Scotland region."
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The regional ceremony was hosted by Garry Spence and delivered by VisitScotland, with headline sponsor Abbey: The Destination Experts.
Winners from all five regional awards will go on to compete at the national Scottish Thistle Awards ceremony in November.
Other sponsors for this year’s awards include AccessAble, Fishers, GetYourGuide, Historic Scotland, HIT Scotland, the Scottish Licensed Trade Association, STV, The Times Scotland, and the Scottish Sun.
The full list of winners is available at visitscotland.org/news/thistle-awards-west-of-scotland-winner.
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