Self-catering Operator of the Year

Winner – Cairngorm Executive Ltd, Osprey House and Red Kite House, Nethy Bridge

Edna Fraser has an excellent attitude to customer care. She takes the opportunity to stay in the houses several times a year, at times with children and grandchildren, in order to undergo the customer experience. She thinks ahead and anticipates her customers' needs. Nothing is too much trouble and if she thinks of something the customer might like, she provides it. The impression given to the customer is that they can use everything made available to them and nothing is grudged, providing pro-active customer care at its best.

Ms Fraser commented: “I entered the Thistle Awards last year but didn’t make it to the finals. So I thought about having another go and this time we did it. Winning is the icing on the cake.”

Contact: Edna M Fraser, tel: 01330 844344.

Finalist – Birchbrae Lodges and Health & Beauty Spa, Fort William
Stephen Fenwick runs an extremely professional, profitable and business-like operation. He uses frameworks to identify customer feedback and a reporting system, which highlights areas of concern in a rapid and customer-focused manner. This system has been picked up and used by ‘Scotland's Warmest Welcomes' to measure customer feedback for the members of the locally based initiative. Additionally, he has excellent written operational cleaning standards and facilities, which include the provision of videos in each lodge and a selection of board games in the central reception office.

Contact: Stephen Fenwick, tel: 01853 821261.