LUSS Estates has won an award recognising its outstanding work in encouraging rural business in the area.

The estate was joint winner of the Rural Business Award at the first-ever national Helping it Happen awards ceremony, which celebrates estates, farms and land-based businesses that have helped their local region to flourish.

Chief executive Simon Miller collected the accolade from Simon Mackintosh of Turcan Connell, sponsor of the award.

They were also pictured alongside Sarah-Jane Laing, executive director of Scottish Land & Estates and awards host, Doddie Weir.

The estate’s win reflects their desire to grow the local economy and the sustainability of the local community.

The first big steps were made by facilitating the development of two international golf courses.

This was followed by the refurbishment of the Loch Lomond Arms Hotel, and the creation of the Luss Strategic Development Framework. The Luss Seafood Bar, The Clan Shop, Luss Filling Station and Luss Smokehouse have been developed in the village, all but the latter operated by Luss Estates.

Organised by Scottish Land & Estates and sponsored by The MacRobert Trust, Helping it Happen winners were announced across seven diverse categories from housing to tourism, education to conservation.

The Helping it Happen initiative was launched by Scottish Land & Estates in late 2014 to highlight how landowners on estates and farms across Scotland can play a key role in delivering benefit and enabling success in rural Scotland.

More than 200 case studies have been compiled, culminating in the inaugural awards held in Edinburgh.

The night was hosted by former Scotland and British & Irish Lions rugby internationalist, Doddie Weir, and attendees at the dinner also played their part by raising money for charity partners RSABI and Scotland’s Charity Air Ambulance.

David Johnstone, chairman of Scottish Land & Estates, said: “People who have the interests of rural Scotland at heart know that the best way to achieve vibrant and successful communities is to work together towards common goals.

“Landowners and estates are often stereotyped as detached and remote from communities and it is important that we continue to change that perception and show what has and can be achieved.

“Helping it Happen demonstrates much of the unsung work that estates, farms and other land based businesses undertake, and there could have been many more winners than those announced at the ceremony. My congratulations go to all those who play their part in Helping it Happen in their region.”

Simon Power, estate manager for the MacRobert Trust and one of the judging panel for the awards, said it was a difficult process to choose the winners.

Simon Power said: “It was an extremely challenging process to choose the winners in each award category given the wonderful work that is undertaken by estates across Scotland. The MacRobert Trust is delighted to support the awards and promote, through Scottish Land & Estates, the role estates play in their communities: from protecting and enhancing the biodiversity and landscape under their management to helping young people to the welcome estates provide to visitors to their areas.

“This has been the first year of the Helping it Happen awards but I’m certain it will go from strength to strength due to the outstanding stories that estates are generating on a daily basis.”