Three Shetland tourism operators returned from Inverness on Friday night with the sector’s top regional honours, a result that underlines how valuable the islands’ visitor economy has become within the Highlands and islands tourism market. Blyde Welcome, Seabirds and Seals (the Original Noss Boat) and Shetland Seabird Tours (Noss Boat) each took a prize at the Highlands and Islands Thistle Awards, an event that functions as the industry’s benchmark for commercial performance and service quality across the region.
For small operators, such recognition carries real market weight. The awards signal to visitors, and to the wider trade, that these businesses rank among the strongest performers in the Highlands and islands, a competitive edge in a sector where reputation directly shapes bookings and revenue.
The Individual of the Year award went to Celia Smith of Blyde Welcome, an accolade reserved for people whose dedication and contribution to tourism and hospitality make a meaningful difference. In a sector built almost entirely on service and repeat custom, individual reputation is a commercial asset, and the judges made clear why they rated Smith so highly. Her recognition, they said, “shines a light on the importance of individuals who help deliver positive visitor experiences and contribute to the strength and success of the Highlands and islands tourism industry.”
Meanwhile, the two boat tour companies competing for visitors to the seabird cliffs of Noss both emerged as winners, though in different categories, a split that reflects the distinct markets each serves. Seabirds and Seals (the Original Noss Boat) won the Best Visitor Attraction award, while Shetland Seabird Tours (Noss Boat) took the Best Outdoor or Adventure Experience accolade.
That division of honours is telling from a market perspective. Rather than one operator crowding out the other, the two firms have carved out adjacent positions around the same natural asset, the spectacular seabird cliffs of Noss, and the judges rewarded each on its own commercial terms. The outcome suggests a local market where differentiated offerings, rather than direct head-to-head competition, prove viable for both operators.
The judges’ citations point to the product quality underpinning those positions. Seabirds and Seals, they found, offered visitors a memorable way to experience the region, showcasing “the remarkable wildlife and spectacular coastal scenery that make Shetland so special.” Shetland Seabird Tours, meanwhile, were described as providing a “wonderful way to discover the remarkable wildlife and coastal scenery of Shetland.”
Taken together, the three wins position Shetland as a notable performer within the Highlands and islands tourism industry. Awards of this kind serve as third-party validation in a market where operators sell experiences customers cannot inspect in advance, and where the strength of the regional brand depends on individual businesses delivering on it. For the winners, the immediate value lies in visibility. For the islands’ tourism sector as a whole, a clean sweep at a regional ceremony is evidence that its operators are holding their own against competitors across the Highlands and islands.
The ceremony itself, held in Inverness, brings together the region’s tourism trade and functions as an annual measure of where quality and, by extension, commercial strength sit within the industry. That three of the top honours went to Shetland based businesses, spanning hospitality, attractions and adventure experiences, indicates breadth as well as depth in the islands’ visitor offering. From an individual practitioner whose work anchors the visitor experience, to two boat operators turning the Noss cliffs into award winning products, the results map the different ways tourism businesses in Shetland generate value from the same underlying asset: the islands’ wildlife and coastal scenery. Whether the awards translate into stronger bookings for the season ahead is the question the winners will now be watching.