Scotland: National Rural Network
Connecting Rural Scotland - Promoting Rural Growth

Machars Movies, a community enterprise based on the Isle of Whithorn, have scooped one of the top prizes at the UK finals of the Countryside Alliance Awards. The most southerly cinema in Scotland has won the Best Rural Enterprise Award at the awards, which were held at the House of Lords last week.

Machars Movies provides an all purpose venue with an 80-seat cinema. It serves a population of 300, and is a self-funded venture supported by members and 80 volunteers. Judges were impressed that the community started the project from scratch for the people of Machars.

Mike Marshall, who is the Chair for Machars Movies which beat other nominations from all over the UK, said: "It was engrossing seeing the immense range of impressive entries for the awards. These really were the best companies and organisations rural UK has to offer. We are absolutely elated at winning the award which is a tribute to the persistence and endurance of the Machars community in making this project work. It is their support which is so important to its success."

Machars Movies had qualified for the UK awards by first winning its category at the Scottish Countryside Alliance awards. The community project then went forward to compete in the same category against enterprises from England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The UK Awards were judged by Countryside Alliance Chief Executive Simon Hart along with Clarissa Dickson Wright, Farmers Guardian Editor Emma Penny, Daily Telegraph commentator Charlie Brooks and British Food Fortnight Director Alexia Robinson.

Ross Montague, Director of the Scottish Countryside Alliance said, "For the second year running Scotland has produced the UK winner of the Best Rural Enterprise category of the Countryside Alliance Awards. It is a wonderful achievement for the people of the Machars peninsula. They truly were up against some very stiff competition, beating 12 regional finalists and securing a unanimous vote from all five judges. Their award highlights just one of the exciting stories to be found in the Scottish countryside which we are working to promote."

Last year, Loch Visions from Argyll won the Best Rural Enterprise award, you can find out more about this business in Your Enterprise: Loch Visions.