Case Study
Thistle Awards Dinner
This prestigious celebration of the region’s hospitality sector combined creativity, sustainability, and entertainment for a night to remember.
Transforming the Kingsmills
Working with events partners, our team transformed the Kingsmills Suite for the Coasts and Glens theme. Tables featured alternating kingfisher blue and sage linens with rustic wooden chairs. Local florist Stephen Seedhouse created striking centrepieces. Some reflected the coast with miniature lighthouses, sand, and driftwood. Others captured the glens with Scot’s pine trees, moss, ferns, and heather.
Highlights
- Themed Dinner for 332 guests
- Stretch Tent Garden Bar for VIP arrival drinks
- Staging and AV for award presentation
- Fully digital event guide & menu
- Sustainable & local menu

A Sustainable Awards Dinner
Sustainability guided the event. Digital table plans replaced paper, while large screens displayed menus. Executive Chef Geoff Malmedy introduced each course through short video clips, reducing printed materials and adding a personal touch. Guests enjoyed local Scottish produce across the menu. Highlights included miso cured halibut, Newtonmore venison fillet, and Tomatin Single Malt raspberry parfait.
A Celebration to Remember
Guests began the evening with a drinks reception in the gardens, complete with a bespoke Garden Bar and firepits. STV’s Sean Batty hosted the awards, with music from Michael Lewis and lively band Starsky and Fox keeping the celebrations going into the night.

The Kingsmills team shared in the success. We earned Highly Commended in Tourism & Hospitality Employer of the Year, while our sister hotel Ness Walk won Hotel of the Year.

Host Your Awards Dinner at The Kingsmills
The Highlands & Islands Thistle Awards Dinner 2024 showed how the right venue can elevate an event. With elegant spaces, sustainable catering, and luxury accommodation, The Kingsmills Hotel is the ideal venue for your next awards dinner in Scotland.

Contact us today to start planning your next awards dinner.