Islay and Jura Winners in ForArgyll Awards 2009

The results came in minutes ago and Islay has three winners in the 2009 ForArgyll awards. First of all the Islay Energy Trust for their Tidal Energy Plans and other green initiatives. The environment also played a part for the second winner, Jez Hastings from Islay Birding for abandoning his land rover and taking folks out birding on the bike. The Islay Festival ended as joint winners in the category best homecoming event. Congratulations to the three of them as well as to the others, Elliott Bowman of Islay Sea Shipping, the Ileach Newspaper, Islay Birds Blog and Finlaggan Centre development, all of them ended as a good second. Another one worth mentioning is the Jura Passenger Ferry who won in the category best tourism initiative. Let's hope this will help them in the future.

Here are this years winners:

Best Achievement for Argyll: Eilidh Steel, with fellow musician Joy Dunlop a close second.
Best Tourism Initiative: Jura Passenger Ferry, with Fiddle Folk / Lochgoilhead Fiddle Workshop a close second.
Best Environmental Initiative: Islay Energy Trust - way out in front from a early stage, with Seil Community Garden Project in second.
Best Community Initiative: Lochgoilhead Fiddle Workshop, with the Finlaggan Centre development on Islay a close second.
Best Homecoming Event, Joint winners: The Columba Ceilidh Trail and the Islay Festival in a thrilling last hours dead heat and with Inveraray’s Spirit of the West Festival in second.
Best Major Event: Royal National Mod, a standout winner with the Mull of Kintyre Half Marathon and 10k Run in second.
Best Community Event: Mull of Kintyre Half Marathom and 10k Run, with the Meur Chruachain pre-Mod Ceilidh a close second.
Best Arts Programme: Fiddle Folk / Lochgoilhead Workshop, a runaway winner with the Meur Chruachain Summer & Winter Ceilidhs in second.
Best Activity Website: Islay Wilderness Guide, ahead of Islay Shipping Blog in close pursuit.
Best Wildlife Website: Mull Eagle Watch, a long way ahead, with Islay Birds a good second.
Best Community Website: The Carradale Goat, with a very close dead heat for second between Arrochar and Tarbet and the Kintyre Forum.
Best Local Newspaper: The Oban Times, a flyaway winner with the Ileach a good second.

Check out the ForArgyll website for the full overview