Former Dundee textile Mill turned museum Verdant Works joined Scottish tourism luminaries on Thursday night at the 2017 Scottish Thistle Awards, where it narrowly missed out on a Best Visitor Attraction award.
In what are regarded as the Oscars of Scottish Tourism, Verdant Works had picked up the Scotrail Best Visitor Attraction award in the Central, Fife and Tayside regional finals late last year, beating the likes of Balgove Larder and The Helix, Home to the Kelpies to secure their title as one of the nation\'s top textile museums.
The national final, held by VisitScotland at Edinburgh\'s International Conference Centre, saw Verdant Works battle it out against other regional finalists; Royal Lochnagar Distillery in Ballatar; Cromarty\'s EcoVentures; The Experience at Hillington Park and the National Museum of Scotland. The National Museum of Scotland collected the Best Visitor Attraction prize.
Verdant Works\' presence at Thursday night\'s awards marks its place as an important player in the tourism of Dundee and of Scotland, said its operators, Dundee Heritage Trust. Popular with locals and tourists, the museum prides itself on its social history message as well as holding exhibitions, workshops, community events and private functions.
Paul Jennings, executive director with Dundee Heritage Trust, said:
\"Jute was Dundee\'s industry, which makes Verdant Works Dundee\'s museum. But it\'s also a place for visitors from outside Dundee and tourists from further afield to learn a little about the history of Dundee\'s jute industry and the city itself. We\'re proud to have been recognised by VisitScotland for our commitment to being an exceptional visitor attraction alongside some of the top names in tourist attractions from across the country. Joining such distinctive venues a Thursday night\'s awards speaks volumes about Verdant Works\' place in Scottish tourism.\"
Verdant Works is owned by Dundee Heritage Trust, which also operates RRS Discovery. The Trust opened the museum - with the public\'s help - in September 1996 and completed the second phase a year later. Late 2015 saw the opening of the oldest part of the building, The High Mill, which is a stunning space which hosted the Great Tapestry of Scotland in 2016 and is also returning late Summer 2017. Many of the items in the museum are donated by residents of Dundee, who consider it as the home of the jute industry in Scotland.
For more information visit www.rrsdiscovery.com
