European Union Prize for Cultural Heritage

Knockando Woolmill is one of the winners of the 2016 European Union Prize for Cultural Heritage / Europa Nostra Awards, Europe’s highest honour in the heritage field.

The Woolmill received the award for the category 'Conservation'. There were only four other winners of the award in the UK, one of which was also for conservation.

The new bronze plaque has taken pride of place at the Woolmill's Visitor Centre entrance, which was revealed at the local award ceremony...

The Local Award Ceremony at the Woolmill gathered more than 70 people and was honoured by the presence of Lord Cameron of Lochbroom. Lord Cameron, Graham Blythe, Representative of the European Commission in Scoland, and Dr Peter Collins, Chairman of Europa Nostra UK, unanimously praised the remarkable restoration of the 18th-century woollen mill. 

It was an enjoyable afternoon for all those who participated in the Local Award Ceremony at Knockando Woolmill, a winner of a 2016 EU Prize for Cultural Heritage / Europa Nostra Awards. Heritage and cultural professionals, volunteers and supporters and representatives from local Government gathered to celebrate this outstanding heritage achievement. 

The Award was presented to the Woolmill by Lord Cameron of Lochbroom to Dr Jana Hutt, MBE, Project Director and current company director.

Tom Duff, Project Architect stated that the project is an ‘unqualified success in terms of the local community coming together to secure a future for the Woolmill and its associated craft skills, to generate employment opportunities, attract visitors and to produce high quality textiles to a growing global market.'

 After the ceremony, guests were invited for a tour around the historic site, taking in the history and  learning about the restoration, as well as seeing the current production processes in full swing. 

 More than 70 visitors including representatives from the Moray Council, Europa Nostra UK and the European Commission attended this Local Award Ceremony.