Today, Mike Watson MSP, Minister for Tourism, Culture & Sport presented The National Trust for Scotland's Glencoe Visitor Centre with a Gold Green Tourism Award.

"We are delighted to receive a Gold Green Tourism Award - the first for the National Trust for Scotland, said Robin Pellew, Chief Executive of the Trust. "We have worked towards the creation of the new centre for many years and are pleased that it now has official recognition for its achievements to promote both Tourism and Conservation in Scotland."

The visitor centre, opened last May, was designed to meet state-of-the-art ecological standards. The whole project from its very start has been managed to the highest environmental standards practicable. This includes the demolition of the old centre and rehabilitation of the former site, the design of the building, car park and infrastructure right down to the heating and kinds of cutlery and crockery used. Even the majority of gifts sold in the shop are of UK origin, minimising the environmental impact of getting them here.

Said Derrick Warner, Glencoe Property Manager: "All of us who work at the centre are extremely proud of this award. Without the staff commitment to run the building in a sustainable way we would not have met the criteria needed to achieve gold status. Many of the good practices we follow in the management of the centre make good business sense as well as being environmentally sound."

With over 160,000 visitors each year the centre, which is open all year round, tells the story of Glencoe and gives interesting information about the landscape, people and conservation work that is carried out there. It aims to make everyone who visits aware of the conservation challenges and the work the National Trust for Scotland does, as well as encouraging them to stay in the area and enjoy everything that is so very special in this unique beauty spot. Working closely with the local community the centre provides helpful information on places to stay and other visitor attractions in the area.