PEEBLES Hydro Hotel manager Caroline Raeburn, was crowned Tourism & Hospitality Hero at the Scottish Thistle Awards regional finals for Lothian & Borders, which took place last night on Thursday October 27 at Prestonfield House Hotel in Edinburgh.

The Scottish Thistle Awards celebrate the very best of tourism in Scotland and the excellence that is helping to rebuild this vital part of the Scottish economy in the last two years.

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This year more than 500 entries were submitted, including almost 1,000 nominations from members of the public keen to give hotels, restaurants, visitor attractions and individuals the opportunity to earn the recognition they deserve in the part they play in making Scotland such a fantastic place to visit.

Caroline was praised by judges for putting “the interests of the visitors to the hotel, staff and colleagues at the heart of everything she does.”

She was also described as demonstrating a commitment to the local community and recognising the importance of the hotel to the region.

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On receiving the award, she said: “I’m shocked but over the moon to have won the Tourism & Hospitality Hero award.

“But although I got the award this has been a team effort and we have a great team at the Peebles Hydro. It’s not about one individual it’s about everyone and I have some amazing colleagues at the hotel.”

Caroline is originally from Lancashire and enjoyed a six-month placement at the hotel in 1986 before returning in 1992.

She added: “I love living in the Scottish Borders. My husband Tyrone is from Peebles and we were Cornet and Cornet’s lass in 1995 so I got to meet so many people from the region and I still keep in touch with other principals.”

Steven Walker, Chair of the Scottish Thistle Awards industry panel said: “Congratulations to all of the winners.

“The Scottish Thistle Awards shine a spotlight on the very best of Scotland’s tourism and events industry, celebrating the businesses and individuals who have worked tirelessly in the last two years to create the fantastic destination and visitor experiences that Scotland is famous for.”