Martin Whitfield MSP has joined Douglas Alexander MP on a visit to Papple Steading to meet with the management team and look around the near complete restoration of this famous old steading near Garvald.

The politicians were greeted by the director George Mackintosh and Verity Sinclair, the manager at Papple. Mr Alexander took the opportunity to congratulate the team for securing the prestigious Green Tourism Gold award.

The Green Tourism Gold Award recognises a business that has achieved the highest standards of sustainability, has a strong and broad environmental ethos and one which can provide excellent examples of best practice throughout the three pillars of People, Places and Planet.

Papple Steading is a rural retreat for holidays, corporate teams and wellbeing and academic groups. It also provides a unique setting for events and small conferences. The destination includes stylish accommodation, a gallery, a cafe and wine bar, private dining and an agricultural heritage centre.

The physical footprint includes a garden, a paddock, a sculpture woodland, a forest garden and a wildflower meadow within ancient woodland. The buildings have been meticulously restored and repurposed all within the requirements of the ‘listed’ structures which were designed and built in the mid 1800s. Papple is regarded as one of the finest farm steadings [or farmsteads] in the UK and is developing as a cultural hub promoting “ART in AGRICULTURE”.

The Green Tourism Gold Award is a globally respected benchmark. Other GOLD award holders include Blenheim Palace and Cairngorm Bothies.

The manager Verity Sinclair, who worked with the Green Tourism team for two years to reach this highest green status, said:

“We believe that caring for the countryside should be at the centre of what we do. From our deep bore heat pumps, which provide eco-friendly heating, to our careful management of the land to encourage biodiversity, this award is a testament to the hard work of the entire Papple team. We believe in preserving the beauty of our historic site and the stunning East Lothian landscape for generations to come.”

Martin Whitfield MSP said:

“I was delighted to visit Papple Steading to meet George and Verity and find out more about this outstanding local enterprise.

“It is a fabulous venue and I commend the team at Papple on securing the prestigious Green Tourism Gold award, which underlines how carefully it has sought to promote sustainability and protect the beautiful local environment.”