The prestigious CARAS award was presented to rural marketing guru Jane Craigie at this year's Royal Highland Show, in recognition of her outstanding contribution to agriculture and rural progress in Scotland.

The Council for Awards of Agricultural Societies was established by the UK’s four national agricultural societies, including the Royal Highland & Agricultural Society of Scotland, to recognise distinguished achievements in agriculture and related land-based industries.

With 20 years of experience working in the agriculture and rural industry as a communicator and marketing manager across the UK, Ms Craigie is also a member of the executive board of the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists and the council of the British Guild of Agricultural Journalists. She is a graduate of the IAgrM and Scottish Enterprise Rural Leadership Programmes, is a Windsor Leadership Alumna and a Waitangi Scholar and board member for Lantra and a Professional Agriculturalist (P.Agric).

CARAS president James Black presented the award to Ms Craigie, managing director of Jane Craigie Marketing and co-founder and director of the Rural Youth Project .

“It was truly an honour to accept the Royal Agricultural Societies CARAS Award, I’m incredibly passionate about the power of the farming and rural economies, as well as what our countryside delivers to society," commented Ms Craigie. "My day-job is to see and tell the best stories about our rural businesses, places and people. Recognition like the CARAS Award feels to me like the industry saying you’re doing a good job, and that’s warmed my heart,” she enthused.