Last night (24th September) there was STV’s Scotland Revealed, looking at Kilmartin Glen and Inveraray as well as Glencoe – part of the historic Argyll, Ben Nevis, the Cuillins and the Small Isles. The photography matched the country. It could do no better.

Then tonight BBC 2′s Hairy Bikers Food Tour of Britain (see it here on the BBC iPlayer) visited Argyll & Bute in search of food. No disappointment there, then. Argyll’s food is, for every possible best reason, making its mark in culinary and gourmet circles.

In the meantime, as we’ve reported, Arrochar won the Best Village in Scotland Award and will shortly go on to the UK nationwide competition, representing Scotland.

Then Rothesay in Bute and Kirn in Cowal won in the Beautiful Scotland Awards. They have been heartily congratulated by Argyll and Bute’s MSP, Jim Mather, who has the vested interest of also being Tourism Minister.

The Minister says: ‘ Rothesay, in the category of Coastal Resort, won the Gold medal and also took the Rosebowl Reserve Trophy as a Horticultural Award. Their principal attainment was in the successful development of a community engagement plan, achieving initiatives like their market garden, the socially inclusive Step Up Project and allotments supporting the Healthy Living café. Along with this, the Beachwater Bute campaign and the focus given through the educational programme emphasising the resources of the island in terms of ecology and people, Particularly  impressed the judging panel.

‘In the Large Village category Kirn secured the Silver Medal and this was for their “Kirn in Bloom” planters and their “Spirit of Kirn” boat on the seafront. The chief asset going for Kirn though was the keenness of villagers to welcome visitors.

‘I would like to commend these two communities for their successful efforts in enhancing the image of Argyll & Bute and would also thank the Beautiful Scotland campaign and keep Scotland Beautiful for their efforts in this Homecoming Year. A great deal of voluntary and community work has been done across Argyll & Bute to keep our part of Scotland looking its best I hope and trust that those efforts will continue. Rothesay and Kirn have set the standard and I hope that other communities will seek to compete.

‘Those who were involved in the projects at Rothesay and Kirn and elsewhere deserve the sincere thanks of the wider community for their work in this. Judging for this scheme is based on horticultural achievement, environmental responsibility and community participation. Standards are high; but it is a benchmark that we can all aspire to reach’.