Celebrating the People who make
Scotland’s Attractions World-Class
The ASVA People Awards, sponsored by Visit Scotland, celebrate the incredible individuals who make Scotland’s visitor attractions world-class. From frontline stars to behind-the-scenes heroes, these awards honour those who go above and beyond to create unforgettable experiences.
The Winners were announced at the annual ASVA Conference 2025, held on the 19 November. The awards were hosted by Alex Harvie, Head of City Marketing for Destination Glasgow.
“These awards are unique – they provide a way to recognise anyone from the attractions sector. They do so in an inclusive way, with entries no longer than an a4 sheet of paper, no cost to enter or come to the awards, no black tie is needed or dinner to be bought, they are for everyone and to celebrate the people that make our industry so special.“
✨ Winners ✨
Supported by:
Rising Star
For the up and comers making waves in the industry. Congratulations to our winner:
✨ Megan Sherdley (The Real Mary King’s Close)
Megan Sherdley embodies the spirit of a Rising Star: inspiring her peers, delivering outstanding results, and shaping the future of Scottish tourism with passion, integrity and vision.
“Megan demonstrated a broad range of strengths, from being inclusive and mentoring new team members, to curating Scottish makers and ethically sourced products, to rising from guest services to a duty manager within four years, she is seen as a role model to those around her. Her commitment to growth, new training and supporting the wider organisation to succeed was inspiring.”
Congratulations to runners up:
Sophie Hunter (New Lanark World Heritage Site)
Matilda Mear (The Scotch Whisky Experience)
Experience Maker
Recognising those delivering world-class experiences, face-to-face or behind the scenes. Congratulations to our winner:
✨ Ashleigh Pink (Dundee Heritage Trust)
Ashleigh shows us how to enhance visitor experience through diversifying your product, reimagining your stories and reigniting excitement in not only external audiences, but in your team, too.
“Ashleigh led the ambitious Discovery mast climb, diversifying the offering and attracting new visitors to great success. She has also driven a wide range of new activities, including a pop-up café, seasonal events, integration of net promoter score evaluation, uniform improvements and much more to provide great experiences for visitors. It was clear that her ability to work well with others and ever present optimism were making positive change through others as well as from herself.”
Congratulations to runners up:
Ross Blevins (Historic Environment Scotland)
Ross Combe (National Museums Scotland)
Technology Innovator
Celebrating individuals who enhance current technologies or implement impactful new solutions.
Congratulations to our winner:
✨ Kate Lapping (New Lanark World Heritage Site)
Kate Lapping wins this award because her visionary leadership in harnessing cutting-edge technologies such as AI and VR are positioning New Lanark as a model of inclusive, sustainable, and inspiring heritage engagement for future generations.
“Kate Lapping has demonstrated outstanding innovation by leading New Lanark’s partnership with SITEnetwork to digitally preserve and expand access to the World Heritage Site. Under her leadership, cutting-edge 3D scanning and immersive digital tools are being applied to safeguard the site while building pre- and post-visit learning resources designed to enhance accessibility and long-term engagement.”
Congratulations to runners up:
Paul Nixon (The Real Mary King’s Close)
Stephen Preston (St Giles’ Cathedral)
Susatinability Champion
Honouring those making a significant impact on responsible tourism, net zero goals, and preserving attractions for future generations. Congratulations to our winner:
✨ Victoria Erasmus (Uile-bheist Distillery and Brewery)
Victoria wins this award because her tireless dedication to sustainable and inclusive practices sets a global benchmark for the tourism industry and leaves a powerful, positive legacy for the Highlands.
“Victoria is a true Sustainability Champion due to her pioneering work at Uile-bheist Distillery and the Glen Mhor Hotel. She spearheaded the creation of a renewable energy centre with a river source heat pump system that completely eliminated the need for gas. This has significantly reduced carbon emissions by an estimated 250 tonnes per year. “
Congratulations to runners up:
Ross Fraser (The Falkirk Wheel)
Pamela Sutherland (Inverness Botanic Gardens (High Life Highland))
People’s Hero
Acknowledging the heart of our communities, fostering inclusivity and accessibility among teams, communities, stakeholders, and visitors. Congratulations to our winner:
✨ Caroline Currie (Burrell Collection (Glasgow Life))
Caroline champions the local community, ensuring that Burrell Collection delivers experiences to improve people’s lives.
“She has worked with the Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain to showcase Ukrainian Christmas traditions, as well as The Village Storytelling Centre to participate in the Scottish Refugee Council’s Refugee Festival. She works with LGBTQ+ groups to develop our annual Pride celebration and with Glasgow’s leading Chinese cultural organisation to deliver our popular Lunar New Year celebration, attended by 4500 people in 2025. She understands and breaks down the barriers to visiting museums with integrity and inclusion front of mind.”
Congratulations to runners up:
Isaac McCaffrey (Camera Obscura & World of Illusions)
Jennifer Pless (Scottish Maritime Museum)
“Together, let’s celebrate the people who make Scotland’s attractions truly world-class.”