A last call for entries to this year’s Country Living Magazine’s The Balvenie© Artisan Awards has been issued to crafts people in the Highlands and Islands.

The scheme, which aims to reward the individuals and businesses who are helping to keep traditional skills and crafts alive in the UK today, offers £9,000 in cash prizes plus bottles of hand-crafted The Balvenie Single Malt Scotch Whisky and is free to enter. The closing date for entries is May 30th 2008.

The Awards feature four categories: Outstanding support of future Artisans; Best Start-up business based on a traditional craft or skill; Artisan Apprentice of the Year and Artisan of the Year. Full details on how to enter can be found at http://www.thebalvenie.com or by contacting Artisan PR on 01578 722690, email yvonne@artisanpr.co.uk .

David Stewart, The Balvenie’s Maltmaster commented : “The skills of the craftsmen at The Balvenie Distillery have been handed down from one generation to the next.

We believe it is important to preserve these crafts for the future of the whisky industry and for Britain’s heritage too. That’s why The Balvenie developed this awards scheme, to reward craftspeople who hand on their skills and also to encourage a new generation to take up the mantle and learn them.”

Country Living Magazine’s The Balvenie Artisan Awards are open to anyone who uses a traditional skill or craft to earn their living. To enter, the business needs to provide a 500 word summary on why they should win a particular category. The same business or individual can enter more than one category.