The Whitehills Marina team are so pleased with their one Gold Anchor award that they have painted a large
anchor gold and placed it at the marina entrance.

The award-winning, village-owned marina is situated on the Moray Firth coast of North-East Scotland.

It won the Grampian Awards for Business enterprise and the Alick Buchanan Smith spirit of Enterprise Award in 2004.

Now, the marina has also been awarded one Gold Anchor from The Yacht Harbour Association (TYHA), becoming the UK’s first self-assessed one Gold Anchor marina.
 
Whitehills Marina is the first marina to have undertaken the self-assessment, which involved producing all the necessary paperwork to assure the TYHA they met the scheme’s criteria.

Jimmy Forbes, one of Whitehills Harbour’s Commissioners, said: ‘Myself and the other Harbour Commissioners are over the moon with the result.

‘Everyone has pulled out all the stops and been so enthusiastic about gaining this accreditation.

‘The process was very straightforward and the TYHA team were always on hand should I have any queries about the paperwork and evidence that was required.

‘We are flying our One Gold Anchor flag with great pride and delighted that we are not only the first self-assessed gold anchor marina on the Moray coast, but also in the world.’

Whitehills has 40, full, berths plus a few visitor berths for sailors looking to sail along the coast to Inverness, down the Caledonian Canal and onto the sailing waters of the West Coast of Scotland.

The marina attracts many Scandinavian sailors and its ‘comments’ book is full of compliments from visitors passing through.

The recently opened fish restaurant, The Galley, is proving popular. Other facilities include a crew lounge and kitchen, washing machines and tumble driers.
 
TYHA’s General Manager, Gareth Turnbull said: ‘Whitehills marina is a great example of a community based business and where they take their service to visitors seriously.

‘To commemorate the 1 Gold Anchor award the team have painted a large anchor gold which in pride of place at the marina entrance.’

Pictures:

James Forbes being presented with Gold Anchor Flag by TYHA administrator Libby Gordon, by the painted gold anchor.

The presentation of Gold Anchor Certificate, with (l-r) Alan Downie, Chairman; James Forbes, Harbour Commissioner; Libby Gordon, TYHA; Willie Milne, Harbour Commissioner; Bertie Milne, Harbour Master.