Keith has been named as the first winner of the Scots Toun prize. The Scots Toun award is administered by the Scots Language Centre. Judges awarded three prizes with Keith receiving the top spot and a cheque for 6000. Other winners included the Reading Bus based in Aberdeen and Fraserburgh, and the East Ayrshire town of Muirkirk which is aiming to use the language as part of its regeneration programme.
The judging panel was made up of Prof Donna Heddle of University of the Highlands and Islands, Chris Waddell, Head of Education at the Burns Birthplace Museum in Alloway, Dr Dauvit Horsbroch, Language and Information Officer at the Scots Language Centre and Michael Hance, Director of the Scots Language Centre.
The award ceremony was reported in The Press and Journal
Alasdair Allan, Minister for Learning, Science and Scotlands Languages, said: This Scots Toun prize has encouraged communities to look at how they use the language to celebrate their unique identity and I know that the judges were impressed by all of the entries. I would like to congratulate Keith for being the first town to win this award and hope that the prize money will help develop its Scots programmes even further.
 
The success of the local work in Keith; the Reading Bus in the North East and the community of Muirkirk are great examples for other cities, towns and villages that want to make more of their Scots heritage and I am confident we will see their achievements increase as these awards grow.