Five Tiree businesses were awarded Investors in People (IIP) status at a ceremony in the Tiree Lodge Hotel last night (Monday 3rd February).  Tiree can now boast having a total of 10 IIP recognised businesses on the island.

IIP is a national award which promotes the development of staff and skills and is managed locally by Argyll and the Islands Enterprise (AIE) and has been delivered on the island by Trudy MacKenzie of Esteem.

Those being presented with their IIP plaques last night included Blue Beyond - a studio gallery producing paintings, textiles and ceramics and the Tiree Glassary Restaurant with Rooms at Sandaig

Local builders were also awarded for their commitment to staff development with Bernard Smith and Sons from West Hynish; John MacKinnon (Builders) Limited from Kilmoluaig and Touchwood Renovations from Crossapol all being IIP recognised.

Commenting at the awards ceremony, AIE chief executive, Ken Abernethy said: "It is a great achievement that on such a small island, a total of 10 companies have successfully gone through the Investors in People programme.

"I would like to congratulate the most recent IIP recipients but also those businesses who have already achieved the award and are continuing to use IIP as a staff development tool.  At AIE, we believe that the success of a business has a great deal to do with the staff that it employs and IIP is an excellent standard to aim for."