A travellers' haven for more than 300 years, Clachaig Inn is still up there with the best, having been recognised for its great service with Hospitality Assured accreditation.

Situated in the very heart of Glencoe, among the spectacular mountains of the Scottish Highlands, Clachaig Inn is already well known for its warm friendly atmosphere.

However, the accreditation is still welcomed by owner, Edward Daynes. He recognises Hospitality Assured as a benchmark of excellence, highlighting his business as one of the best by customers, employees and competitors.

Hospitality Assured has been tailored by Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), to give local tourism businesses business the necessary skills, competence and understanding that is needed to deliver high quality customer care.

Business development manager at HIE Lochaber, Mairi Adam said: "This is a first for Lochaber, but we hope it will be the first of many recognitions for our tourism providers. Hospitality Assured is the first step for businesses who want to provide service excellence. By ensuring high levels of customer satisfaction, staff feel valued and the business then gets better results all round."

A UK-wide award, Hospitality Assured gives local businesses a competitive edge in an increasingly global market.

Edward Daynes said: "Our entire customer culture is about delivering quality throughout the company and that is reflected in the attitudes of all of our staff towards customers. It is always encouraging to receive an award but doubly more so this time when it has been awarded on the basis of a formal assessment and appraisal by external experts from within the industry".