If there is one community that is feeling the effects of climate change just now, it is the Craignish peninsula.
Which is ironic, as it is the home of a unique award-winning project which reverses the impact of climate change.
Ardfern is currently cut off from the rest of Argyll due to a huge landslide on the A816 Oban to Lochgilphead road.
This added extra miles onto the distance to Edinburgh for the Holyrood Climate Action Awards on November 8.
The inaugural Seas and Coasts Award went to Seawilding, based at Ardfern on Loch Craignish. Which is the UK’s first ever community-led native oyster and seagrasss restoration project.
Featuring inspiring tributes to key players across technology, nature, and the circular economy, the awards were a chance to recognise Scotland’s progress towards Net Zero, two years on from COP26 in Glasgow.
They were presented by Dougie Vipond at InterContinental The George.
Acclaimed nature photographer Phillip Price accepted the award on behalf of Seawilding.
While expressing his “delight” at winning, Mr Price made an impassioned plea for “greater action” to protect vulnerable coastal habitats against the effects of climate change.
The Seas and Coasts Award is designated to pioneering and innovative work under the broad umbrella of the “blue economy”.
This includes cleaning up our seas, protecting marine biodiversity, adapting coasts to be sustainable against the effects of climate change already happening, or helping reach net zero.
Environmental campaigner Laura Young was named Circular Champion, recognised for her campaign to ban disposable vapes.
Editor of Holyrood Magazine and managing director of Holyrood Communications, Mandy Rhodes, said: “We originally launched these awards during the optimism that was generated during COP26 in Glasgow in 2021.
“Since then, we have seen climate targets missed here in Scotland, the prime minister rolling back on his green credentials, controversial oil and gas exploration licenses issued and an acceleration in the need for action on climate change.
“The war in Ukraine, the energy crisis, and the cost-of-living crisis, all bring competing challenges but we cannot let any progress stall. While saving the planet may feel like too big a problem, an existential issue, for any of us as individuals to do anything about, we do all have a part to play.
“The judges for the awards were so impressed with the high standard of entries, and it was a tough job to narrow it down to the shortlist.”
Only last month, Seawilding founder and CEO Danny Renton was presented with an award from the National Lottery, in recognition of his pioneering work restoring lost biodiversity.