I am delighted to share some wonderful news – Fine Feathers has been named the Scottish Champion in the Rural Enterprise category at the Countryside Alliance Awards.

Winning this award is an incredible honour and recognition of the journey Fine Feathers has taken from a single handmade brooch to an award-winning rural business based at Rennieston Farm in the Scottish Borders.

Fine Feathers began with a simple idea. After making a feather brooch for my mother-in-law, I discovered a passion for transforming locally sourced game bird feathers into beautiful accessories that celebrate the countryside and rural way of life. What started as a hobby has grown into a thriving business supplying customers across the UK and around the world.

Every brooch, hat pin and bespoke creation is inspired by the Scottish Borders and made using ethically sourced feathers from local shoots. By turning a natural by-product into something beautiful and lasting, Fine Feathers combines sustainability, craftsmanship and a deep appreciation for our rural heritage.

The Countryside Alliance Awards, often known as the "Rural Oscars", celebrate the businesses, people and communities that make a significant contribution to rural life. To be recognised as the Scottish winner in the Rural Enterprise category is something I never imagined when I first started making feather brooches at my kitchen table.

This achievement would not have been possible without the incredible support I have received from customers, stockists, friends, family and the wider rural community. Every purchase, recommendation, vote and word of encouragement has helped Fine Feathers grow, and I am immensely grateful to everyone who has been part of the journey.

The award has already opened new opportunities, including speaking to enterprise students at Borders College, connecting with other rural businesses and proudly representing Scotland at the UK final at the House of Lords in London on 8 July 2026.

As Fine Feathers continues to grow, my commitment remains the same: creating beautiful handcrafted accessories inspired by the Scottish Borders, supporting rural communities and proving that small businesses can achieve extraordinary things.

Thank you to everyone who has supported Fine Feathers. This award belongs to all of us.

Cheryl Ladds
Founder, Fine Feathers