Rory Archibald at launch of legends campaign

A competition to find three young people who are doing incredible work in some of Scotland’s key industry sectors has been launched by the national tourism agency.

VisitScotland is appealing to 18 to 26-year-olds to enter its ‘Young Legends Awards’ – which will recognise their ‘leading edge work’ and celebrate the country’s reputation for “pioneering innovation”.

Organised by the agency’s business events team, the awards combine its work on the ‘Legends‘ digital campaign to support key industries and and the Year of Young People in Scotland in 2018.

Drawing primarily on Scotland’s key economic and academic research sectors such as Technology, Engineering, Energy and Marine Biology (full list of sectors here), the Awards will also be open to young entrepreneurs or business employees who have pioneered innovation in a commercial environment.

Neil Brownlee, Head of Business Visits & Events at VisitScotland, said: “Scotland’s reputation for innovation stretches back hundreds of years and continues to this day. We think it’s time to showcase the breadth and depth of today’s young talent in Scotland who are heirs to the many famous Scottish inventions and innovations that are known throughout the world. In this Year of Young People, we encourage young people working and studying in Scotland to consider applying for the Awards – we know there are some unsung heroes out there who deserve to be recognised for their amazing work and pioneering spirit.”

The three lucky “Young Legends” will win a unique opportunity to see their work championed internationally through the Legends campaign. The 3 Young Legends will be invited to a one-year anniversary ‘Legends’ event in Glasgow in November 2018 and feature in the Legends campaign, highlighting their contribution to their respective field.

To enter candidates must submit a video or written presentation explaining the significance of their chosen piece of work to its sector and to Scotland’s reputation as a nation of pioneering innovation.

The Awards will close for entries at the end of September 2018 with judging taking place in October. The judging panel will be drawn from a cross section of, VisitScotland’s Business Events team and both academic and business experts.

For more details on how to apply go to www.scotland.org/Legends