The Scottish Mining Museum in Newtongrange has been awarded the Visit Scotland Five Star Excellence Award for the fourth year running.

VisitScotland’s area director for Edinburgh and Lothians, Ben Carter, who joined Fergus Waters and staff to celebrate the occasion said: “The Scottish Mining Museum is a fascinating attraction that offers a great day out for all the family, so I am delighted that the museum has achieved five star status again this year and continues to be recognised for its excellence.

“Quality products and services are key to ensuring visitors to Scotland have the best possible experience while they are here and to achieving the industry ambition to increase Scotland’s tourism value by 50 per cent by 2015.”

The museum was further boosted by news that it has retained the prestigious Investors in People (IiP) standard - the national award that sets a level of good practice for training and development of staff to achieve the goals of the organisation.

Director of the museum, Fergus Waters, said: “I am delighted that we have retained the Investors in People standard at the Museum. This is a testament to the commitment and enthusiasm of all of our staff and their determination to optimise each visitor’s experience. Everyone in the organisation is passionate about their job and talks with pride about what they do.

“I place great importance upon the IiP status because it sends an important message to staff that their role is valued and that we are aspiring to continual improvement. This is something that does not go unnoticed by the outside world.”