Scotland Loves Local – Aberdeenshire
The Scotland Loves Local campaign is a national initiative designed to encourage all those who live in Scotland to think local first and support local businesses and build stronger communities.
The campaign helps to encourage people to choose local. When we choose local, we can create better places to live, work and visit. By loving local, we are choosing to back local businesses, and build stronger communities that can respond to the cost-of-living crisis and the climate emergency.
Aberdeenshire Gift Card
The Scotland Loves Local Aberdeenshire Gift Card helps to keep money within your community by allowing recipients to spend it only in their region. This gives them an opportunity to enjoy and support the businesses around them. You can load any amount onto the card, just like a regular gift card.
Find out more about the buying the Aberdeenshire Gift Card.
Register your business
Find out how to register your business to participate.
If you would like more information you can email aberdeenshireloveslocal@aberdeenshire.gov.uk. We can provide you with the registration details and your business can be live within a couple of clicks.
Get involved
View ideas on how to get involved to reach as many people as possible about the importance of thinking local first.
Download logo
Download the Scotland Loves Local - Aberdeenshire branding (zip 1.24MB).
#ScotlandLovesLocal
Please use the hashtag #ScotlandLovesLocal along with the Scotland Loves Local - Aberdeenshire logo and share your social media posts via:
twitter icon Twitter: @EconDevAbshire and @ScotlandsTowns
linkedin icon LinkedIn: Economic Development Aberdeenshire and Scotland's Towns
Case studies
The Pet Stop, Ellon - Empowering Local Economies with the Aberdeenshire Loves Local Gift Card
Having signed up to accept the gift card and also become a local stockist, Shona, owner of The Pet Stop in Ellon provided some very useful insight into why the scheme is crucial to keeping town centres economically active.
Shona said "The main benefits I can see are boosting the local economy and supporting the local towns by keeping gift card purchases in the Aberdeenshire area rather than benefitting large and online businesses. I decided to participate in the scheme as it’s a great opportunity for local businesses and I am passionate about shopping local, especially following COVID. In my view, the Aberdeenshire Loves Local Gift Card scheme has the potential to keep the 'shop local ethos' alive"
Shona added "becoming a gift card stockist was really easy with no problems whatsoever. It’s so simple, just hand out the card pack and advise people how to load it with the amount they would like to gift. I also tell businesses the scheme is brilliant as it keeps money in the local economy. More and more businesses could sign up, it’s really easy to do"
Six Degrees North, Laurencekirk – Christmas Hamper 2020
An impressive array of 17 Aberdeenshire and 6 Aberdeen based food and drink businesses from all corners of the region in the Christmas hamper from Six Degrees North pictured with Marketing Manager, Matt Carrington. Welcome support for family and friends who operate our Aberdeenshire businesses, ensuring that the money we spend benefit our local communities and assist local employment.
View Aberdeenshire based businesses in the Christmas hamper:
- Six Degrees North Snowy - 2 items of Winter Warmer 330ml, Stonehaven
- Burnside Brewery - 2 items of Lift and Shift Pale Ale 500ml, Laurencekirk
- Brew Toon - 2 items of M'ango Unchained IPA 330ml, Peterhead
- Alexander's - Gin 70cl, Stonehaven
- Cakes by Alli-baba - Christmas fruit cake 250g, Laurencekirk
- Six Degrees North - Spent Malt Dog Treats 250g, Stonehaven
- Angus and Oink - Hot Sauce Gift Pack of 3 sauces each 150ml: Red Dawg Apache, Voodoo Mango, Phat Taco, Inverurie
- Honey Hill Bee Farm - Blossom Honey 225g, St Cyrus
- Mearns Marmalades - Red Onion Chutney 210g, Fettercairn
- Mackies of Scotland - Turkey and Stuffing Crisps 150g, Inverurie
- Cambus O'May Cheese Co - Cheddar Cheese 200g, Cambus O'May
- Ace Kombucha - Hibiscus Kombucha 330ml and Gunpowder Kombucha 330ml, Ballater
- Summerhouse Drinks - 2 items of Scottish Raspberry Lemonade 250ml, Fraserburgh
- Mckenzie's - Original Savoury Biscuits 120g, Turriff
- Shona's Shortbread - Handmade Shortbread 200g, Stonehaven
- Devenick Dairy - Mealie Oatcakes 115g, Banchory Devenick
- Sweet Toots Cakery - Tablet 75g, Newburgh
View Aberdeen based businesses in the Christmas hamper:
- Porter's Gin - Christmas Pune Negroni (2 serves)
- Cocoa Ooze - Reindeer Chocolate 4 pack of 60g
- MacBeans - Freshly Roasted Costa Rica Whole Bean Coffee 200g
- MacBeans - Mulled Wine Tea 100g
- Big Beefys Biltong - Chilli Biltong 35g, Honey Mustard Biltong 35g
- Nom Fudge - Premium Fudge 100g
- L'Art Du Vin (importer) - Organic Prosecco Spumante Brut, NV Florida 75cl, Edinburgh
The Bay Fish and Chips, Stonehaven – Cateys 2020 Sustainable Business Award
Putting Aberdeenshire on the map was notable but doing so by winning Cateys 2020 Sustainable Business Award was outstanding. Owner, Calum Richardson of The Bay Fish and Chips, has taken sustainability to another level.
90% of produce is sourced within 50 miles of the shop in Stonehaven and suppliers are chosen with sustainability in mind. The Bay runs on renewable energy and is the first fish and chip shop in the UK to gain the Marine Stewardship Council chain of custody to sell North Sea haddock. Using 100% compostable packaging, the restaurants food waste is recycled and composted. Calum’s team are trained on The Bay’s sourcing practices and with the use of various technology providers, the office system is paperless.
The award category was sponsored by Coca-Cola European Partners, a leader in one of the largest FMCG sectors in Europe’s most significant markets. Short-listed alongside some pretty impressive contenders, located much further south of the border, Economic Development Aberdeenshire would like to congratulate The Bay Fish and Chips, Aberdeenshire on their ‘plaice’ at the winners’ podium.