Scholars Celebrated at the HIT Talent Conference

HIT Scotland Awards 212 Scholarships to Spark Ambition in Scotland’s Hospitality Professionals

We have celebrated another milestone in nurturing Scotland’s hospitality talent, awarding an impressive 212 scholarships to individuals already working in the sector across the country!

The scholarships, designed to motivate, inspire, and enhance professional development, were presented at HIT Scotland’s annual Talent Conference at the voco Grand Central Hotel in Glasgow, bringing together industry leaders and recipients from across the country.

More than 430 attendees came together to celebrate HIT Scotland’s scholarship programme which is open to anyone working in or studying towards a hospitality career in Scotland. 

The innovative scholarships offer learning experiences to help develop new skills, knowledge, best practice and fresh thinking. Split into three categories – business, operational and inspirational empowerment – each scholarship features content tailored according to the recipient’s personal development objectives.

Among the most coveted scholarships is the Art of Leadership programme hosted at the world-renowned EHL Hospitality Business School in Lausanne, Switzerland. 

Recipients include Kyle McCutcheon, (29), Duty Manager at Lamlash Bay Hotel on The Isle of Arran and Kyle Devine, (27), Head of Learning at Cameron House on Loch Lomond, who will attend a tailored two-day leadership course which includes a visit to the school’s Michelin-starred restaurant, allowing them to experience the very best in hospitality.

Kyle Devine explained how he felt being awarded the prestigious HIT scholarship. He said: “Being awarded this scholarship is an absolute ‘pinch me’ moment in terms of my career.  I’ve worked my way through the ranks at Cameron House from housekeeping to heading up all training within the property. I am so excited to take the next step in my hospitality journey and cannot thank HIT Scotland enough for the opportunity.  Management is all about development and inspiring your team to grow with you so this opportunity will change my career completely.”

Kyle Devine with Craig Kinninmonth from Bartech

Kyle was also our Bartech scholar and was presented with his certificate at our Talent Conference by Bartech’s Business Development Director Craig Kinninmonth. Bartech is a leading provider of automated minibar solutions, Craig had attended a number of HIT Scotland fundraising events and wanted to give something back in support of the scholarships. Thanks to Bartech for their support!

The HIT Scotland scholarship programme is designed to give early-career and mid-level professionals in a variety of job roles a springboard to grow their experience and develop new skills, through hands-on experience, learning from industry leaders or exploring best practice from around the world.

This year’s scholarships span 16 categories, catering to individual and group learning needs including people management and supervisory scholarships – designed for first-time supervisors and mid-level managers. Providing six online sessions, the course is focused on modern leadership techniques and team management best practices.

For the operational scholarships, each course has been tailored for chefs, bartenders, and hospitality operators keen to expand their technical skills and explore innovative practices. 

Chef Craft Skills Scholars with HIT Scotland’s David Cochrane MBE

This year, Vidhi Mehta, (24) Chef de partie at Contini, The Scottish Café & Restaurant, Edinburgh, was awarded the Chef Craft Skills Scholarship – an experiential stage which will centre around fine dining and modern plating. 

Vidhi explained: “The HIT scholarship will allow me to develop my skills and take my career to new heights. My dream is to one day have my own fine dining restaurant and with the help of HIT Scotland, my goal now feels so much more achievable.”

All scholarships are aimed at hospitality professionals already working in Scotland, providing targeted learning experiences that enable participants to grow skills, broaden knowledge, and accelerate career development.

Each programme is designed to inspire creativity, encourage knowledge sharing, and enhance Scotland’s hospitality sector through skilled, motivated professionals.

David Cochrane, Chief Executive of HIT Scotland, said: "It is inspiring to see Scotland’s hospitality talent so motivated to expand their skills and experiences. These scholarships spark ambition in individuals to grow professionally while bringing new ideas and innovation back into their teams and venues.  From leadership development to operational excellence in the kitchen and front of house, HIT Scotland scholarships provide transformative experiences. We congratulate all 212 recipients and look forward to seeing their impact across Scotland’s hospitality industry in 2026."

Thanks to The Ben and The Maltmen for their support of our Whisky Appreciation scholarship.  We have a group of 10 scholars who will be learning all about whisky, how to recommend it to customers, and run a whisky tasting.  Thanks to Fraser McIlwraith from The Ben and Gordon McIntryre from The Maltmen for awarding the scholarship on the day, to Brodie from Carlowrie Castle who was our only Whisky Appreciation scholar at the Conference!

Diageo support us to provide 3 scholarships for some of the graduates of their Learning for Life programme, run by Springboard. This gives those who have found a love for hospitality some help with their next steps within this industry. It was great to have 2 of them with us to celebrate their scholarship.

HIT Scotland would also like to thank the Savoy Educational Trust, The Crerar Trust, and The MacRobert Trust, along with our corporate sponsors, for their support of the 2026 scholarship programme.