Scotland’s world leading crystal glassware company has been awarded The King’s Award for Enterprise – the fourth time in the company’s history it has received this prestigious accolade.
Glencairn Crystal is one of only a few select organisations nationwide to receive a King’s Award for Enterprise.* Announced today (Tuesday 6 May), Glencairn Crystal has been recognised for its excellence in the category of Innovation.
Founded in 1981 and based in East Kilbride, Scotland, Glencairn Crystal Studio Ltd is a family-owned business employing over 70 people. The company specialises in premium crystal and glassware for both business and consumer markets, with unrivalled expertise within the spirits industry.
Renowned for its pioneering design, craftsmanship and manufacturing, Glencairn Crystal creates luxury, high-end bottles and decanters featuring intricate metalwork, unique application processes and state-of-the-art engraving techniques. It has successfully scaled up artisan techniques for commercial production, blending hand-crafted artistry and ground-breaking technical innovation. By embedding world-leading invention and highly bespoke branding into its proprietary decanters and bottles, Glencairn works with spirits companies, globally, to elevate the value of their brands, showcasing, in the best possible light, the craftsmanship that has gone into every one.
For over 20 years, Glencairn Crystal has also produced the iconic Glencairn Glass – the first glass designed specifically for whisky. Recognised as the official glass for whisky in the UK, and throughout the whisky industry internationally, it is the world’s favourite whisky glass, used by millions of consumers and distilleries around the globe.
The company first received the Queen’s Award for Innovation in 2006 for the Glencairn Glass, followed by the Queen’s Award for International Trade in 2012 and 2017.
Scott Davidson, Glencairn Crystal’s New Product Development Director said: “We are delighted to have been recognised for our work with The King’s Award for Innovation. To be granted such a prestigious award for the fourth time in the past 20 years is incredibly special.
As a family run business for more than 40 years, we have a valued team of talented employees who have innovation at the core of everything we do. This award is a testament to the passion, creativity, and dedication of everyone here at Glencairn Crystal, and to our mission of pushing the boundaries of what’s possible for our customers in crystal and glass.”
The King’s Awards for Enterprise are the UK’s most prestigious awards for businesses, recognising and encouraging outstanding achievements in four categories: innovation, international trade, sustainable development, and promoting opportunity through social mobility. The awards are given out annually and are a highly regarded mark of excellence for British businesses.
The Award programme, now in its 59th year and previously known as The Queen’s Awards for Enterprise, were renamed in 2023 to reflect His Majesty The King’s desire to continue the legacy of HM Queen Elizabeth II’s by recognising outstanding UK businesses.
For more information about Glencairn Crystal, visit www.glencairn.com
For more information about The Kings Award for Enterprise, visit www.gov.uk/kings-awards-for-enterprise
