FOXLAKE Adventures is celebrating after scooping a top tourism award.

Scotland’s first cable wakeboarding park beat off competition from other high-profile groups to be named Best Outdoor/Adventure Experience at the Central South East regional final of the Scottish Thistle Awards.

Described by judges as “an exciting, inventive and innovative product”, Foxlake Adventures was presented with the award at Edinburgh’s Prestonfield House.

The awards celebrate excellence, innovation and success within the local tourism industry.

James Barbour, operations director at Foxlake Adventures, near Dunbar, said: “We are thrilled. It came as a bit of shock because we were not really expecting to win because, when you are up against organisations like Edinburgh Zoo, we were very much the small fry.”

Foxlake Adventures, which received its four star Visitor Centre Quality Assurance grading from VisitScotland in September, was praised for showing “drive and passion for the business and successfully targeting a wide range of visitors, as evidenced by very positive feedback about the customer experience on social media”.

The Scottish Thistle Awards are led by a panel of industry experts from several organisations, including VisitScotland, Scottish Tourism Alliance, Wild Scotland and Scotland Food and Drink.

Regional finals are being held across the country this month, with Foxlake Adventures now going on to fly the flag for East Lothian at the national finals in March.

The facility was nominated for the award last year but missed out.

Mr Barbour revealed that acted as a catalyst for this year’s success as they “re-evaluated” what they were doing at Foxlake before improving the showers and changing facilities during the winter.

He added: “It has definitely paid off.”

At the awards last Wednesday night, Stephen Carter, VisitScotland Board member and chairman of the Scottish Thistle Awards Industry Panel, said: “2015 has been an excellent year for both Scottish tourism and the Scottish Thistle Awards. The sheer calibre and volume of entries has been amazing.

“On behalf of the panel, I’d like to congratulate our winners for their hard work, commitment and enthusiasm over the past year.

“They should be incredibly proud of themselves.

“Tourism is at the heart of the economy, creating jobs and sustaining communities.

“Tonight has been an opportunity for us to celebrate those who have gone the extra mile to ensure that a trip to Scotland is an unforgettable experience.”

The Edinburgh Marathon Festival, which sees a large section of the 26-mile course in East Lothian, won the Best Sporting Event.