A SCOTTISH minister has paid a special visit to a tourist attraction which has brought in almost 30,000 visitors so far this year.

Jamie Hepburn, Scotland’s Minister of sport, health improvement and mental health, visited Foxlake Adventures, near Dunbar, on Tuesday.

The minister met with representatives of the company, which has created 25 local jobs.

He said: “Foxlake Adventures is a great example of a very successful social enterprise model which has not only become a major tourist attraction but has also employed and trained so many young people within the local area.

“To be able to run a commercial business whilst making wakeboarding accessible to everyone is a huge achievement, which is why it was great having the chance to catch up with the team there and learn a bit more about this very exciting and dynamic business.” James Barbour, operational director, Malcolm Gillies, chairman, and Callum Mark, manager, also provided updates on future expansion plans.

Mr Barbour said: “It was fantastic to be able to welcome the minister here and chat through all of our plans for the business.

“Ultimately, we want to roll out our business model across Scotland and make even more of an economic, sporting and social impact in local communities, creating more jobs and getting more people outside and active, which he was really interested in and something we will be sure to keep him updated on as and when we have more details.”