The three projects shortlisted in the running to take the title of Enterprising Museum of the Year 2014 have been announced. The award which is in its third year and sponsored by Museum Galleries Scotland celebrates museums in Scotland which show outstanding commercial innovation.

The competition drew entries from all over Scotland, and the three shortlisted museums are:

Abbot House in Dunfermline, for their project Abbot Brew House

The panel all agreed that it was an extremely well written application which communicated everything very clearly – particularly the learning and development achieved from it. The project engaged with audiences from young to old, has opened up a multitude of commercial opportunities and has helped develop their involvement in corporate sponsorship.

The Benholm and Johnshaven Heritage Society for ‘Our Village: A People’s Story of Johnshaven’

The panel all agreed that this was a great project, and a place they would all like to visit. It is an innovative solution to maximising the potential of a space, and it will greatly increase opportunities for income generation in the future.

The Aberdeenshire Farming Museum for their project, ‘You are what you eat’

The judging panel felt it was an excellent project in that it developed new partnerships and raised the profile of the museum, while also engaging with new target audiences. The project reflected a connection to local agricultural industry, as well as a connection to how food production impacts on local communities.

The panel, comprising of experts from MGS and Arts & Business Scotland, said that the three projects demonstrated a dedication to learning and development and a focus on engaging particular audiences.

Arts & Business Scotland Chief Executive David Watt said: “The standard this year for the Enterprising Museums Award was extremely high and the judging panel was delighted to see such a breadth of exciting projects. The three shortlisted projects stood out from the others with their innovation and we look forward to announcing which project had the edge to take the title for 2014.

The winner will be announced at the Arts & Business Scotland Awards at the Theatre Royal Glasgow on Friday 24 October along with the winners of the five partnership awards, the Glasgow Life Award and the Chevron Upstream Leadership Award.