Creator of the Tower, James Thomson, has recently been awarded the very higest accolade in tourism - a prestigious Silver Thistle.

This was presented at the Scottish tourism oscars, the Thistle Awards, by First Minister Jack McConell who noted his " outstanding contribution to the development of tourism in Scotland".

"This man's dream, ambition, dedication and unswerving comitment to quality...has achieved a worldwide reputation for his creativity and high standards and is a perfect example of what best practice in the industry can achieve. He has shown that not only can his creations be ranked among the best hospitality-based organisations, but they can compete and excel against businesses from many other fields too."

This latest accolade marks an exceptional year for Thomson,that has seen his hugely successful Tower celebrate its sixth anniversary with its most successful year ever.

He also marked the 25th Anniversary of his famed restaurant-with-rooms, The Witchery by the Castle by hosting a gala celebration that raised over £90,000 for Sight Saver's International, which will enable them to restore the sight of over 3,000 children with preventable blindness in Bangladesh.

And to complete the year, his latest project, Scotland's layest 5-star hotel, Prestonfield, was named as both AA Hotel of the Year and as one of the Best 101 Hotels in the World by style bible Tatler.

Details of the Tower and James Thomson's entire collection can be found on www.edinburghsbestrestaurants.com