A serial entrepreneur is harnessing the talents of digital content creators at Queen Margaret University to help bring a 19th century farm steading in East Lothian back to life, as it transforms into an impressive agricultural heritage centre, business and event venue and holiday accommodation facility.

George Mackintosh, a Scottish tech entrepreneur, has been restoring Papple Steading in the idyllic hamlet of Papple for the last four years. The building, which fell into disrepair and lay unused for decades, is believed to be one of Britain’s finest historic model farms of the Agricultural Improvement Movement.

George has been passionate about restoring this historical jewel of the East Lothian landscape, so that it can be used to celebrate Scotland’s rich agricultural history. However, he has been keen to create a contemporary historical attraction with exciting digital interaction opportunities, as well as luxury accommodation, business and community facilities, which will appeal to a wide variety of visitors.

Papple Steading has an incredibly rich history. It was once part of the Whittinghame Estate, whose Laird was AJ Balfour, the British Prime Minister between 1902 and 1905. The challenge, throughout its re-development, has been to restore this fascinating and beautiful building with all its historical facets, whilst enhancing its offering to create a unique multifunctional facility.

Papple Steading is essentially being reinvented as a high end business, educational facility and community asset, which is sustainable in the long term.

To help achieve his vision, George has enlisted young talent from Queen Margaret University to come up with creative ways of telling the story of Papple Steading. By offering the Papple Media Prize, he has encouraged QMU students and graduates to pitch creative concepts that are helping transform the steading into a heritage centre which highlights the agricultural heritage of the south east of Scotland.

This year is the third year that George has offered the Papple Media Prize, and he has been delighted by the level of talent and creativity which the competition has generated. The 2024 winning group, made up of international and Scottish students at QMU, was awarded £4,500 to produce a series of three short documentary films celebrating the rich history of the agricultural revolution.

Funke Adetutu, Michele Masiello and Kenny Glenaan produced three films as part of their ‘Heroes of Toil’ collection. These films acknowledge the contribution that migrant workers made to agriculture in Scotland by exploring the circumstances of three groups who worked the fields and farms of East Lothian over the past 200 years. In chronological order, the workers came from the Scottish Highlands, Ireland and Eastern Europe.

These sensitive and beautifully shot films contain historical information supported by both academic and local narratives. The films, which include interviews with farm managers, landowners and historians, can be viewed on YouTube and will feature in the Agricultural Heritage Centre at Papple Steading.

Papple Steading is on course to complete the next major phase of work in 2024. George’s ambitious plans for the steading have seen him transform a decaying building into an agricultural heritage made up of a heritage reference library, community meeting rooms and business event space; as well as private dining areas, and luxury holiday accommodation.

Papple has set out to offer something rather special, which is evident in the styling of its luxury self-catering accommodation. It is already well known for hosting exquisite dining experiences, collaborating with Buck and Birch, which celebrate foraged foods and locally sourced produce from across East Lothian.

The fully completed first phase of the project, which included the restoration and conversion of the original farmhouse and outbuildings into stunning self-catering accommodation, has been operational since 2023 and is promoted through the luxury self-catering holiday agency Crabtree and Crabtree.

The steading development quickly gained a reputation as a luxurious and environmentally sensitive retreat destination, gaining notable recognition when it won the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland Awards 2023 and a Civic Trust Award in 2024.

George Mackintosh said: “Papple Steading is very proud to support the development of students and new graduates at QMU through the Papple Media Prize. The initiative rewards aspiring undergraduate or postgraduate graduate film makers with a commission to produce a film celebrating the rich agricultural heritage of East Lothian.

“The winning groups have produced incredibly thought-provoking films which we are positive will be highly informative to all who watch. We are really looking forward to showcasing these at the official opening of the new heritage centre.  All of the students should be very proud of what they have achieved!”

Sir Paul Grice, Principal of Queen Margaret University, said: “We are passionate about helping our students develop their skills and employability so they can hit the ground running when they graduate. Awards like the Papple Media Prize are invaluable in preparing students for success in the commercial world. Students need to compete for the business by working to a client brief and pitching their idea, before the winning team moves on to content creation and delivery of the project within a set timescale. They are showcasing their talent whilst enhancing their portfolios and CVs.

“We are incredibly grateful for George’s ongoing support of QMU, and we look forward to seeing the students’ work showcased when Papple Steading is fully open.”