One of Loch Duart's husbandry staff. The firm has "the best fish farming team in the world", says its managing director. Photo: Loch Duart

Profits put Loch Duart on elite list of UK companies

Sutherland and Hebrides salmon farmer Loch Duart has been placed at number 21 in the annual Sunday Times BDO Profit Track 100, and second among the eight Scottish-headquartered companies that made the list. 

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The table ranks Britain’s private companies with the fastest-growing profits over three years.

Loch Duart managing director Alban Denton said: “This is a fantastic accolade for Loch Duart, one that would not have been possible without the amazing efforts of the team across Scotland.

“To be named as a Sunday Times BDO Profit Track 100 company shows how everyone at Loch Duart pulled together following the unavoidable losses suffered in 2014, caused by a jellyfish attack on our fish.

“We believe we have the best fish farming team in the world, producing our extraordinary salmon. We recognised this in 2017 by creating a substantial company profit share scheme resulting in around £750,000 being shared with everyone at Loch Duart.”

High-energy companies

Martin Gill, partner and head of Scotland at accountants and business advisors BDO, the title sponsor of the league table, said: “These high-growth, high-energy and highly-entrepreneurial companies will be the difference between success and failure in our post-Brexit economic future.

“These businesses are playing their part by recording strong levels of revenue and profit growth and by creating jobs. We’d like to see the Government do more to help them by focusing on skills, infrastructure investment and tax simplification.”

Glasgow firm McGavigan, which makes technical and decorative plastic components and assemblies for the car industry, was the highest-placed Scottish company, ranked at nine.

Bed manufacturer and retailer Dreams, headquartered in High Wycombe, was at No 1.