Scotland's Heart Heroes honoured at awards ceremony
The red carpet was rolled out for the return of the BHF Scotland Heart Hero Awards, on Friday 11 September.
This was the first Heart Hero Awards since 2017 and took place at the Balmoral Hotel, Edinburgh.
Over 170 guests were joined by a number of our ambassadors and celebrity supporters including Scottish international rugby union prop and British Lion Pierre Schoeman and his wife Charissa ( above with some of the BHF team), Olympic curlers Bruce Mouat and Jen Dodd, Olympic swimmer Duncan Scott, and actor Gary Hollywood.
A star-studded night
Caroline said: “There are so many worthy winners. When you know what people have gone through these awards are a really nice way for that to be recognised in a public way.”
There were 13 awards on the night including Iain Sinclair, named Fundraising hero after becoming the first person to swim the entire 60-mile length of the Caledonian Canal from the Atlantic to the North Sea in September 2025, raising over 100,000 for three charities including the BHF.
Other winners on the night included Morag Munro, a teacher from Glasgow who was named a CPR Hero after she helped to save the life of Joe Walsh, CEO of our event sponsor Laings jewellers after he suffered a cardiac arrest four years ago. She joined Joe on stage alongside TV presenter Zara Janjua and gymnast Reuben Ward, pictured below.
Glasgow schoolgirl Scarlett Dougan, 14, born with Hypoplastic Right Heart Syndrome (HRHS), was named Teen Heart Hero for her bravery and positive outlook.
The Outstanding Contribution Award went to Margaret and Bill Black who for the last 34 years, have raised funds to support our lifesaving research after a family member died with a heart problem.
Professional golfer Gordon Robertson, named a CPR Hero, also won the People’s Choice Award, as voted by thousands of readers of our media sponsor the Sunday Post newspaper.
Gordon, 41, gave life-saving CPR to his wife Kerry in February last year after she suffered an unexplained cardiac arrest at their home. Incredibly, three months to the day after Kerry’s heart stopped, the couple, were able to go ahead with their planned wedding.
Deserving joint Hero of Year winners
Hector Emslie and Graham Smith, above, were named the deserving joint winners of the BHF Scotland Hero of the Year Award. Following the deaths of their son and brother respectively, both men and
their families have refused to let grief stop them from fundraising for the BHF and they have become tireless champions for our cause. Rugby star Pierre Schoeman presented them with their award.
David McColgan, Head of BHF Scotland, said: “The Scottish Heart Hero Awards shine a light on the most heartening stories - from those who raise vital funds, others who bravely step forward to save lives, those campaigning for change, and the incredible clinicians leading pioneering BHF-funded research. These people truly are heroes, and my heartfelt thanks goes out to everyone involved."
BHF Chief Executive Dr Charmaine Griffiths said: “Our Scotland Heart Hero Awards were a powerful celebration of courage, compassion and determination. Through our remarkable winners and finalists, we have seen the very best of Scotland – people turning personal experience into hope, action and progress for others. Their stories remind us that, together, we can keep hearts beating and help more families enjoy precious time with the people they love.”