FOR the 14th year Scotsman Publications has joined forces with Glenfiddich, the world's most awarded single malt Scotch whisky, to give you, our readers, the chance to vote in the Glenfiddich Spirit of Scotland awards. This is the last chance to vote for this year's category nominees and also for the Top Scot. Top Scot is the premier accolade in the Glenf?ddich Spirit of Scotland awards and recognises individuals who have furthered Scotland's reputation at home or abroad. Previous winners have included serial adventurer Mark Beaumont, internationally acclaimed authors JK Rowling and Ian Rankin and sporting achievers, including Chris Hoy and Walter Smith. There is a raft of potential winners this year, including social entrepreneur Mel Young, Mark Muller Stuart, barrister, mediator and chair of the pro-bono Bar Human Rights Committee, writer alexander McCall Smith, who is spearheading the creation of the Great Tapestry of Scotland, and Dr Gordon Rintoul, who has headed the transformation of the National Museum of Scotland. Top tennis player andy Murray and golfer Catriona Matthew are also among the many potential candidates for Top Scot, as are many of the nominees in the other categories of this year's awards. The winners will be announced at a glittering ceremony at the Mansfield Traquair, Edinburgh, on Tuesday, 29 November. GLENFIDDICH ... a PIONEERING SPIRIT Over the years the Glenfiddich Spirit of Scotland awards have paid tribute to some of Scotland's most talented individuals: from household names such as Paolo Nutini, James Mcavoy, Ewan McGregor, Ian Rankin, Sir alex Ferguson, Kirsty Wark and JK Rowling to less well-known individuals who excel out of the public eye. This year yet again the awards will recognise Scotland's pioneering spirits who lead the way and who, through their dedication and talents, are helping to push forward Scotland's reputation for excellence both at home and on the international stage. Glenfiddich is proud to be an integral part of the Glenfiddich Spirit of Scotland awards, recognising those who, through their pioneering spirit, inspire others. Food MaRTIN WISHaRT CHEF/RESTaURaTEUR Wishart, from Shetland, opened Restaurant Martin Wishart in Leith in 1999 and won a Michelin star two years later. Now Wishart's empire includes a cook school, a restaurant in Cameron House and a new brasserie. NORMaN MaCDONaLD RESTaURaTEUR MacDonald, proprietor of Cafe One in Inverness, offers customers the finest Highland produce. Famous customers include Lee Westwood and Prince andrew, but his loyal locals are true testament to his food's quality. JaMES ROBB SMOKEHOUSE OWNER Robb owns the East Pier Smokehouse in the East Neuk of Fife. The Pier won Gold in the Great Taste awards 2011 for smoked Scottish salmon and cold-smoked venison. Robb is working on the launch of a new cafe next year. HEaTHER aNDERSON & PETE RITCHIE FOUNDERS OF WHITMUIR THE ORGaNIC PLaCE In 2000 anderson and Ritchie swapped city life to set up their food and farming business in Lamancha. It is now an award-winning enterprise, employing more than 20 people Writing JaCKIE KaY WRITER Kay was born in Edinburgh. She is a poet, novelist and writer of short stories and has enjoyed great acclaim for her work for both adults and children. Her novel Trumpet won the Guardian Fiction Prize. JULIa DONaLDSON aUTHOR Glasgow-based Donaldson has written over 100 books and plays for children, including the award-winning rhyming story, The Gruffalo. In June she became the Children's Laureate for 2011-2013. aLaN BISSETT NOVELIST/PLaYWRIGHT Falkirk-born Bissett's novel, Pack Men, was described by Irvine Welsh as "a landmark in Scottish fiction". His play Turbo Folk was also shortlisted for Best New Play at the Critics' awards for Theatre in Scotland 2010. acclaimed?show, The Moira Monologues, which he wrote and performed, has been bought by the BBC to develop as a TV series.tumsandigna feugiam duis accumsan henibh eugiat DENISE MINa WRITER Mina is the author of three graphic novels and nine prose novels, the last of which, The End of the Wasp Season, has been short-listed for the 2011 Gold Dagger Book of the Year prize by the Crime Writers' association. Business JIM WaLKER CBE CO-DIRECTOR, WaLKERS SHORTBREaD The grandson of Joseph Walker, who founded Walkers Shortbread in 1898, Walker is approaching his 50th year with the company, which now employs more than 1500 people. SIMON HOWIE BUTCHER/ENTREPRENEUR Howie's butcher's business, which he started in 1986, now supplies more than 200 hotels and restaurants and four major supermarkets. During the past 25 years he has also grown a range of other businesses. BILL DOBBIE CHIEF EXECUTIVE aND CO-FOUNDER OF CUPID Dobbie co-founded Cupid six years ago. Having captured a sizeable portion of the UK online dating market the company was floated on aIM in 2010 and has since become a global player. KEITH NEILSON CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, CRaNEWaRE Neilson co-founded software company Craneware in 1999. Based in Edinburgh, the publicly traded company also has four US offices and employs more than 200 staff. Music PRIMaL SCREaM BaND Primal Scream was formed in Glasgow in the early 1980S. Their 1991 album Screamadelica is widely recognised as the record that took the then underground acid House scene into the mainstream. DaVID PaUL JONES COMPOSER, PIaNIST, VOCaLIST Paul Jones is an Edinburgh-based composer, pianist and vocalist best known for his soundtracks and live performances for multi-award-winning Scottish theatre companies. KENNY aNDERSON (KING CREOSOTE) SINGER/SONGWRITER anderson has released more than 40 recordings in the UK, primarily through his own label Fence Records. Based in Crail, he is regarded as one of Scotland's leading voices in alternative folk. EMILE SaNDE RECORDING aRTIST/SONGWRITER Sande was raised in alford, aberdeenshire, and studied medicine at Glasgow University. In 2010 she was signed by Virgin, and released her first solo single Heaven in august. Her debut album will be out next year. Sport NEIL FaCHIE PaRa-CYCLIST aberdonian Fachie, originally a track athlete, switched to cycling and started training with the GB Para-Cycling team in 2008. He has now competed at two World Championships, winning four gold medals. LINDa CLEMENT HOCKEY Clement captained the Scottish women's hockey team for an exceptional 100th time in June. She was born in Fortrose, and has represented Scotland more than 170 times and Great Britain on 18 occasions. KaTHERINE GRaINGER ROWER Grainger is Britain's most successful female rower. She's originally from Glasgow, and has won six World Championships - the latest in august this year at Bled, Slovenia, where she qualified for London 2012. HaNNaH MILEY SWIMMER Miley, a Garioch amateur Swimming Club member, won gold for Scotland at the Commonwealth Games in Delhi in October last year and took silver at the World Championships in Shanghai in July. Screen MaRK COUSINS FILMMaKER an Edinburgh-based documentary film-maker, author and curator, Cousins' feature The First Movie won the Prix Italia, and his latest project, The Story of Film: an Odyssey, was produced entirely in Scotland. CHRISTOPHER YOUNG PRODUCER In 1986, he set up Young Films - an independent film and television production company based in Skye. Feature films produced by Young Films include Bill Forsyth's Gregory's Two Girls. LYNNE RaMSaY WRITER/DIRECTOR Ramsay's debut film Ratcatcher won critical acclaim and awards around the world. Her latest project, We Need To Talk about Kevin, which she wrote and directed, is tipped to be an Oscar winner. KaREN GILLaN aCTRESS Gillan, born in Inverness in 1987, currently plays the