A project in Fife and two in Aberdeenshire are in the running for the Enterprising Museum of the Year award.

The award, part of the Arts & Business Awards, is in its third year and celebrates museums in Scotland which show "outstanding commercial innovation".

The three short-listed projects are from Abbot House in Dunfermline, The Benholm and Johnshaven Heritage Society, and the Aberdeenshire Farming Museum.

Abbot House in Dunfermline has been short listed for its project Abbot Brew House, which has re-introduced brewing to the Abbey precinct of Dunfermline.

Abbot House's director Dr Devon McHugh said: "We are so proud of the work of the whole team on this project, especially our brewer, John Reade. We are really glad to be a part of Dunfermline's burgeoning craft brewing scene, and to be able to offer new, informal ways to explore local history for our visitors."

She added: "The nomination is particularly rewarding because it involves recognition from both Museums Galleries Scotland, the development body for our sector, and Art & Business Scotland.

"The project has been a great one for the local area, helping us to attract new audiences and to use informal learning as a way to help people get excited about exploring their history.

"Abbot Brew House was originally made possible through a grant from Tennent Caledonian's Seed Fund initiative, so inter-sector collaboration is really at the heart of this project."

The judging panel said the project engaged with audiences from young to old, and has "opened up a multitude of commercial opportunities and has helped develop their involvement in corporate sponsorship".

Benholm and Johnshaven Heritage Society has been short-listed for Our Village: A People's Story of Johnshaven, a "heritage hub" based in a disused boat shed.

The panel said it was an "innovative solution to maximising the potential of a space, and it will greatly increase opportunities for income generation in the future."

Ingrid Leon, project co-ordinator, said: "This project has been the ambition for a number of years, and it is as a result of the dedication of volunteers that the project to convert a disused Lifeboat House into an arts and heritage hub has recently been realised.

"It was central to our project that the venue was created to be as adaptable and multi-functional as possible in order to ensure the space could be used by a range of groups for many varied purposes - art exhibitions, traditional skills workshops and musical performance.

"All this was to be achieved without compromising the historic character of the building and its key function to display and celebrate an historic collection of photographs and objects from the rich heritage of the area."

The Aberdeenshire Farming Museum is shortlisted for the project "You are what you eat", which the judging panel felt reflected a connection to local agricultural industry, as well as to how food production impacts on local communities.

An Aberdeenshire Council spokesman said: "You Are What You Eat, which took place at Aden Country Park in July this year, brought together local producers and suppliers and the Pharmacy and Life Sciences faculty at Robert Gordon University to celebrate our agricultural heritage and industry, linking landscape, heritage, food and health.

"We are delighted the project has been short-listed in the awards and that such a wide audience has a chance to find out more about its aims."

The Herald is media partner for the Arts & Business Awards 2014. The winners will be announced at the Theatre Royal Glasgow next Friday.