Iona Frost-Pennington DL

Working in partnership with her husband Peter, Iona has transformed Muncaster Castle into a consistently award-winning attraction. In 2003 Muncaster won England’s Best Small Visitor Atrraction (less than 100,000 visits) in the ‘England for Excellence Awards’. In the same year, Iona also won ‘Cumbrian Business Woman of the Year’.

Iona has a huge interest in rural diversification. A farmer by profession, she cares passionately for Cumbria agriculture, as well as the tourism industry. Iona is the Managing Director of Muncaster Estate and The Muncaster Partnership, Director and Company Secretary of Muncaster Visitor Management Limited and Company Secretary of Third Millennium Muncaster Limited.

She is also a Parish Councillor on Muncaster Parish Council and a Member of Historic Houses Association and Cumbria Representative on National HHA Committee, Executive Committee Member, Country Land and Business Association (Cumberland & Westmorland Branch) and the National Business Rural Economic Committee and tourism advocate for the North West.

Other appointments include being a Governor of Giggleswick School, a Member of Ravenglass Coastal Partnership, a Fellow of the Industry and Parliament Trust and a Community First Responder since April 2004.

Hobbies include extreme kite-flying, hill-walking, deer management, dog-walking, ski-ing, an interest in rural issues, and raising her family.