Strathy shortlisted for Highlands and Islands Newspaper of the Year

The Strathy has been shortlisted for Highlands and Islands Newspaper of the Year at the region's annual media awards.

Your local newspaper is up against the Shetland Times and the West Highland Free Press.

The Strathy is owned by Highland New & Media and the publisher has been shortlisted in several other categories.

Elgin-based Beth Taylor is in contention for Photographer of the Year after just joining the company in the summer; Inverness-based Andrew Henderson has been nominated for Feature Writer of the Year and Craig Christie, who also works out of Elgin, is up for Sports Writer of the Year.

Mr Henderson, who lives in Dingwall, contributes to a range of titles across the company including the Strathy.

The sports reporter's nomination comes off the back of his independent work on website Pride of the Terraces which is dedicated to sharing LGBT+ stories in sport through in-depth interviews.

He faces competition from Mark Harcus, of The Orcadian, and Brian Wilson, from the Stornoway Gazette, for the prize.

Gordon Fyfe, Highlands and Islands media awards chairman, said: "As with previous years, the standard of entries was exceptionally high, and it meant we had some difficult decisions to make.

"I would like to thank everyone for taking the time to enter and demonstrate again that there is a high quality of work being carried out in our very special area of Scotland."

The award winners will be revealed at the Press Ball being held at the Kingsmills Hotel in Inverness on February 3.

The complete list of finalists for the regional press awards are as follows:

• Gaelic Writer of the Year: Aonghas Pàdraig Caimbeul, West Highland Free Press; Donald Pollock, BBC.

• Photographer of the Year: Paul Campbell, Freelance, Inverness; Beth Taylor, Highland News and Media; Malcolm Younger, Freelance, Shetland.

• Business Writer of the Year: Mark Harcus, Orcadian; Peter Ranscombe, Freelance (contributing to Press and Journal), Simon Warburton, Press and Journal.

• Environment and Sustainability Writer of the Year: Ethan Flett, Orcadian, Mark Harcus, Orcadian, Donna McAllister, Press and Journal.

• Sport Writer of the Year: Craig Christie, Highland News and Media, Elgin; Mark Harcus, Orcadian; Andy Skinner, Press and Journal.

• Young Reporter of the Year and Alex Main Trophy: Ethan Flett, Orcadian; Chloe Irvine, Press and Journal; Sean MacAngus, Press and Journal.

• Reporter of the Year and Jim Love Memorial Trophy: Rita Campbell, Press and Journal, Stuart Findlay, Press and Journal; Mark Harcus, Orcadian, Iain MacInnes, BBC.

• Feature Writer of the Year: Mark Harcus, Orcadian, Andrew Henderson, Highland News and Media; Brian Wilson, Stornoway Gazette.

• Community Newspaper of the Year: Black Isle Chatterbox; Loch a Tuath News; West Word.

• Newspaper of the Year: Shetland Times, Strathspey and Badenoch Herald, West Highland Free Press.

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