A FORESTRY trainee is celebrating after picking up a prestigious award. 

Hannah Munro was named Trees and Timber Learner of the Year at Lantra Scotland’s ALBAS (Awards for Land-based and Aquaculture Skills) this week, fighting off tough competition from the sector. 

From Ross-shire, Hannah has been doing an Advanced Certificate in Forestry through the Scottish School of Forestry at UHI Inverness. Cameron Murray from Forres in Moray came runner-up. 

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Hannah said: “I’d never imagine when I set out on this journey that I’d win an award.

"It's great to be recognised and I’d really like to thank my tutors at UHI Inverness and all the team I work with at Scottish School of Forestry for supporting me.”

More than 230 finalists, event supporters, employers, training providers and industry leaders attended the awards evening on Thursday, including Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Islands, Mairi Gougeon. After an opening address by the Cabinet Secretary, social media star and sheep farmer Cammy Wilson presented winners and runners-up with industry awards for agriculture, aquaculture, equine, game and wildlife, horticulture, land-based engineering and trees and timber.

As well as an Overall Winner, Runner-up and Modern Apprentice of the Year, there were also categories for Higher Education, School Pupil and Secondary Schools, CARAS (Council for Awards of Agricultural Societies), a Mentor award for inspirational tutor, the Tam Tod Trophy and the Anna Murray Award for Partnership Working.

The winners and runners-up for ALBAS 2023 were chosen by an independent judging panel made up of influential figures from across the land-based and aquaculture sector, chaired by Keith Paterson of Forestry and Land Scotland.

The ALBAS are organised by Lantra, the sector skills council for the land-based, aquaculture and environmental conservation industries. 

Liz Barron-Majerik, Scotland director, Lantra, said: “Our learners are literally the best of the best from our sector, a sector which is crucial to the economy, our communities and for the environment."