Youngsters snap happy after photo contest win

Young photographers from north Argyll have won a local and regional competition and now go forward to the national stage, writes Ellis Butcher.

Lily Davis, 10, of Arinagour Primary School on Coll, and Neil MacKay, 11, of Taynuilt Primary School, now advance to the national finals. They headed the pack in the local rounds of a Rotary club competition where the theme was Wild Nature.

Lily’s photograph of seaweed growing on rugged rocks at low tide won not only the local competition but also the junior category at the regional level. That saw it beat entries from across the West of Scotland Rotary District.

The local round of this year’s competition generated 35 entries from five schools in both junior and intermediate categories. Oban Rotary said it received some excellent photographs. Photographer and judge Eilidh Livingstone, who owns Turadh Arts and Clothing, Taynuilt, had the difficult task of selecting the winners.

In the junior category the winner was Lily with the runner-up being Olivia Emsley, aged eight, of Taynuilt Primary School. In the intermediate category the winner was Neil MacKay of Taynuilt Primary School.

Neil also goes forward to the regional finals and received a highly commended certificate from the district judges for his photograph.

Lily Davis receives her award from Oban Rotary Club president Kees Van Rein.

The runner-up in the intermediate was Rosie Struthers, aged 11, of Lochnell Primary School, Benderloch.

Eilidh was extremely impressed by the technical ability and creative vision of the entries but was particularly delighted that Lily and Neil’s efforts received wider recognition.

Kees Van Rein, president of the Rotary Club of Oban, visited Coll to present Lily with her trophy and certificate to the applause of her schoolfriends and headteacher Aileen Cook.

President Kees also made a socially-distanced presentation of his certificate to Neil at Taynuilt Primary School.

More photographs at www. obantimes.co.uk