Groat and Courier in the frame for prizes at Scottish Press Awards

The Caithness Courier and John O'Groat Journal have made their mark on the industry again over the last year, with two entries to the national awards in the running for a prize.

Chief reporter Alan Hendry, of Wick, made it to the final five in the local feature writer of the year category at the Scottish Press Awards, which take place this summer.

James Gunn, who is based at Halkirk, is also on the shortlist again for the sports photographer of the year, where he is up against national and agency photographers from across the industry.

James (61) is a freelance photographer who has been providing top-quality images for the Caithness Courier and John O'Groat Journal for 15 years. He works full time at Dounreay as the information and knowledge manager and does his freelance photography work in the evenings and at weekends.

Alan (also 61) will be up against Mark Harcus of The Orcadian, Jack Howse of Greater Govan Hill, Lewis McBlane of The Northern Scot, and Iain Smith of The Alloa and Hillfoots Advertiser, while James is facing stiff competition from Jane Barlow of Press Association, Ross MacDonald of Scottish News and Sports Ltd, Ian MacNicol of Getty Images and Wullie Marr of the Press and Journal.

Alan Hendry said: “I am pleasantly surprised to have been shortlisted. I think it reflects well on our small, hard-working team as a whole.

“We have a strong community spirit in Caithness and in my feature writing I try, wherever possible, to highlight some of the positive things that go on here."

James said: "I'm obviously delighted at being shortlisted again – I think that's seven or eight times now – it would be nice to take the step up and go from a runner-up to a winner. It's very difficult when you're up against the full-time professionals though.

"It just shows you that just because you're not at the big events, you can still capture the action – the only difference really is the background, you don't get the big crowds."

The winners will be announced at a ceremony and dinner at the DoubleTree by Hilton in Glasgow on Wednesday, June 7, with the shortlist for the weekly newspaper of the year revealed in May.

Content editor John Davidson said reaching the finals of the prestigious awards was a fantastic achievement for the pair.

He added: "The recognition is well deserved for both Alan and James. Alan's effort and commitment to showcase the positive work going on in communities around Caithness is second to none and his attentional to detail is legendary at Highland News and Media.

"He consistently works to an extremely high standard and I'm delighted that this has been noted from some of the best in the industry.

"James is no stranger to the shortlist for the photographer of the year and his top-quality images continue to add an extra dimension to the Caithness Courier and John O'Groat Journal, both online and in print.

"I wish both of them all the best at the award finals."

The 44th Scottish Press Awards recognise excellence across national, regional and digital journalism from across the country.

Richard Neville, chairman of the Scottish Press Awards judges, said: “The pressure on journalists and news organisations continues to grow every year and, despite the incredible challenges the industry faces, the quality of entries to the Scottish Press Awards continues unabated.

“This year has been one of further diversification with digital content becoming the central feature of many newsrooms. At the heart of every entry, however, is simple good storytelling, digital or otherwise.

"While selecting the winners has been as difficult as ever, it has been clear throughout the process that Scotland is being well served because of the value our journalists and editors are placing on telling great stories, in every format.”

The 44th Scottish Press Awards are sponsored by Royal Bank of Scotland, Diageo, VisitScotland, Edrington, Openreach, Glenmorangie, The Law Society of Scotland, Muckle Media, Women in Journalism Scotland, BIG Partnership, Registrars of Scotland, Event Consultants Scotland and the Scottish Newspaper Society.

The full shortlist can be seen at www.scotns.org.uk/2023/04/21/scottish-press-awards-shortlist-announced/

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