Ullapool Sea Savers make it to the final of the Young Scot awards
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DELIGHTED youngsters who took it upon themselves to make the world a cleaner place are in the final in a major Scottish awards.
Ullapool Sea Savers have made the final shortlist in this year's Young Scot awards, which recognises the achievements and work of young people all across the country.
And if Ross-shire group is successful, then they will be in some illustrious company. Past winners of various Young Scot awards have included everyone from tennis great Andy Murray to Inverness' own Hollywood star Karen Gillan.
Other winners who have gone on to become big names have included Ncuti Gatwa, Paolo Nutini, Amy Macdonald, Martin Compston, Jamie Genevieve and Nina Nesbitt.
The Ullapool Sea Savers are in the running for the environment award, which recognises those who "give their time and effort to help protect the world for future generations".
They will find out if they have won the title at the awards night on April 22.
"Sadly [it] will be online only due to corona but will still be brilliant to be part of and a great achievement for the kids to have been recognised and included in such a great selection of young people doing so much good in Scotland and their communities," said a spokesperson for the Ullapool Sea Savers. "We hope we'll help showcase Ullapool and the Highlands in a positive way."
The group understand that they were nominated for a range of their eco-friendly activities, including their Layby Litter Pick work, their efforts to buy and distribute sustainably caught seafood during lockdown, and also their work with the Species Champion Scheme that included inviting the MSP Kate Forbes to become an Otter Species Champion.
They added that they also hope they made the final due to "all the campaigning and promotion we do for healthier seas and environment in Ullapool and the Highlands".
News of their success in the Young Scot awards, which are now in their 15th year, comes just days after the Ullapool Sea Savers added another tool to their clean-up equipment – a state-of-the-art underwater drone, which they hope to sue to retrieve rubbish from the sea bed as well as discarded fishing gear, such as ghost nets.
Related news: WATCH: New underwater drone to help Ullapool Sea Savers' clean-up work
