Ryan scoops media award

Shetland Times journalist Ryan Taylor was named Reporter of the Year in the Highlands and Islands Media Awards last night.

He was presented with the Jim Love Memorial Trophy at the Press Ball at the New Drumossie Hotel in Inverness.

Mr Taylor reported on the Super Puma helicopter crash off Sumburgh in August last year, which included the first exclusive interview with one of the survivors of the incident.

He becomes the fifth Shetland Times reporter in the last two decades to win the award, following Rab McNeil, Alan Crawford, Erlend Barclay and Rosalind Griffiths.

Mr Taylor said: “I am very surprised and delighted to have been named reporter of the year in the press awards. I think the standard of journalism across the Highlands and Islands is very high, and it’s an honour to have been recognised in this way.

“Shetland is a fantastic place to work as a reporter, and I have been greatly encouraged by my editor Adam Civico and the rest of the newsroom team.”

The Shetland Times was also shortlisted in the Newspaper of the Year category, losing out in the end to the Stornoway Gazette.

Other awards included the Barron Trophy, for services to journalism, being awarded posthumously to Clive Dennier. The keen hillwalker was found dead in the Knoydart area last summer.

Sports Writer of the Year was Keith MacKenzie from the West Highland Free Press, Feature Writer of the Year was Catriona MacPhee of the Press & Journal while the Top Story of the Year award went to Roger Hutchison of the West Highland Free Press for his reporting on the Raasay shooting rights.