Scotland has a new champion tree hugger.

Martina Sanchez-Wilson was crowned the winner in the adult category of the unusual contest which took place near the shores of Loch Sunart in the Highlands at the weekend.

A total of 18 competitors battled it out to take home the crown.

The event is run in association with the World Tree Hugging Championships, held annually in Finland which started out as a way of cheering people up during the Covid pandemic and finding stress relief in forests.

The Young Scottish Tree Hugging Champion 2023 award went to Lucas Villegas.

Among the judges was last year’s winner of the inaugural Scottish event, Alasdair Firth, who fittingly works for the Woodland Trust, and Ailsa Villegas, the senior development officer for Green Health at NHS Highland.

The competition is made up of three categories; speed hugging, dedication and freestyle.

The speed round sees competitors attempting to hug as many trees as possible, for a minimum of five seconds, in one minute.

In the dedication round competitors have the chance to show intention, love and respect to a specific tree. One competitor in this year’s competition chose to dedicate a version of the song “You are my sunshine” to her chosen tree.

And finally, the freestyle round awards the entrant with the most creative hug, which is open to the participant’s own interpretation.

Competitors took part in all three events and their scores were combined.

The event aims to raise awareness of nature in the local and global community and promote the benefits of trees for health.

It also aims to bring together like-minded people for a shared experience and to increase the appreciation of nature.

Organiser Hugh Asher said: “We were delighted with the turnout for the championship and the distance that some people had travelled was impressive.

“The people of all ages who were taking part had put a lot of thought into both the ‘dedication’ and ‘freestyle’ rounds and the creativity and enthusiasm that they brought to the competition was phenomenal.”

He added: “The enjoyment that the participants brought to the spectators was brilliant – as one spectator said ‘It’s been great, you almost forget how silly it is’.

“Next year will be our third year and we are hoping that the continued support will mean that 2024’s championships will be even bigger and even better.”

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