Carver Pete Bowater’s intricate carving of two eagles fighting over a fish helped him win the top prize at the annual Scottish Open Chainsaw Carving Championships last Saturday.
Pete, who bet off competition from as far a field as the USA and Slovakia, has now won the title eight years out of the 13 years that the popular event has been running.
Speaking about his win, Pete said: “I’m delighted to win again but I think the others are getting a bid fed up with me. “But I’ll keep coming back, it’s such a fantastic event – I couldn’t miss it – it’s a really well organised competition and we’re always made to feel so welcome here in CarrBridge.”
He added: “You’re preparing for the competition months ahead and competitors always do something they’ve done before because the time constraints mean you have to – you couldn’t pitch up and do something you hadn’t tried before.
The first time I did this carve it took me four days; on the day I only had four hours. There is serious pressure on everyone.”
And the judges this year found themselves under severe pressure saying that it was the toughest competition they had judged.
Chief judge and chief executive of the Cairngorms National Park Authority Grant Moir said: “I’ve been judging at Carve Carr-Bridge for the last three years and this was definitely the hardest day – the standard was extremely high.”
Event organiser Gavin Gerrard added: “This is the 13th year for Carve Carr-Bridge and it just gets better and better every year.
“No-one could have predicted who would win this year, the standard of carving across the competition was that good.
“I am always amazed at how every year the judges have a tougher and tougher job on their hands.
“I’d like to congratulate Pete and the other prize winners on their success and would like to say a massive thank you to all our supporters, volunteers and our fantastic judges”
