SNP MSP for Na h-Eileanan an Iar, Alasdair Allan, was delighted to present prizes to the winner and runner-up of his annual Christmas card competition this week.

This year’s winner was Eubha MacInnes, P5 at Balivanich Primary. Eubha’s design showed two Christmas trees with a ‘Nollaig Chridheil’ banner and the famous Hercules the bear in a Santa hat.

Hercules the grizzly bear rose to fame in 1980 after escaping from the toilet roll advert he had been filming in Benbecula and going on an unscheduled holiday for over three weeks, eventually being found twenty miles away in North Uist.

This year’s runner up was Lauren MacLeod, P6, also at Balivanich Primary School. This is the first year that both winner and runner-up have been from the same school.

Commenting after presenting the pupils with their prizes yesterday, Alasdair Allan said:

“I would like to congratulate Eubha on winning this year’s Christmas card competition, and to say a big well done to Lauren as well – we had so many excellent entries this year from all over the Western Isles.

“A huge thank you to all the budding young artists who took part. Many thanks as well to our business sponsors this year: Borve House Hotel, Essence of Harris, and the Church Street Chip Shop.

“It was great to see so much originality and creativity in this year’s Christmas card entries, particularly those featuring themes or stories unique to our islands, such as our winning card design. Nollaig Chridheil dhuibh uile (agus meal do naidheachd Eubha!).”