Scots in running for Shed of the Year contest

THREE Scottish designs, a saloon, a nuclear bunker and a renovated boat, have been shortlisted for the 2016 Shed of the Year award.

A Wild West 'saloon', owned by Alistair Baranowski, Aberdeenshire, has been shortlisted in the Pub and Entertainment category in the Shed of the Year competition. Picture: Cuprinol/PA

The ‘Tranquillity Saloon,’ by Alistair Baranowski in Aberdeenshire, shortlisted in the Pub and Entertainment category, is a Wild West-themed shed frequented by local re-enactors who enjoy Scotch and playing card games.

‘Dun 25 Bunker,’ by Jim Sherrit in Brechin, is a renovated three man nuclear bunker that lies 20ft below the ground, and accessible by a hatch and ladder. It has been shortlisted in the Historic category.

‘Maggie Ewing,’ by David Carter in the Highlands, is a wheelhouse created from a boat, and is shortlisted in the Unique category. The boat was one of the last boats to be manufactured in Caithness, giving it a historical angle.

The Dun 25 Bunker, a shed owned by Jim Sherrit in Brechin, which has been shortlisted in the historic category of Shed of the Year. Picture: Cuprinol/PA

This year saw a record number of 2,825 entries.

Last year’s winning shed, the ‘Inshriach Distillery,’ was a Scottish creation by Walter Micklethwait, 36, on a farm in the Highlands. He turned a once dilapidated outhouse in Aviemore into a quirky party venue.

• READ MORE: Gin distiller in old hen house wins Shed of the Year

Entries to this year’s competition include all sorts of designs ranging in size, shape, colour and style. The competition divides entries into eight categories: Unexpected, Eco, Cabins and Summerhouses, Workshops and Studios, Unique, Historic, Budget, and Pub and Entertainment. Four designs are shortlisted in each category.

The Maggie Ewing, a shed owned by David Carter in the Highlands, which has been shortlisted in the Unique category. Picture: Cuprinol/PA

Now that the finalists have been announced for each category, voting is open to the public to decide on the eight category winners, which will be announced on the TV series ‘Amazing Spaces Shed of the Year,’ airing on Channel 4 this summer.

The overall winner of the competition will be selected by a panel of shed experts, including the founder of the competition, Andrew Wilcox, and will receive £1,000, a plaque, £100 of garden products, as well as a crown for their shed during the series’ finale.

Wilcox said that deciding on the winning shed will be “tough” because this year’s shortlisted sheds were “some of the best [he has] ever seen in the history of the competition.”

The annual competition has been taking place for nine years, and is sponsored by Cuprinol.

Austin Camper Shed, owned by Stephen Alleyne in Norfolk, which has been shortlisted in the Cabin & Summerhouse category. Picture: Cuprinol/PA

Brand manager, Katie Taylor, said that every year they are “blown away by the creativity and hard work” and hopes the competition will “inspire the nation to make the most of the outdoor space they have.”

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