Lifetime Achievement Award announced

Denis Straughan to receive Award

Award-winning photographer Denis Straughan will receive a First ScotRail Lifetime Achievement award at a ceremony in Glasgow tomorrow (Wednesday 26 March) in recognition of services to press photography spanning a 49-year career.

The 2007 First ScotRail Press Photography Awards will also see a further 15 photographers and four Scottish newspapers honoured at the prestigious event in the Mitchell Theatre, Glasgow.

More than 3000 pictures were submitted by press photographers in Scotland.

Denis Straughan, who was with The Scotsman for more than four decades, was born in Berwick-upon-Tweed in 1935. He joined the Berwick Advertiser as a press photographer at the tender age of 15 and went on to become one of the youngest chief photographers in the country.

Love and marriage brought him to Edinburgh in 1957 where he joined The Scotsman's picture desk. And there he stayed! He moved up through the ranks to Senior Photographer and retired in 1999.

During his career Denis photographed many famous faces; however, his most famous shot features none of them. Yet it remains instantly recognisable to millions of sports fans around the world and in particular to Scottish football fans.

The scene was Wembley. The date 4 June, 1977. Scotland had just beaten England 2-1 in a Home Nations' match. Denis was perfectly positioned to capture delighted Scottish fans invading the pitch and inadvertently breaking the goalposts!

"I knew straight away I'd got a great shot," recalled Denis. "That picture has been published around the world - in fact The Scotsman still sells copies of it."

Mary Dickson, managing director of First ScotRail said, "Denis Straughan is one of the most popular men in the world of Scottish press photography. We received a great many nominations for him - from competitors as well as former colleagues.

"He is, most evidently, a talented photographer and a complete gentleman. We are delighted to recognise his achievements."

A selection of Denis' images will feature in First ScotRail's touring exhibition of winning pictures later this year.

The pictures include:
• Elizabeth Taylor during a visit to Edinburgh
• The Rolling Stones at the beginning of their career
• The Beatles in Edinburgh's ABC Theatre
• Actors Sir John Gielgud and Sir John Mills
• The QE2 in Scottish waters
• Margaret Thatcher at RAF Leuchars
• Lady Diana and Prince Charles' marriage
• Commonwealth Gold medallist Mary Peters, rugby stalwart Andy Irvine and footballers Gordon Strachan and Gordon McQueen.