A BUDDING Ray Mears has won an award for promoting his own type of outdoor living - which he has termed 'bushology'.
Zeki Basan, from Speyside, is the first recipient of the new Scottish Youth Award for Excellence in Mountain Culture given by organisers of the Fort William Mountain Festival.
The 15-year-old was singled out for his passion for conservation and living in nature, a blend of naturalism and bushcraft that he describes as 'bushology'.
Zeki, who suffers from severe dyslexia, fostered a passion from spending time in nature, surviving off the land, learning about the the values and uses of different plants, and building shelters to support his overnight or longer trips into the wild.
The youngster - whose mother is food writer Ghillie Basan - has also attended various outdoor events to speak, including the Moray Outdoor Learning Festival for teachers and educators where he assisted in delivering a bushcraft workshop.
Mike Pescod, from The Fort William Mountain Festival, said: "Zeki Basan is at the start of his lifetime in the outdoors but is already a role model for other young people of what can be achieved both for oneself and for the greater good of our wild places.
"I hope he will be further inspired by receiving this inaugural award and will continue to inspire others with his passion for the outdoors."
It is the first time the award has been presented, and runs alongside the Scottish Award for Excellence in Mountain Culture, which was this year given to Robin Campbell for his lifetime service to Scottish mountaineering, dedicating more than 50 years of his life to the Scottish Mountaineering Club.
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