FOUR Fife College students have been awarded prestigious scholarships by Shell UK.

Sean Tyrell, Craig Reid, Fiona MacDonald and Nathan Wragg also received £1,000 each from the energy company.

The awards, which have been offered by Shell since 2009, can be used by the students to purchase equipment and materials to support their studies and to progress onto another course or into employment within the sector.

This was the first time the scholarships have been awarded at Fife NGL (Natural Gas Liquids) Plant at Mossmorran, with the HNC electrical engineering and mechanical engineering students meeting plant manager Craig Burnett and getting a tour of the facility.

Craig Reid, from Dunfermline, said: "It was an honour to be invited to Mossmorran. A facility that has always been on my doorstep, I found it very interesting to learn exactly how the plant operated and what is processed.

“The staff who we met were very informative and answered all my questions. Who knows, hopefully, one day I may be back in a work capacity."

Awarded through the Adam Smith Scholarships programme, part of Fife College, the Shell UK scholarship recognises academic ability as well as a commitment to studies with the aim of progressing in the energy industry.

Mr Burnett said: “By linking real-life and learning experiences we aim to nurture the next generation of problem-solvers, leaders, and innovators, as well as grow the UK’s skills base and pipeline of scientists and engineers.

“Congratulations to all four of our Adam Smith Scholarship winners this year. They are each very much deserving of their award. I’m confident they can go on to enjoy exciting and fulfilling careers in the energy sector in the future.”