Tree pupils prove to be top seeds

School pupils in Aberdeenshire have set a world record for planting trees - with more than 18,000 in just an hour.

About 100 children from Huntly's Gordon Schools planted 18,124 trees at the local Darroch Wids.

The event was organised by Forestry Commission Scotland, which hopes to recreate an ancient woodland landscape.

The previous record of 13,125 trees was set in Australia and Guinness World Records is awaiting documentary evidence to provide final verification.

The third year pupils managed their total by planting an average of more than four trees - made up of oaks, rowans, birches and Scots pine - each per minute.

It was a real team effort and we are very proud of them Andrew Travis Depute rector

Depute rector Andrew Travis said the children were so keen to break the record they ran out of land after 40 minutes, by which time they had already achieved their goal.

He said: "It was a real team effort and we are very proud of them."

Pupil James Thomson, 14, said: "I thought it was going to be hard at first, but once you got into a routine it was fine.

"It was great when we realised we had broken the record - everyone was cheering."

A Guinness World Records spokesperson confirmed that the Forestry Commission had been in touch and officials were waiting for documentation to verify the record.