Woman grabs first conkers crown

In pictures: Scottish Conkers Championships

A woman from the Borders has been crowned the first national conkers champion of Scotland.

Fiona Griggs, 48, of Cardrona, saw off 50 rivals - including her husband - on her way to the title on Sunday.

The Scottish Conker Championships were split into three age categories and one "rogue" section where competitors of any age could bring their own conker.

Organisers of the event in Peebles said they were delighted by its success and hoped to stage it again in future.

I had my husband to play in the first round and that got my temper up a bit so I was quite vicious after that Fiona Griggs Scottish conkers champion

Mrs Griggs defeated another woman - Kate McDonald - in the all-female final of the adult class.

She said that beating her husband in the opening round had inspired her to go on to take the crown.

"I had my husband to play in the first round and that got my temper up a bit so I was quite vicious after that," she said.

"I had a conker that I played throughout the opening rounds but they took that off me for the final.

"They gave us random conkers and I was a bit worried about that."

Other winners

However, she reckoned her "brutal force" saw her clinch the crown.

Organiser of the tournament Willie McGhee, from Borders Forest Trust, said he hoped it would become an annual event.

"It is tremendous to have a lady winner of the first competition," he said.

"We want to grow this, it is only a beginning for us now."

Other winners were Matthew McDonald in the age seven to 11 category, Rory Gault-Gordon in the 12 to 18-year-olds and Max Bone in the "rogue" section using a large conker from France.