Scots schoolboy Martin Leahy is the bee’s knees after being crowned champion of the world.
He’s set the beekeeping community abuzz by lifting the title of best young international beekeeper of 2019 in Slovakia.
Martin, 15, got into bees when he was just nine after being dragged along to his local club by mum Sarah.
He said: “I had to go along to meetings with my mum when she joined the Tarland Bee Group, so I just kind of fell into it.”
Martin, a fifth year pupil at Aboyne Academy, Aberdeenshire, said: “It’s really interesting and there’s so much to learn.
“I did my basic Scottish Beekeepers Association exam and a module in biology.”
He got home yesterday from the five-day 10th International Meeting of Young Beekeepers in which more than 30 countries took part.
He faced competition from all over the world, including Australia, Canada, Russia, Egypt, Germany, Poland, France, Ireland, Wales and England.
Competitors are tested rigorously on their knowledge of bee behaviour, bee anatomy and botany, as well as disease identification and microscopic analysis.
Martin, the youngest of four brothers, sailed through but feared getting stung on the blind honey tasting.
He said “The trickiest bit was probably the honey because it was all foreign honey.
“You had to match up the honeys with pictures of the flowers they came from.”
At home, Martin manages thousands of bees and had a couple of hives of his own.
The family have 10 and help friends with 20 others.
Martin said: “I’ve been stung heaps of times – it’s an occupational hazard. Hopefully my success will encourage others to get involved.”
He hopes to go into further education, possibly studying sciences at university.
His other passions include cross-country running and playing in the second row for Deeside Rugby Club.
Proud mum Sarah said: “Martin’s success is tremendous for Tarland Bee Group and the Scottish Beekeepers Association.”
Martin was joined in Team Scotland by Jaimee Kirk, 13, and Emily Oakes, 14, from Annan Academy Bee Club.
He was also part of a mixed international side who came second and Jaimee was in a mixed squad who came third in team events.
Michelle Berry of the Scottish Beekeepers’ Association said: “This is a truly proud moment for the Scottish Beekeeping community.
“It’s not often we can say Scotland came first, second and third.”
