TWO outstanding designs have been chosen to feature on the front cover of our special Scottish independence referendum second anniversary edition today because they symbolise hope for the future of the country.

Judges were blown away by the calibre of the entries for this once-in-a-lifetime chance for a member of the public to showcase their talents on the front page of a national newspaper – the only one that supports an independent Scotland.

The National received more than 50 quality entries from our army of dedicated readers all over the world, who proved with their individual creations their passion and optimism about the prospect of an independent Scotland.

However, there were two inspirational front pages that stood out from the rest, submitted by graphic designer Brian Wishart, from Killearn, Stirlingshire, and amateur artist Alison Stell, from Kilwinning, Ayrshire, who have very interesting stories to tell about their own lives and how their ideas came to fruition.

Both were over the moon to have won the competition and to celebrate being the top two, they will be treated to a visit to our printing presses in Cambuslang, near Glasgow. They will join our editor Callum Baird to see their front pages coming hot off the press.

With two winners to show off, The National will publish each of the front pages in alternative newspapers. The one that isn’t on the front page of that edition will feature inside the paper, so that readers have a chance to see both entries in their full glory.

We want all our readers, their families, friends, colleagues and social media followers to join in our support for Brian and Alison’s designs. To show your appreciation, take a photo of yourself with whichever version of the cover you get (or both!) and tweet it using the #TweetYourNational tag.

Our panel of expert judges, including The National’s consultant editor and former Sunday Herald editor Richard Walker, and our award-winning photographer Damian Shields, said the imagination and creativity put into the entries made the selection process extremely difficult.

Walker said: “For people who didn’t win, I wouldn’t feel at all bad because they did an amazing job. It is just that we felt that the two we chose would have the most impact on the news stands and chimed with the values of The National. We felt they were pretty inspirational covers. Both of them have a really interesting story behind them.”

Shields said said the winners “ticked all the boxes in terms of what constitutes an eye-grabbing graphic”.

He explained: “Firstly, Alison Stell’s front page showed a great use of colour to get your attention, as it did ours. The border of anime-inspired cartoons is wonderful – to create 22 unique squares to create the frame showed a lot of industry. I also love the contemplative expression of the girl as she perhaps imagines a better future for Scotland.

“Brian’s image is in a very different vein to Alison’s but no less wonderful. I really admire his use of illustrative line and use of subtle colour that shows good understanding of harmony. The simple metaphor of the balloon shapes lifting above the doom-laden clouds in scratchy cross-hatch works brilliantly, all the elements balance well, and the

‘Yes 2’ has room to breathe without crowding out the scene.”

Alison, 30, was forced to give up work as a mental and emotional health and wellbeing project worker in Glasgow three years ago when she was struck down by a debilitating immune disease causing chronic pain, exhaustion and weight loss as she cannot eat solid food.

She rarely goes out of the house but finds her artwork and communicating with her supportive Twitter community a great comfort. She said her social media network was her inspiration behind the characters in squares that comprise the border of her front page design.

She said: “This is a dream come true for me to have my design on the front page of such a great newspaper. The idea came while I was out on a rare walk one day and I saw a thistle. I decided to play about with the image and make it a bit softer so the girl on the front cover, who is a younger, healthier version of me, is holding the thistle as a symbol of hope. I miss who I was but this is about the future.”

She said the Yes “profile pictures” around her page symbolised her Twitter community embracing her.

Brian, 36, who is married to Laura and has a 15-month-old daughter Aila, said he was “absolutely chuffed” to be on The National’s front cover and was “jumping with joy” when he found out.

He added: “The last thing I wanted to do was create something that commemorated a second anniversary and looked back. I wanted it to totally tell a story and get a message of hope for the future across. I knew I wanted to do an illustration by hand and for it to be really positive.

“I didn’t just want it to mark two years since, I wanted it to tell a story of what we have endured in those two years and how we feel now. The child on the beach with the balloons symbolises the future generations who have got independence in their hands. That’s why it has a childish feel to it. I wanted it to be positive, buoyant message of hope with the ‘Yes’ and the ‘2’ balloons rising into the blue sky, above the dark clouds of all the stuff we have had to endure over the years like Brexit, the renewal of Trident and those broken vows.”

Creative readers did not disappoint

THE response to our design a front page competition was phenomenal, and the standard was exceptionally high.

We’ve made a bit of a thing out of our front page over the 22 months we’ve been about. Sometimes we’ve succeeded. Other times we’ve maybe not succeeded quite as well.

But what has always been incredible is how you, our readers, have taken the front page to heart.

When we asked you to take charge for today’s edition we had faith you’d deliver something special. We were, admittedly, a little worried. What if nobody entered? What if nobody good entered? What if Jim Murphy entered and photoshopped the editor’s head onto something?

Luckily our worries were for nothing and all of the entries were belters.

It was a tricky decision. Some of our other favourites that just about made it are pictured here.

Special commendation goes to Ritchie Feenie’s stunning picture on the Crags (we think), and also a shout out for his new masthead design. We’re sorely tempted to adopt it.


We’ve done Back To The Future before – starring Jim Murphy as Marty McFly and Tony Blair as Doc Brown – or else Margaret Philpot’s design would have been in with a real shot.



The clean, clear message of Stevie Carnie’s ticking clock was a favourite too.


There was almost a fight in the office when Jane Hunter’s tweed Scotland didn’t get picked. The yellow threads pulling Scotland towards Europe and blue threads pulling England away were very powerful indeed.



Iain Lickley’s collage is a work of art in its own right, and we liked Alison Stell’s mosaic of our Twitter followers almost as much as her winning entry.




As far George McArther’s effort? It’s maybe bit harsh having aliens destroy the BBC. We should maybe wait and see what happens with the Scottish Six first.



Thank you to all who entered. We are lucky to have you as our readers.