AN ASPIRING vlogger who graduated from the University of Stirling has won an £8,000 prize to help fulfil her ambitions.

Fiona Gray from Edinburgh has been crowned the winner of The City Kitchen’s ‘vlogger bursary’, thought to be the first of its kind.

The competition was launched to help YouTube fans dreaming of making it on the social media channel kickstart their career with a travel fund, top vlogging kit and expert mentorship.

Chilled ready meal brand, The City Kitchen, stocked in Tesco, challenged participants to produce an engaging vlog with a food and travel theme.

Fiona’s winning entry was chosen from more than 100 others, and featured her exploring the village of Cullen.

The video, which was described by The City Kitchen judges as being “engaging, innovative, informative and of superb quality”, saw the 28-year-old get behind the scenes at the award-winning Cullen Bay Hotel kitchens so viewers could enjoy a front row seat and find out how the famous Cullen Skink is made.

Fiona, who is a Stirling University Film and Media graduate, has experience behind the camera thanks to her job in the media at a radio network.

However, it has always been her dream to get in front of it and become a professional vlogger and TV presenter.

Fiona said: “I was in Germany not that long ago with a friend having coffee and I just thought to myself, I should vlog this, I should just take the plunge and start vlogging.

“As soon as I started, I instantly caught the bug and now it is all I can think about.

“I saw The City Kitchen’s competition when I was shopping in Tesco and I immediately started brainstorming my entry.

"I love to travel and I especially love trying new food – my favourite by far is Thai – so entering was a no-brainer.

“Some of my family originate from the highlands and I love Cullen Skink but shockingly I had never made the trip to Cullen myself.

“Making the video was a real journey for me, both in exploration as well as taking my vlogging to the next level.”

Over the next year Fiona will travel to some of the destinations that inspired the food range, to discover new cuisines and share her adventures on her own YouTube channel.

As well as the £8,000, Fiona has won a camera, laptop and video editing software to ensure she can create more stunning travel content, as well as mentorship from one of YouTube’s rising stars – Jason Billam.

To follow Fiona’s adventures, join The City Kitchen on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

For more about The City Kitchen visit the website here.