Dianne delighted to make the cut . .

Dianne Philbin is aiming to claim the title of Scotland's Best Barber

Dianne Philbin, from Statement Barbers on Home Street, will face off against six other competitors to be named Scotland’s Best Barber 2017 after a competitive online vote.

Over 5500 votes were cast in the online poll which saw the competition cut from 25 to a final six, with Dianne now progressing to the live final at The Royal Highland Centre.

Dianne revealed she was delighted to make it to the final and said she wants to prove she deserves to be there.

“I’m absolutely thrilled to have made it through to the live final. I had so much support throughout the online vote and want to thank everyone that took the time to endorse me,” she said.

“Over 100 barbers entered the competition and I can’t wait to show the expert panel of judges why I deserve to be here when I get up on the stage with the other finalists.”

She added: “I started off as a hairdresser and spent 17 years mastering the craft. Then, as hairdressing and barbering became more popular, I started seeing lots of barbering videos popping up on social media.”

“They inspired me to take up barbering and I’ve been cutting men’s hair for just over three years now. It’s my passion and life.”

The 34-year-old now has until April 23 to prepare, before she performs some of the most important haircuts of her career in front of an eager crowd at the Scottish Hair and Beauty show

On the day, each of the six finalists will have 60 minutes to produce their finest work. Their barbering skills will then be marked out of 100 on a variety of categories including difficulty, techniques used, health and safety, stage presence and overall look.

The overall winner will be presented with a brand new barber chair to take back to their shop, while they will also bag £500 worth of barbershop-quality grooming products courtesy of men’s grooming brand The Bluebeards Revenge.

Scotland’s Best Barber 2017 is being hosted by premium educational service the Great British Barbering Academy (GBBA) and the live final will be judged by a group of the United Kingdom’s most renowned barbers, including the GBBA’s head educator Mike Taylor, Britain’s best wet shave winner, Luigi Caterino and last year’s Scotland’s best barber winner, Stacey McCabe, who wished this year’s competitors luck and encouraged them to “enjoy the day.”

“There are some seriously talented barbers taking to the stage this year. It’s a real testament to how strong the barbering industry is here,” she said.

“The best advice I can give is just to go out and enjoy the experience.”