Singer Scotty McCreery proposes to longtime girlfriend

Country star and American Idol winner Scotty McCreery continues making hit singles, but won't be single for much longer.

The Garner resident has proposed to his longtime girlfriend, Gabi Dugal. The couple plans to wed in 2018.

McCreery popped the question at one of his favorite places: the North Carolina mountains near Grandfather Mountain.

According to his website, McCreery asked Dugal to "go on a hike with him on their favorite trail, which they discovered just last year. Walking up the mountain, the ACM, BMI and CMT Award winner patiently waited for the perfect moment to ask his all-important question. When the two arrived on top of the mountain surrounded by stunning views of lush green forests, McCreery got down on one knee, presented a ring he had helped design specifically for her, and asked Dugal to be his wife."

"I've been planning this moment for so long that it feels surreal for it to have finally happened," McCreery said. "Gabi is the perfect girl and my true love, and I cannot wait to begin building our life together as husband and wife."

The couple goes way back, as they met in kindergarten in Garner. McCreery reportedly made such an impression on the young Dugal at the time that she wrote "Mrs. Gabi McCreery" encircled with hearts in her diary.

Dugal is a UNC graduate and works as a pediatric cardiac nurse at Duke University Hospital.

McCreery is currently on the country singles charts with his Top 40 hit "Five More Minutes," which has already received more than 22 million streams, according to his website.