Scotty McCreery is engaged! The singer proposed to his longtime girlfriend, Gabi Dugal, on Tuesday (Sept. 26) ... and she said yes.

According to a press release, McCreery popped the question near Grandfather Mountain in North Carolina. He asked Dugal to go on a hike on their favorite trail and, once they got to the top of the mountain, got down on one knee and asked her to marry him. McCreery proposed with a ring designed especially for Dugal.

“I’ve been planning this moment for so long that it feels surreal for it to have finally happened,” McCreery says. “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 plans to wed in 2018. Both McCreery and Dugal are from Garner, N.C.; they've known each other since kindergarten and began dating during their senior year of high school. Fans may recognize Dugal from McCreery's "The Trouble With Girls," "Feelin' It" and "Five More Minutes" music videos.

“My fans instantly embraced Gabi once they learned we were dating and have always been loving towards her,” McCreery says. “When she graduated college last year, many of them brought me gifts for her at my shows and book signings. I will always appreciate their kindness to her.”

Dugal, a University of North Carolina graduate, is a pediatric cardiac nurse at Duke University Hospital. McCreery was the Season 10 winner of American Idol in 2011 and recently signed a new record deal with Triple Tigers Records. In May, McCreery independently released a single, “Five More Minutes,” written with Frank Rogers and Monty Criswell shortly after the death of his grandfather in January of 2015.

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