Prepare to fall under Scotland’s spell, courtesy of these spellbinding pictures.
These remarkable photographs are all winners and finalists in the 2023 Scottish Landscape Photographer of the Year awards, an annual contest that celebrates the scenery of Scotland in all its glen-filled glory.
This year, the contest saw more than 4,000 images submitted by both Scottish photographers and talent from further afield – everywhere from Australia to the Netherlands. An Edinburgh street blanketed in snow, a thundering waterfall on the Isle of Skye and a glorious white-sand beach in the Outer Hebrides are among some of the beautiful landscapes that were captured by photographers whose work was honoured in the contest.
The title of Scottish Landscape Photographer of the Year, however, goes to Brian Pollock – based in the town of Bearsden near Glasgow – for his portfolio of three ‘stunning’ images taken in the Scottish Highlands.
Commenting on his victory, Pollock says: ‘The outdoors and the Scottish landscape, in particular, have been a huge part of my life for as long as I can remember and it is a privilege to be able to share that passion through my photography.’
Competition founder Stuart Low weighed in: ‘Once again, I’m humbled by the huge support shown by photographers to the awards. These awards and the photographers’ images promote Scotland massively and give the country a huge boost for tourism. I’m sure that this year’s collection of stunning images will touch many people’s hearts.’ Without further ado, here’s MailOnline Travel’s pick of the breathtaking images that have garnered acclaim in the contest – scroll down to the very bottom to see pictures from the overall winner…
Commended in the ‘Landscapes’ category, this otherworldly photograph by Alan Johnstone shows a misty morning in Binning Wood in East Lothian
This picture by photographer Glenn Murray shows Gairloch Church in Northwest Scotland in the late afternoon. Murray says: ‘The pre-setting sun provided this rich, saturated scene.’ The image is part of a wider collection that is highly commended in the ‘Portfolio’ category
Titled ‘Going Up’, this picture by photographer Graham Niven shows a waterfall ‘defying gravity’ on the Isle of Skye. It’s from a collection of images that are highly commended in the ‘Portfolio’ category
This atmospheric picture shows Ardmair Beach near the village of Ullapool in Northern Scotland ‘under leaden skies’. Commended in the ‘Seascapes’ category, it’s the work of photographer Rob Sutherland
The ferocity of Storm Brendan, a storm that struck Scotland in early 2020, is captured ‘raging’ against the ‘ballast bank’ earth bank in the town of Troon, South Ayrshire, in this dramatic shot by photographer Stuart Strachan. It’s a runner-up in the ‘Seascapes’ category
A runner-up in the ‘Landscapes’ category, this dreamy photograph shows ‘trees appearing through a cloud inversion at sunrise’. It’s the work of Marc Pickering
This enchanting shot by photographer Robert Quig shows mist over a cluster of lochside trees. It’s from a series of images that are highly commended in the ‘Portfolio’ category
This glorious shot from Quig’s portfolio shows ‘a splash of sunlight’ on Luskentyre beach on the west coast of Harris, in the Outer Hebrides, ‘prior to a stormy weather front approaching from the north’
Commended in the Seascapes category, this stunning aerial shot by photographer Bill Crookston shows a rocky beach at the southern end of the Cowal peninsula in Argyll and Bute
Appropriately titled ‘White Out’, this cleverly-composed picture of a snowstorm in Aberdeen takes the top prize in the Urban category. Photographer David McLauchlin points out the person ‘casually walking across the road’ in the image, ‘seemingly unconcerned’ by the snowy weather as they look at their phone
LEFT: Describing this breathtaking image, photographer Grant Bulloch says: ‘A day of passing snowstorms provided a backdrop to the oil platform on the far side of the Firth of Forth.’ Bulloch adds that the picture was taken from the slopes of Arthur’s Seat, a hill in Edinburgh, using a special telephoto lens. It’s commended in the ‘Seascapes’ category. RIGHT: Commended in the ‘Landscapes’ category, this spectacular image was captured by Steven Oates at the Corrieshalloch Gorge in Braemore. Oates says ‘an early morning, summer visit’ to the gorge was ‘rewarded with a fast-flowing and full falls, mist, and some striking rays from the low rising sun’
Commended in the ‘Seascapes’ category, this painterly photograph by Mark Ferguson shows waves crashing against the sea cliffs of Yesnaby on the west coast of Orkney Mainland island
This moody shot of St Andrews Harbour by Graham Hutchison, titled ‘City Lights’, is commended in the ‘Urban’ category
Fog spills over Craigmore hill near the Perthshire village of Aberfoyle in this powerful shot by photographer Richard Fox. It’s part of a series of images that is highly commended in the ‘Portfolio’ category
LEFT: This enchanting photograph forms part of Erik Lornie’s ‘highly commended’ collection of images in the ‘Portfolio’ category. Titled ‘Winter at Loch Gamhna’, it shows a beautifully soft orange sky in the ‘afternoon light on a peaceful winter’s day in the Cairngorms National Park’. RIGHT: The sunrise brings a beautiful amber tone to this striking photo of the Needle, a 37m- (121ft) tall rock in the Quiraing on the Isle of Skye. It is part of a wider portfolio by Jos Pannekoek that is highly commended in the ‘Portfolio’ category
This magnificent shot – a second image from Jos Pannekoek’s highly commended portfolio – shows Stac Pollaidh mountain in the Northwest Highlands of Scotland behind radiant reeds bathed in ‘golden light’, with a ‘beautiful rainbow’ overhead
Almost tropical in appearance, the turquoise waters of Farr Bay on the north coast of Scotland can be seen in this brilliant shot by Calum Hamilton, which is highly commended in the ‘Seascapes’ category
‘I left Inverness at 8.30 in the fog and rain as this was the first time in Torridon I was out for some photos and new locations,’ says photographer Arthur Mitchell, describing the story behind this magical image of a Highlands fisherman’s hut. The photo forms part of his commended portfolio
Steve Marson recalls capturing slender Downy Birch trees ‘in the rising sun on a wintry autumn morning beside the River Dee’. It’s from a collection of images that are highly commended in the ‘Portfolio’ category
This dynamic photograph from Steve Marson’s highly commended portfolio shows ‘challenging conditions on the west coast of Lewis’, with ‘dramatic seas and skies’
Captured by Alan J Bain, this charming shot of Edinburgh’s Circus Lane ‘caught in an early morning snow shower’ is one of a collection of images that is commended in the ‘Portfolio’ category
Autumnal trees are reflected in the waters of the Union Canal on a foggy morning in Linlithgow, a town in West Lothian, in this richly-coloured shot. Taken by David Queenan, it’s from a collection of pictures that are highly commended in the ‘Portfolio’ category
This striking photograph is the handiwork of photographer Ian Bowie, whose body of work is highly commended in the ‘Portfolio’ category
Another image from Ian Bowie’s highly commended portfolio, this image shows the Harris mountain landscape in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. The photographer says: ‘I’d been expecting conditions to be fine and, with light showers forecast, I headed up An Clisham hoping for a sunrise over these little but impressive range of summits’
This shot was commended in the ‘Portfolio’ category, with photographer Bob Davis saying he was ‘struck by the juxtaposition of the washing line against the industrial harbour’
Finn Curry captured this striking photograph shortly before the arrival of a storm. It’s one of a series of photos that have been named runner-up in the ‘Portfolio’ category
This magical winter-time scene, featuring the mountain of Buachaille Etive Mor in the Highlands of Scotland, was captured by overall winner Brian Pollock. He describes the snowy landscape – captured from his perch on the nearby peak of Beinn a’Chrulaiste – as ‘pristine’. The picture is from a collection of photographs that also take the top prize in the ‘Portfolio’ category
This transfixing picture, taken by overall winner Brian Pollock, shows the mountain of Binnean Beag (foreground) and the peaks of the Grey Corries in the West Highlands ‘as light breaks at the edge of a rain storm’
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