Scottish Nature Photography Awards Sea & Coast Category Winner

It’s such a proud moment to share with you that my image “Where Winter Lands” has been awarded first place, winning the sea & coast category of the Scottish Nature Photography Awards.

I’m also pleased to have four more images across three categories shortlisted.

The image holds such special memories for us both and i wanted to share a little more about the day the image was taken, the conditions and how it felt to be stood on one of the most incredible beaches in the world looking out to what felt like the edge of winter.

The clocks have just gone forward signifying the start of British Summer Time, longer evenings and maybe some warm sunshine which I’m sure will bring some welcome relief for many, a chance to swap grey skies for golden light, linger on beaches and heather-clad hills, plan evening walks or simply sit with a book and a cuppa while the world transitions into warmer rhythm.

I’m slightly different in that I have to admit that if i could enjoy winter conditions all year round I’d be more than happy. I love nothing more than the huge winter skies, dramatic cloud and fleeting moments of light. Frosty mornings, frozen lochs and feeling alive on the long stretching beaches of the Isle of Lewis & Harris enjoying the conditions with the camera.

The winter months on the Island bring quieter moments, time for us both to head out to the coast, time for us to completely focus on photography and head out in conditions where most people would prefer to stay indoors. Whether it be snow & hail, high winds and roaring waves, storms passing through or gentle soft winter light. We live for these conditions and find tranquility and calm even in the most brutal conditions.

November 2025 saw wintry showers across the Outer Hebrides, nothing unusual for that time of year I suppose but what is different here are the skies. When weather moves in the skies feel so huge and dramatic, almost other worldly.

During the mid part of November sleet and snow showers had been forecast to sweep across the island. A perfect opportunity for us to head out with the cameras and just enjoy whatever the day had in store. For a few days before, I had been feeling unwell with a heavy cold but didn’t want to miss out on the conditions. As we loaded the car with our camera bags and tripods, i remember Max asking if i was sure we should be heading out, my response being something along the lines of…There’s no chance i am staying at home when it looks like this outside. I Knew that it would just be Max, myself and a solitary beach so wasn’t worried about about passing anything on.

Clearing the windscreen of snow felt exciting, snow was still falling, above us a blanket of atmospheric cloud with soft light breaking through the gaps. The drive down to Harris was just incredible, winters beauty all around us, the magic of the Outer Hebrides beaming around every corner. We dream of these conditions all year around so when it happens we love to be outdoors witnessing those special moments.

Footage of the drive to a snowy Isle of Harris and snow showers on Luskentyre Beach.

Arriving at the beach, the weather was intermittent, snow and hail showers sweeping over the Harris Hills and across the beach, stinging our faces as the hail stones bounced. One moment the view towards the magnificent hills offered a glimpse of magic, fresh snow capped tops with winter light painting detail and shadow, the next they were shrouded by a band of snow clouds, visibility dropping to almost zero. It was pretty challenging conditions for photography but the kind that you don’t complain about, instead the kind that excites you, makes you want to work harder and enjoy every single second of the experience.

Luskentyre Beach is world known for its beauty and rightly so it is an incredible place, we describe the views here as the closest place to heaven on earth, the sense of peace and tranquility is like nothing we’ve ever experienced and it’s where we fell in love with the Outer Hebrides. It felt unreal to be stood on Luskentyre Beach looking out to these incredible scenes.

Where Winter Lands, First place Image, Sea & Coast Category, Scottish Nature Photography Awards.

I Just remember us both being freezing cold, but repeatedly saying Wow to each other. I could hardly breathe due to my cold, but was determined not to miss the best of the conditions. I had noticed a group of sea birds settled on the wet sands at the edge of the water but didn’t want to disturb them. Over a period of a few minutes i took small steps, working my way nearer hoping they wouldn’t take flight. I wanted to include the birds in the scene, it was almost like they were completely oblivious to what was about to pass across the beach, instead happily going about their usual daily routine. The birds give the scene scale and lend a touch of normality to what is otherwise the exact opposite. The blue and silver tones to the image are in keeping with the feel of winter with huge bands of snow falling from the sky, just revealing enough of the hills opposite to create another layer to the image. Using an ND filter, I opted for a slightly longer exposure to soften the edge of the breaking waves in the hope of creating a softness to what is quite a dramatic scene.

It felt amazing. I hardly moved from the same area of the beach for the entire duration we stayed out. There is also a small stream that runs down onto the beach providing great foreground interest, after heavy rain or snow fall the stream carves out a beautiful channel with the most amazing sand patterns, so I took the opportunity to create some images around this area too.

After such an amazing experience i couldn’t wait to take a proper look at the images back at home on the computer but spent the next four days absolutely wiped out in bed. My cold had taken full hold and was more like flu symptoms which was hardly surprising really given the conditions we’d been out in…..but worth every second and I’d do it all again tomorrow in an instant.

Heading out with our cameras is all about the experience and enjoyment of photography. As i always say if you have some nice images to show for it then that is an added bonus. If at the end of the year I have some images that I’m proud of or that mean something to me then it’s great to have the opportunity to enter them into a competition.

I’ve been entering the Scottish Nature Photography Awards for a good few years now and have previously enjoyed a third place image in the Landscape Category and a second place image in the Sea & Coast Category last year. Being awarded first place this year is just incredible, I was blown away and over the moon when the phone call came through.

I’m proud to showcase the magic of the Outer Hebrides through my photography, to share a glimpse of how the moment felt and the beauty of winter. The island is a very special place, it’s a privilege to live here and see how the changing seasons shapes the coastline. To have the opportunity to return to locations over and over again in all conditions keeps it fresh and exhilarating. Never knowing what you will see, find or experience in such an awe inspiring location is always such an incredible feeling.

So the clocks have rolled forward, spring and summer is around the corner and winter feels like a long way off although I’m sure we will still be out enjoying photography no matter what the weather and look forward to what the next few months will bring.

A huge thank you to the team at the Scottish Nature Photography Awards.