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In pictures: Scottish Nature Photography Awards 2025

Malcolm Nimmo The hermit crab is pink and orange with two bright blue eyes. It is pictured among delicate white anemone-like sea life.Malcolm Nimmo
Malcolm Nimmo, from Devon, won the wildlife portrait award with his image of a hermit crab.

"Dancing" gnats, a close encounter with a spider and a surgical examination of a dead whale are among the winners of the Scottish Nature Photographer of the Year Awards 2025.

Scenes pictured in Edinburgh and Glenshiel also picked up prizes.

An exhibition tour and portfolio yearbook of the award-winners will be launched in the summer.

Toby Houlton The gnats have been photographed using a slow shutter speed against a woodland backdrop.Toby Houlton
Toby Houlton won the competition's main prize with his image of gnats.

Toby Houlton won the wildlife behaviour category and overall Scottish Nature Photographer of the Year award with his image of tiny flies.

His picture, Dancing Gnats, was taken at Little Garve in Ross-shire.

"I had been walking back beside the river in the late afternoon, and there, in patches of dappled sun, the gnats were 'dancing'," said Toby.

"A moment of inspiration made me realise that taking an image with a slow shutter speed would create the amazing light trails, and the hint of the darker woodland behind would provide the sense of place."

He added: "The speed of these tiny dancers meant that multiple wingbeats were captured in the exposure, creating the patterns."

Competition judge Niall Irvine praised Toby for his creative use of photographic technique.

Kiran Simpson The spider has a large stripy abdomen and legs. It looks like it is eating a brown leaf caught in its web. The scene is photographed against a black background.Kiran Simpson
Kiran Simpson scooped the junior award with his spider picture.

Kiran Simpson, 14, from Dunfermline, won the junior award for the second year in a row.

His image called The Leaf Eater shows a spider up close.

Kiran said: "Right outside my kitchen door, under the glow of the outdoor light, I spotted this garden spider on its web, with a leaf caught in the silk beside it.

"Against the darkness of the night, the patterns on its body and its spiny legs stood out in incredible detail.

"I ran inside to grab my camera, knowing it might be gone by the time I got back.

"What I love most about this photo is that it was taken literally steps from my back door."

James Appleton The image shows a man wearing a woolly hat, waterproof overalls and plastic gloves. He is holding a saw while standing on a sea shore. Behind him is a large, dead sperm whale.James Appleton
An image called The Necropsy won James Appleton the environmental category. It showed a post-mortem-type examination of a whale that died after stranding.
Rob Henderson White water lilies and their green leafy pads on Loch Garten. The water's surface reflects nearby trees.Rob Henderson
Rob Henderson's portfolio explored water lilies and pine trees at Loch Garten.

Rob Henderson won the student prize with his In the Time Between portfolio focused on white water lilies and Scots pines within the landscape at Loch Garten near Grantown-on-Spey.

Rob is studying MA Geography at the University of Glasgow, and photography formed a core component of his dissertation and coursework.

"I was interested in capturing the contrast between the brief, seasonal presence of the lilies and the endurance of the pines through the yearly cycles," he said.

"As both a geographer and photographer, I am drawn to the way landscapes can express change and time."

Orrin Bryers Teeth of Winter. Glenshiel © Orrin BryersOrrin Bryers
Orrin Bryers took the Scottish landscape - land category with Teeth of Winter, an image taken in Glenshiel.

Photographer and filmmaker James Appleton, from Ullapool, is the winner of the video award for Stac Pollaidh Wildfire.

"This was the result of a powerful two days documenting the human-made wildfire that consumed the slopes of Stac Pollaidh early in spring 2025," said James.

"The resulting landscape, totally blackened, nevertheless has already begun to rebound with life."

Jamie McDermaid A scene in Edinburgh with trees, flowers and hills in the background.Jamie McDermaid
The Scottish landscape - urban greenspace prize went to Jamie McDermaid for his picture of Edinburgh.
Adele Warner-Tate Where Winter Lands. Isle of Harris © Adele Warner-Tate, Isle of LewisAdele Warner-Tate
Adele Warner-Tate, from Lewis, won the Scottish landscape - sea and coast prize with Where Winter Lands, which was taken in Harris.