These award-winning photos celebrate Scotland’s stunning wildlife and landscape

Scottish Nature Photographer of the Year has announced the winner of the 2025 competition as Toby Houlton from Invergordon. Winning the Scottish Wildlife Behaviour category with Dance of the Gnats, the image was selected as the overall winner from environmental, abstract, botanical, wildlife and landscape entries representing the diversity of Scotland’s nature.

Scottish Nature Photographer of the Year 2025: Dancing with Gnats by Toby Houlton

gnats at night long exposure — Dance of the Gnats © Toby Houlton

Toby said: “My winning image 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’. 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. The speed of these tiny dancers meant that multiple wingbeats were captured in the exposure, creating the patterns.”

Judge Niall Irvine said: “It takes the viewer a little time to work out what they are looking at in this image, but it is so rewarding! The highlighted patterns created by the movement of the gnats, captured by the creative use of photographic technique, and the subtle woodland textures in the background give the image of these tiny creatures drama and impact.”

Junior Scottish Nature Photographer of the Year 2025: The Leaf Eater by Kiran Simpson

leaf eater spider on a leaf close-up — The Leaf Eater © Kiran Simpson

Winning for the second year in a row, Junior Scottish Nature Photographer of the Year 2025 is Kiran Simpson (age 14) from Dunfermline, with his spider image The Leaf Eater.

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. It just goes to show that you don’t need to travel far to find incredible wildlife; it’s all around us if you just stop and look.”

Judge Michael Prince said: “This striking macro photograph of a garden spider descending on a single thread towards an autumn leaf made me stop and take a much closer look. The brown and orange tones of its camouflage are perfectly adapted to its surroundings, leaving me in awe of this tiny creature. The spiky hairs on its legs even made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. It was wonderful to see such a technically challenging photographic technique used so effectively to reveal the usually unnoticed life of a spider.”

Student Scottish Nature Photographer of the Year 2025: In the Time Between by Rob Henderson

photo of water lillies — First Openings from In the Time Between Portfolio © Rob Henderson

Rob Henderson won Student Scottish Nature Photographer of the Year 2025 with his In the Time Between portfolio, which explores the temporal relationship between white water lilies and Scots pines within the landscape at Loch Garten. Rob is studying MA Geography at the University of Glasgow, and photography formed a core component of his dissertation and coursework.

Rob said: “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. As both a geographer and photographer, I am drawn to the way landscapes can express change and time.”

Niall Irvine said: “We liked Rob’s portfolio on the theme of change because the images work so well together, allowing the viewer to get a sense of place while still picking out individual details.”

Scottish Nature Video Award 2025

still from sunset landscape video — Still from Stac Pollaidh Wildfire © James Appleton

Photographer and filmmaker James Appleton from Ullapool is the winner of the Scottish Nature Video Award 2025 for short nature films with Stac Pollaidh Wildfire.

James said: “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. The resulting landscape, totally blackened, nevertheless has already begun to rebound with life.”

Judge Harry Martin said: “Stunning cinematography and high-end production abound in James’s video entry. The judges were immediately hooked with the incredible drone footage and soundscape created in the first few seconds, illustrating how important it is to set up a story quickly and deliver interest in the opening sequences of a short video. With simple cuts, a variety of shot styles and a well-polished edit, James has perfectly captured one of the most dramatic wildfire incidents of last year.”