A triptych image: left, a Razorbill bird with raindrops on its feathers; center, several caterpillars climbing dark tree trunks; right, a close-up of a spider on a brown leaf against a black background.

The Scottish Nature Photography Awards announced the winners of its 2025 competition, celebrating the best and most beautiful nature, wildlife, and landscape photos captured in Scotland.

Scottish Nature Photographer of the Year 2025

This year’s Scottish Nature Photographer of the Year is Toby Houlton from Invergordon, a small Scottish port town.

Houlton took top honors for his photo, “Dance of the Giants,” a captivating long exposure photo of “dancing” gnats taken in the late afternoon. Houlton’s photo also won the Wildlife Behavior category.

Caterpillars hang in midair on nearly invisible threads among trees in a dark forest, catching the light and creating a shimmering, floating effect against the blurred woodland background.‘Dance of the Gnats’ © Toby Houlton | Scottish Nature Photography Awards

“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,’” Houlton explains. “A moment of inspiration made me realize 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.”

Competition judge Niall Irvine adds: “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

For the second straight year, young Scottish photographer Kiran Simpson was named Scottish Junior Nature Photographer of the Year. The now-14-year-old photographer from Dunfermline won the title for his spider photo, “The Leaf Eater.”

A close-up of a brown and white patterned spider perched on a dry, brown leaf with holes, set against a solid black background.‘The Leaf Eater’ © Kiran Simpson (age 14), Dunfermline | Scottish Nature Photography Awards

“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,” says the up-and-coming shutterbug.

“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 called it a “striking macro photo.”

“It was wonderful to see such a technically challenging photographic technique used so effectively to reveal the usually unnoticed life of a spider,” Prince says.

Student Scottish Nature Photographer of the Year

University student Rob Henderson won the title of Student Scottish Photographer of the Year 2025 for his portfolio, “In the Time Between.” Henderson, who studies MA Geography at the University of Glasgow, has heavily used photography in his dissertation and coursework.

White water lilies in various stages of bloom float among large, round green lily pads on the surface of a calm pond, reflecting the surrounding environment.‘First Openings’ © Rob Henderson, part of his award-winning ‘In the Time Between’ portfolio | Scottish Nature Photography Awards

“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,” Henderson says.

Category Winners

Alongside the primary awards above, photographers in the Scottish Nature Photography Awards also competed across eight primary categories and two special categories for children and students. There is also a Scottish Nature Video Award, which James Appleton won for a powerful video showing the Stac Pallaidh Wildfire. Appleton’s winning video, alongside the second- and third-place videos, can be watched on the Scottish Nature Photography Awards website. The photo category winners, alongside runners up and third-place finishers, are featured below.

Environmental A person in a beanie and waterproof gear holds a large knife and saw, standing on a rocky shore next to the carcass of a large, partially dissected whale under a cloudy sky.1st Place — ‘The Necropsy’ © James Appleton | Scottish Nature Photography Awards A large offshore construction platform with cranes stands in the sea near wind turbines under a cloudy sky at sunset.2nd Place — ‘Wind Peak’ © Don Nealon | Scottish Nature Photography Awards A smoky wildfire burns through dry grass on a mountainside, with flames visible in the foreground and a hazy mountain peak looming in the background under a sky filled with smoke.3rd Place — ‘Stac Pallaidh Burns’ © James Appleton | Scottish Nature Photography Awards Natural Abstract Abstract aerial view of a shoreline, with light, textured sand meeting darker water in an irregular, jagged line. The scene gives a minimalist, tranquil impression with soft, muted colors and gentle contrasts.1st Place — ‘The Last Day of Ice’ © Grant Bulloch | Scottish Nature Photography Awards
Close-up view of textured, dark gray volcanic rock with layered, wavy patterns and grooves, creating a rugged, rippled surface.2nd Place — ‘Arran Rocks’ © Grant Bulloch | Scottish Nature Photography Awards A black and white photo of a large ocean wave, captured from a low angle, with rippling water in the foreground and a cloudy sky in the background.3rd Place — ‘Up Close, Wave Edition’ © Connor Hughes | Scottish Nature Photography Awards Scottish Botanical Cluster of orange-brown mushrooms growing on the trunk of a tall tree, viewed from below, with bare branches reaching toward a cloudy sky in the background. Moss covers parts of the tree bark.1st Place — ‘Velvet Shanks’ © Ken Crossan | Scottish Nature Photography Awards Underwater view of dense, golden-brown seaweed swaying in clear blue water, partially lit by sunlight filtering through the surface above.2nd Place — ‘Tropical Scotland’ © Connor Hughes | Scottish Nature Photography Awards A snow-covered landscape with a leaning tree in the foreground and a small cabin surrounded by trees in the background, all dusted with fresh snow under a gray, overcast sky.3rd Place — ‘Prevailing’ © Claire Carter | Scottish Nature Photography Awards Scottish Landscape — The Land A snow-covered landscape with icy mountains in the background. In the foreground, a structure’s roof is lined with long, hanging icicles, contrasting with the white snow and cloudy sky.1st Place — ‘Teeth of Winter’ © Orrin Bryers | Scottish Nature Photography Awards A scenic mountain landscape at sunrise, with snow-capped peaks in the background, evergreen trees, rocky cliffs, and patches of snow on the foreground hillside bathed in warm sunlight. A lake and forest are visible below.2nd Place — ‘Three Lines’ © Dylan Nardini | Scottish Nature Photography Awards
Rocky foreground with large stones, leading to a green valley between steep mountains; a distant sunlit peak is visible under a partly cloudy, purple-tinged sky at sunset.3rd Place — ‘Last Light on Liathach’ © Rob Henderson | Scottish Nature Photography Awards Scottish Landscape — Sea and Coast A dramatic coastal scene with dark storm clouds and a swirling column of snow over distant hills, turquoise waves in the foreground, and a few birds walking along the wet sandy beach.1st Place — ‘Where Winter Lands’ © Adele Warner-Tate | Scottish Nature Photography Awards A rainbow arcs across a cloudy sky above a row of seaside houses with red roofs, as waves crash against the shore under dramatic lighting.2nd Place — ‘St Monans Rainbow’ © Grant Bulloch | Scottish Nature Photography Awards Golden sunlight shines on ocean waves crashing onto a sandy beach, creating mist and highlighting the textured sand at sunset or sunrise. The scene feels warm and tranquil, with dramatic light and shadows.3rd Place — ‘Scarista Beach’ © Martin Santbergen | Scottish Nature Photography Awards Scottish Landscape — Urban Greenspace A scenic view of a town with blooming pink and white trees in the foreground, surrounded by lush greenery and hills in the background under a partly cloudy sky.1st Place — ‘Edinburgh in Bloom’ © Jamie McDermaid | Scottish Nature Photography Awards A tall tree with green leaves stands close to a stone building with large windows, viewed from below against a blue sky with scattered clouds.2nd Place — ‘UK’s Best Tree’ © Libby Penman | Scottish Nature Photography Awards A landscaped urban park with curved pathways, grassy lawns, flower beds, and trees, surrounded by historic buildings under a partly cloudy sky. People are walking and sitting throughout the park.3rd Place — ‘Union Terrace Gardens’ © Allan Wright | Scottish Nature Photography Awards
Scottish Wildlife Behavior Caterpillars hang in midair on nearly invisible threads among trees in a dark forest, catching the light and creating a shimmering, floating effect against the blurred woodland background.1st Place ‘Dance of the Gnats’ © Toby Houlton | Scottish Nature Photography Awards A black skimmer with an orange beak flies low over the water, closely followed by a gull; both birds have wings spread wide and are in sharp focus against a blurred background.2nd Place — ‘The Chase’ © Edd Cottell | Scottish Nature Photography Awards A duck splashes vigorously in a sunlit pond, creating a dramatic spray of water droplets that shine in the light against a dark, blurred background.3rd Place — ‘Champagne Bath’ © Stephen Rodger | Scottish Nature Photography Awards Scottish Wildlife Portrait A close-up of a small hermit crab with bright blue eyes nestled among soft, white, feathery sea anemones or coral, creating a vibrant underwater scene.1st Place — ‘Hermit Crab Portrait’ © Malcolm Nimmo | Scottish Nature Photography Awards A close-up of a razorbill bird with its head tilted, covered in water droplets, as rain falls against a dark background.2nd Place — ‘Razorbill in the Rain’ © Steve Adam | Scottish Nature Photography Awards Two European goldfinches with yellow, black, and white wings fly above tall grasses in a soft, beige field background. One bird is in the foreground, while the other is blurred in the distance.3rd Place — ‘Goldfinches Taking Flight’ © Caroline Erolin | Scottish Nature Photography Awards Junior Category

Kiran Simpson also earned second place in the Junior Category for the excellent bird photo below.

A colorful pheasant with a long tail perches on a branch surrounded by orange berries and silvery-green leaves, set against a soft, blurred natural background.2nd Place — ‘The Berry King’ © Kiran Simpson (age 14) | Scottish Nature Photography Awards Close-up of a brown frog with large, shiny eyes sitting partially submerged in water among green leaves. The frog's skin is smooth and wet, and the background is softly blurred.3rd Place — ‘Forest Reflections in the Blink of an Eye’ © Eilidh Shannon (age 14) | Scottish Nature Photography Awards Student Category

Alona Perliarska, a Fine Art student from UHI Orkney, earned second place in the Student Category. Photography student Paula Adam from West College Scotland rounded out the category.

Waves crash against rugged, dark cliffs at sunset, casting warm golden light over the rocks and creating dramatic contrasts between the illuminated and shadowy areas.2nd Place — ‘Golden Resilience at Yesnaby’ © Alona Petliarska, part of the portfolio, ‘The Liminal Shore.’ | Scottish Nature Photography Awards A blurred, dreamy view of a beach at sunset, featuring soft orange and blue hues in the sky, distant hills, and gentle waves washing over the sandy shore.3rd Place — ‘Flux’ © Paula Adam. This image is from the ‘Quiet Transitions’ portfolio. | Scottish Nature Photography Awards More From the Scottish Nature Photography Awards

The winning photos from the 2025 Scottish Nature Photography Awards will be included in a portfolio yearbook and featured as part of a traveling exhibition tour. All the winning and shortlisted photographers can be viewed on the competition’s website.

Image credits: Scottish Nature Photography Awards. All photographers are credited in the captions.