In pictures: Scottish nature photo awards 2024

The fulmar is perched on a grassy ledge in a golden light. There are raindrops turned golden by sunlight.Image source, Nicki Gwynn-Jones
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Nicki Gwynn-Jones' Fulmar with Golden Raindrops won the awards' top prize. Nicki captured the scene at Longaglebe Geo in Orkney.

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The 15th annual Scottish Nature Photography Awards winners have been announced.

Nicki Gwynn-Jones, who lives in Orkney, won the main prize with a picture of a fulmar in a rain shower on a cold December day.

She said it was the middle of the day and the sun was low in the sky.

"I was desperately hoping for something special in those few moments when the raking winter light was producing deep shadows and gorgeous golden tones," said Nicki.

The robin has its wings spread as it rises from water, leaving ripples across the surface. Image source, Kiran Simpson
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Kiran Simpson won the junior Scottish Nature Photographer of the Year award with this picture called Feathers and Ripples.

The puffin on the left has its beak open as if shouting at the puffin opposite it. The birds' beaks are brightly coloured - red, blue and yellow. They are sitting on a grassy cliff top, the blue sea in the background.Image source, Callum McKenzie
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Callum McKenzie's photograph called Puffin Protest was part of a portfolio that won him the student prize.

A large area of sand stretches towards a silvery-blue sea. Evening light illuminates a line of sand.Image source, Douglas Bruce
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Douglas Bruce won the sea landscape category with Evening Light, which was taken at Luskentyre, Harris.

The image has been taken from inside a concrete building, which has an open space that lets natural light down into the space below.Image source, Anthony Robson
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The urban prize was awarded to Anthony Robson's Paved Paradise, Put Up a Parking Lot - lyrics in Joni Mitchell's song Big Yellow Taxi. The picture was taken in Edinburgh.

Long lengths of seaweed swaying underwater. Light from above makes the water appear light blue in colour.Image source, James Lynott
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The botanical award went to James Lynott, whose picture was called Fifeness Shallow Seaweeds.

Bubbles on the frozen surface of the loch appears as white circles. There is some green algae in the frozen ice.Image source, Brian Nicholson
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Brian Nicholson's study of the surface of a frozen Gladhouse Reservoir in Midlothian won the natural abstract category.

Edinburgh filmmaker Richard Nicholls won the video award with a short film called 19th July 2022, which looked at climate change and Scotland.

He was filming in Edinburgh on Scotland's hottest day when the unusually high temperature spurred him into embarking on a project on the climate crisis.

A barren peatland landscape with mountains, clouds and blue sky in the backgroundImage source, Richard Nicholls
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Richard Nicholls' concern about climate change inspired him to make a film

The film documents his journey working with NatureScot's Peatland Action team to raise awareness of the need to restore peatland.

Three northern gannet on the rocky face of a sea cliff. Below them, tangled in fishing rope, is dead and entangled gannet.Image source, Ruaridh Mitchell
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Ruaridh Mitchell's environmental category-winning image of a dead gannet entangled in fishing gear was taken at Isle of Noss, Shetland.

Almost 20 wasps are clustered together on a wooden surface. There are four small mushrooms growing up from the wood.Image source, John Cobham
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John Cobham scooped the behaviour award with a wasp feeding frenzy. The picture was taken while John was on holiday in Ardnamurchan.

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