A stunning shot of a young osprey, appearing to shield itself with its wings in a Highland river, has triumphed at this year’s Scottish Nature Photography Awards.
Gordon Rae captured the incredible image in Rothiemurchus near Aviemore.
Yesterday, he said it was a “huge” surprise to learn he had been selected by the judges.
And he added: “My winning image came by chance one morning when the light was in my favour really early on.
“This juvenile bird returning to the Highlands for the first time was having a real problem lifting clear of the water with such a huge fish and had sat back down to regain his composure.
“I had taken images in the past almost like this but never just quite right, so to find this one in the camera….well, you can just imagine the smile on my face.
“Receiving the call to let me know that it had not only won the portrait section, but also the overall title of Scottish Nature Photographer of the Year came as a huge and very pleasant surprise.”
Among the other winners at this year’s event was Paul Webster from Grantown-on-Spey, who came out top in The Land category.
His image Dreams and Nightmares shows a bird soaring over the snow-capped Aonach Eagach mountain ridge in Glen Coe, titled Dreams and Nightmares.
Meanwhile, Stephen Crossan, from Inverurie, won the Sea and Coast category with the gloomy Bow Fiddle Rock, taken in Moray.
The photograph is of the stunning 50ft high natural landmark in Portknockie, submerged in mist.
And Andy Howard, from Little Dalcross in Inverness, beat off the competition to take first prize in the Scottish Wildlife Photography with Mating.
The image, of two red-necked phalaropes, was taken at Loch Funzie, Fetlar in Shetland.
The seventh annual awards attracted entries from professional and amateur photographers from around the world.
There were also awards for junior photographers and for students.
The winning images from all 10 categories will tour Scotland from July 2017 and will be published along with the shortlisted images in a Portfolio Yearbook in the summer.
For more information, visit www.scottishnaturephotographyawards.com
