Nature Photo Contest To Show Off The Vibrant Colours Of Caithness

27th April 2009

The third annual Scottish Natural Heritage-run nature photography competition is underway with a request for people to showcase the amazing colours of nature in Caithness and throughout Scotland.

This free contest celebrates Scottish Biodiversity Week which runs from 16-24 May 2009 and aims to show in vivid ways how biodiversity surrounds us. Biodiversity is the variety of life from the earthworm to the gracious golden eagle, the smallest blade of grass to the tallest tree.

The first prize is a day with professional photographer, Peter J. Clarke; the second is a trip with Seaprobe Atlantis on Scotland's only semi-submersible glass bottom boat on the Kyle of Lochalsh; and the third prize is the National Geographic book, Visions of Paradise.

Zeshan Akhter, the Scottish Biodiversity Week organiser, said: "The colours of Scotland vary so much from the changing hues of the heather to bluebell meadows to our green, lush hills - not to mention all the birds, insects and other creatures in Scotland.

"We hope people will see this contest as a chance to get out into nature, whether that's in a local park or atop a remote mountain, and share their appreciation of the grandeur and variety right on our doorsteps with us."

Entrants must email their pictures of animals, plants or landscapes to bit[AT]snh.gov.uk by 31 July 2009 as an attachment with "Photo Contest" in the subject line.

Entries must be original, have a title, information about the photo location in Scotland, and the entrant's name and contact details. Up to two entries per person may be submitted. Winners will be notified in August and the winning entries will be posted on the website and highlighted in the Scottish Biodiversity Forum's quarterly newsletter. For more information, see www.snh.gov.uk/biodiversityweek