Photography Competition winners 2025/26 – Edinburgh Connections

This photo was taken during my study abroad year in Australia after spending an evening watching the sun set over a jetty with new friends. My time here has deepened my appreciation for how people connect through nature and shared public spaces. Places by the water became informal meeting points, where evenings slowed and friends met at the end of the day to watch the sun go down. Being so far from Edinburgh made me more aware of how connection can be found in unfamiliar places and reshaped my perception of community.

People come and go, with all the ceaseless changes, change itself is the only thing [that] remains unchanged.

Taken on Calton Hill at sunset, this photograph captures a quiet moment between two friends watching the city glow. Between the old Castle and the Balmoral clock tower, they sit in the golden light that connects Edinburgh's past and present. From this hill, a meeting place for locals, travellers, and students alike, the city feels united under the same sky. In that stillness, connection takes a softer form: shared silence, shared warmth, shared belonging.

This image captures a shared moment of community at Arthur's Seat, where a group of friends have gathered to crack cold ones and enjoy the views of the city below. Their sense of familiarity and share intention highlights how community is built through purposeful time spent together. The relationship between people, place, and city is evident to any who have taken the hike up to Arthur's Seat. The iconic spot serves as a space where the natural landscape and the city of Edinburgh breathe shared life for all to enjoy.

The theme, Edinburgh Connections, asks us to notice how we link with city, campus and wider communities. In a fast paced world we rarely pause to breathe and reflect. While visiting Lithuania I stopped by a church where an older man played a violin and an older woman stood listening. For a few minutes the rush of schedules fell away. By simply stopping I learned the name of the tune and learned something new about classical music. In that moment, I felt inexplicably linked to two lives I would otherwise have passed. That moment reminded me that connection often begins with attention: opening our eyes, unclenching our pace and listening. We can meet new ideas and shared histories in ordinary encounters when we choose presence over haste. Edinburgh Connections, to me, is a call to slow down, to seek exchange in public space and to discover that next learning, friendship or insight may be waiting within sight of our footsteps.

This Eurasian Whimbrel is one of the few birds Scotland and South Africa has in common. This beautiful bird nests and breeds in the north of Scotland, and migrates to spend their winters in South African summertime.This particular photo captures the whimbrel as it takes off. To find dinner? To go back to Scotland? Who knows. But a stunning reminder of connection between two very different worlds. This particular photo captures the whimbrel as it takes off. To find dinner? To go back to Scotland? Who knows. But a stunning reminder of connection between two very different worlds.

They say Edinburgh is built on seven hills, but its true spirit lives wild amongst them. Coming from across the world, I sought an anchor, something to make me feel truly part of this place. I didn't find it on the cobbled streets, but in the quiet, stoic gaze of this Highland Coo in the Pentlands. In this moment, cultural distances faded away. All that remained was respect for the natural environment and gratitude for the present. This image captures my purest connection to Scotland: a peaceful coexistence where we don't dominate the landscape, but sit humbly within it. It is proof that, no matter how far you've travelled, nature speaks a universal language that welcomes you home.
 

By capturing Frederick Street at night, you can see how the city of Edinburgh runs like clockwork. The city itself is always moving, working, and connecting through the streets we all use in our daily lives. This picture shows the busy hustle and bustle of the New Town with its restaurants, shops, and pubs, and the endless stream of transportation we cannot go without. In Edinburgh, we are connected by buses, trams, and taxis, which get us around when we need it most. The silhouette of the Royal Scots Greys Monument, standing out from the light of the cars gone by, celebrates the history of Edinburgh at the heart of Scotland and its people of the past.