2019 Photo Competition Winners Blog

Our photo competition has closed for 2019! We received hundreds of entries this year, all capturing the best and most memorable parts of your walking holidays with Contours. It wasn't easy, but our office has picked out the winners.

Special Objectives

Our Special Objectives category in the most specific of the lot, seeking out great photos of food, weather and walkers on the trails, and we had oodles of submissions. Above, Carmen Matthews poses with her group at the end of Hadrian's Wall Path, Tim Nelson enjoys local oyster on Mary Queen of Scots Way, Patricia Cressey captures atmospheric inclement weather out on the Cumbria Way, and Kimberly Andrews joins her co-walker beneath a marker post on the Fife Coastal Path. 

This year's winner is a shot from Peter Cueva, who was out on the Alternative Coast to Coast walk. It could have done equally well in the Fun Times category — we love the humour in it!

Structures

We had some brilliant entries for the Structures category this year, including David Hackett's photo of Poltesco Bridge on the South West Coast Path, a dramatic shot of Bamburgh Castle on St Oswald's Way by Wim Munters, beautiful Dent Head Viaduct as pictured by John Lonergan on the Dales Way, and Stephanie Gordon's snap of Tarn Hows Cottage nestled in greenery on the South Lakes Short Break.

Our winner is an aerial shot of White Castle taken by Tim Carter while out walking Offa's Dyke Path. There's nothing like seeing a familiar place from an entirely new vantage point. From up here, you can really see the benefits of that walled outer ward, the moat, and the enormous gatehouse beyond the drawbridge.

Fun Times

Has there ever been such a good record of human and animal silliness? Some of our favourites in this category include Sandra Clemens' snap of ponies on the Pembrokeshire Coast Path, Jodi Greenspan posing with a statue on the West Highland Way, Todd Elliot's shot of a cow playing peek-a-moo on Hadrian's Wall Path, and an adorable lizard spotted on the South West Coast Path by David Hackett.

Special mention has to go to Petra Cullman's elegant photo of a pair of puffins sunning themselves on the Northumberland Coast Path.

Just one vote divided that great shot from our winner: muddy dog Archie enjoying his walk along the path up to Dumyat on Mary Queen of Scots Way. Tim Nelson captured this mid-walk snapshot and claimed the win for Fun Times!

Landscapes — and our overall winner

Each year we're blown away by the stunning landscapes you catch on camera, and 2019 was no exception. Above you'll find Tim Carter's beautiful photo of the green fields along Offa's Dyke, the dramatic view from a cairn on the Loch Lomond and Cowal Way by Janet Clapton, Victoria Seton's snippet of the lush green riverbank on the Lakeland Three Passes, and Gary Gimbel's shot of the North York Moors on the famous Coast to Coast Walk.

Here in the office it was a real struggle to select a single winner. But in the end, Esther Doorne won us over with this atmospheric picture of the cloud-cloaked Mt Goat Fell, an almost otherworldly peak on the Arran Coastal Way.

We loved this photo's moody beauty so much that we declared it our overall winner! Congratulations to Esther Doorne, and thank you so much to every walker who amused and amazed us with your own sublime, funny and characterful shots of your Contours walking holidays in 2019.

The Competition Begins Anew in 2020

Excited about your upcoming holiday and eager to join in with next years' competition? We'll be updating our Photo Competition page shortly, and full details will be included as well in your personalised Holiday Pack.

In the meantime, tighten up on your photography skills with our tips for taking great photos and guide to getting good snaps with your smartphone — and perhaps go for a practice shoot in the wild with great short walk suggestions from our blog writers!

We look forward to seeing all your best holiday moments next year.