Armadale Stores is thrilled to officially announce the winners of our recent photography competition, which centered on the inspiring theme: “What Makes Sleat a Great Place to Live.” The community’s response was truly overwhelming, with a total of 98 entries capturing the unique spirit, landscapes, and daily life of our beautiful peninsula. To ensure the highest level of integrity, our judging panel conducted a blind review process, keeping the identity of each photographer anonymous to ensure the results were as fair as possible. Participants across five categories showcased immense talent, making the final selection a difficult but rewarding task for our judges.
We are delighted to crown Jamie MacPherson as the winner of the Under 16 category for his heart-warming “Heritage” entry featuring a Border Collie pup in a trailer. In the 16 and Over category, Heather Clyne took the top spot with her bright, energetic photo of a concert at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, perfectly capturing the vibrant cultural life of the area.
Overall Winners
Jamie MacPherson – Under 16 – Overall Winner and Heritage
Heather Clyne – Winner of 16 & Over, and Heritage Category
This competition was a special way to mark a milestone for the shop, as Jane McDermott for Visit Sleat noted: “We were delighted to help Armadale Stores celebrate their 5 year anniversary, and the entries are a credit to Sleat.” These photos, along with other entries, will be used to promote the area through the Visit Sleat website at www.sleatperfectlyskye.com.
All entries are displayed at the bottom of this page for you to enjoy. Please note that while a few submissions did not strictly meet the competition rules, we have included them anyway so that everyone’s contribution to celebrating Sleat could be seen.
Congratulations to our winners and thank you to everyone who took part!
Category Winners
Under 16
- Heritage – Jamie MacPherson – Border Collie Pup
- Land & Seascapes – Jamie MacPherson – Log over Stream
16 and Over
- Activities – Jane Lafferty – Boy fishing at the Pier
- Heritage – Heather Clyne – Sabhal Mor Ostaig Concert
- Land & Seascapes – Heather Clyne – View over to Loch Hourn
- People – Tracey Raymond – Lady out in the Snow
- Other – Ciorstan Howarth – Aurora
Photo Competition Judging Report
by Simon Larson
The judging of the ‘What makes Sleat a Special place to live’ photo competition was an engaging and rewarding process, carried out by Tricia, Duncan, and Simon. Across both the Under 16 and Over 16 age groups, we reviewed nearly 100 entries, each offering a unique perspective and creative interpretation of the subject categories.
From the outset, we were struck by the high quality and diversity of the entries. As Tricia noted, “The standard of entries was high with many of the images showing good technical skill as well as artistic vision.” Duncan echoed this sentiment, commenting that “it’s not just about well-taken photos; there’s also a sense of storytelling and individuality coming through.”
Under 16 Category
The Under 16 age-group entries were impressive, showcasing a good level of creativity and confidence from the young photographers. Entries demonstrated a good level of imaginative compositions.
Tricia noted, “There’s a freshness and honesty in these images—young photographers aren’t afraid to experiment.” Simon added, “Some of these entries rival what you’d expect from much older participants.”
We were pleased to see such a wide variety of subjects, demonstrating both curiosity and a growing understanding of photographic principles.
Over 16 Category
The Over 16 age group displayed a strong command of technique and composition.
Duncan commented, “There’s a clear confidence in how these photographers are handling their subjects—many images feel polished and intentional.” Tricia highlighted the emotional impact of several entries, saying, “Some photos really stay with you—they tell stories that go beyond the frame.”
Overall Impressions
Across both age groups and the five categories, the competition reflected a vibrant and diverse range of photographs which made judging both challenging and enjoyable with robust discussions taking place when picking the winning images.
The judges would like to commend all participants for their effort, creativity, and enthusiasm. The competition not only highlighted technical ability but also celebrated the power of photography as a means of expression and storytelling.
Special thanks go to Paddy for co-ordinating the competition entries.
Here are all the entries
