NATURE WINNER 2ND OVERALL

Alison Wellby, from Castle Douglas

‘For my birthday treat we visited a squirrel hide in Kirkcudbright. We have six children, and the eldest three stayed with me while my husband took the youngest off to give us some peace. We were delighted when a red squirrel scampered around the edge of the pool, sitting just inches away! He took a plunge into the water and started to drink.

‘I’m over the moon to have won! I also feel incredibly humbled: I’m a stay-athome mother, and I home educate our children. My kit is mostly second-hand, which I’ve scrimped and saved for. I never believed I could compete with photographers at this level!’

Alison wins a Fujifilm X-T30 + XF1855mm lens worth £1200, a Zerofit bundle worth £220, plus Affinity Photo editing software worth £48.