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Readers' Scotland: Castles, Wildlife and Landscapes from November

BBC News readers submitted photographs of Scotland between 6 and 13 November, capturing castles, wildlife encounters, dramatic landscapes and atmospheric conditions across the country during autumn.

By The UK Pulse Editorial Team·Source: BBC News··7 min read·How we work
Castle ruins sit on top of a huge rock rising out of the sea as a stunning orange sunrise lights up the clouds above.

Between 6 and 13 November, BBC News received a striking collection of photographs from across Scotland, showcasing the country's diverse natural beauty and atmospheric conditions during the autumn season. The submissions ranged from dramatic castle views to intimate wildlife encounters and moody landscape scenes captured by photographers of varying experience levels.

This week's gallery opens with a breathtaking sunrise over Dunnottar Castle, captured by Iain Wood in a composition that evokes the grandeur of a cinematic opening sequence. The images that follow reveal the breadth of Scotland's visual appeal, from its iconic landmarks to its wild spaces and the creatures that inhabit them.

Historic Landmarks and Castles

Scotland's architectural heritage featured prominently in this week's submissions. Bob Dalgleish submitted a striking photograph of Balmoral Castle, describing it as fit for royalty. These images of the nation's castles and historic sites continue a tradition of reader submissions that showcase Scotland's landmarks across the seasons.

Balmoral castle, a grand sandstone building in the distance with bright red foliage in the foreground.
Fit for a king? Bob Dalgleish thinks so after taking this gorgeous image of Balmoral Castle.

Wildlife Encounters Across the Landscape

The natural world provided numerous dramatic moments for photographers this week. Rod Burns captured an unfolding predator-prey encounter in his Cramond garden, where a nervous pheasant found itself under the watchful gaze of a curious fox. The tension of the moment was frozen in time through his lens.

A portrait image of a leafy garden with a pheasant in the foreground looking behind it to an interested red fox a few feet away up a small flight of three steps.
Rod Burns captured this unfolding drama in his garden in Cramond as a nervous pheasant found itself watched by a curious fox.

Madison McKnight ventured to the Isle of Rùm near Kilmory Beach and was fortunate enough to spot red-tailed deer in their natural habitat. These sightings of Scotland's larger mammals demonstrate the accessibility of wildlife photography across the country's varied terrain.

Four deer graze on a hill with a body of water beyond and a range of hills in the background giving a moody feel. One of the deer is standing bolt upright and looking straight at the camera.
Madison McKnight was lucky enough to spot these red-tailed deer on the Isle of Rùm near Kilmory Beach.

Joanne Thom's submission from Musselburgh Rugby Club captured an intense stare from a fox, with a second fox visible in the frame, offering viewers a chance to spot both animals in the composition. Kenneth Milligan's photograph of an inquisitive young grey seal at Ardrossan Marina revealed the curiosity of marine wildlife in coastal areas.

A fox with big yellow eyes stares right into the camera close up on the road, two parked cars behind it and another fox creeping up between them.
Joanne Thom came face to face with this intense stare at Musselburgh Rugby Club. Spot the second fox.
A close-up headshot of a young seal with massive glossy eyes peers over the side of a boat. Its surface is sleek and wet, its white whiskers standing out and the sun reflecting off its coat.
An inquisitive young grey seal in Ardrossan Marina caught Kenneth Milligan's eye.

Smaller creatures also featured in the week's submissions. Aiden Richardson captured a beautiful portrait of a deer in Galloway forest, while young nature photographer Georgina Whylde documented a berry feast involving a redwing and a blackbird. Karen McLean spotted a cheeky squirrel in a prime sunny spot in her garden, inviting viewers to locate it in the frame.

A brown-hued image of a deer, with grand antlers, looking head-on at the camera, standing proudly in golden brown, long grass.
Aiden Richardson struck gold with this beautiful portrait of a deer in Galloway forest.
A redwing - a speckled brown and white bird, and a blackbird, sit side by side in a bush surrounded by red berries. The blackbird holds a red berry in its bill.
Another berry feast - this time it's a redwing and a blackbird caught by young nature photographer Georgina Whylde.
A cheeky-looking grey squirrel sits in a holly bush, surrounded by bright red berries and holds one in its little paws.
Spot the squirrel, says Karen McLean after she spotted this cheeky face in a prime sunny spot in her garden.

Marcus Tyler submitted a photograph of a bearded tit searching for grit in the reed beds near Errol, noting that he felt fortunate with the separation achieved in the shot. Linda Gibson's first photo session in weeks yielded a sighting of a beautiful red squirrel displaying the glorious autumn colours in Dalmally.

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A very polished image of a bearded tit resplendent in its brown, white and grey colour scheme taken through the reeds.
Marcus Tyler to wanted to shot of a bearded tit while it was looking for grit in the reed beds in Errol. He says he got lucky with the separation on this shot.
A very fluffy-looking red squirrel sits on a moss-covered log eating some food and almost blending into the autumnal colours of the leaves.
Linda Gibson struck lucky on her first photo session for weeks with a sighting of this beautiful red squirrel showing the glorious Autumn colours in Dalmally.

Landscapes and Atmospheric Conditions

The week's weather patterns created distinctive atmospheric conditions that photographers captured with skill. Charles Day documented a scene of moody morning light at Loch Lomond during a period when temperatures began to feel noticeably colder. The interplay of light and shadow transformed the familiar landscape into something contemplative and dramatic.

A foggy scene taken through the trees which look in silhouette, onto a still loch. The lighting gives the image a monochromatic feel.
A scene of moody morning light at Loch Lomond from a week where the weather started feeling colder. Taken by Charles Day.

Jane McGurk submitted an atmospheric photograph of the River Clyde taken during the week's spell of foggy weather, capturing the muted tones and reduced visibility that characterised the conditions. Cheryl Bimendi photographed a magical image looking over the Firth of Clyde in Ayrshire, while Ross Tiffin documented a dramatic sky in Fortrose that appeared to be on fire with colour.

A view of a grey stone bridge from the outside of one end - looking along the parapet from the side, the bridge disappears into the fog at the other side. Branches sit in the foreground.
An atmospheric River Clyde from Jane McGurk was taken during last week's spell of foggy weather.
A view across the Firth of Clyde, land on either side, with a yellow glow. Dark clouds cover most of the sky except for a jagged seam where the sun lights up the sky and the water.
Cheryl Bimendi photographed this magical image looking over the Firth of Clyde in Ayrshire.
An image of a stunning sunrise over Fortrose with the sun casting a bright red glow over the water and the sky lit up in shades of red and orange behind the clouds.
The sky was on fire in Fortrose this week and luckily Ross Tiffin was there to capture it.

Kevin McLay sent a photograph from an early retirement walk to Loch Lee, where he was drawn to the glassy water, the autumn colours, and the striking juxtaposition of a small building against the expansive Scottish landscape. Fiona Ballantyne captured fairy tale vibes in a glorious autumnal scene at Fairy Glen in Balloch Castle Country Park, demonstrating how seasonal changes transform familiar locations.

Beautiful colours of autumn in this view over Loch Lee. The hill in the foreground is a golden brown, with a sparse tree. Still water leads to the shore in the distance where a tiny white house sits in front of a forest and more hills
Kevin McLay sent us this image from a great early retirement walk to Loch Lee. He loved the glassy water, the autumn colours and especially the juxtaposition of the small building against the big Scottish landscape.
A bright sun shines through the trees in a forest covered in fallen orange leaves.
Definitely fairy tale vibes from this glorious autumnal scene at Fairy Glen in Balloch Castle Country Park, snapped by Fiona Ballantyne.

Outdoor Adventures and Community Moments

Stephen Todd's wild camping pitch on Sandwood Bay sand dunes provided a welcoming sight that speaks to Scotland's appeal for outdoor enthusiasts. Geoff Wakefield from Edinburgh submitted a more urban image showing the view from a bridge over the Union Canal, where he captured the lit-up canal boats in the Lochrin Basin following the Flotilla of Lights event the previous weekend.

A view to the sea across some sand dunes, The grey cloud is low and the scene is cast in a blue light, making the yellow tent stand out, appearing to glow from within.
Stephen Todd's wild camping pitch on Sandwood Bay sand dunes is a welcoming sight.
View from a bridge of canal boats festooned with coloured lights. Beyond them, modern apartment buildings stretch out, the closest ones joining in with light projections on their facades.
Geoff Wakefield from Edinburgh submitted this more urban image of the view from a bridge over the union canal. He loved the lit-up canal boats in the Lochrin Basin after the Flotilla of Lights event last weekend.

Euan Kidd's submission combined personal significance with visual appeal, showing his dog Boo sitting on a bench and gazing up at a statue of Rabbie Burns at the Birks of Aberfeldy. The photograph served as a lovely memento of his birthday weekend while offering viewers a touching moment of connection between pet and place.

Yellow and brown leaves litter the forest floor with a bench and a sitting statue of poet Rabbie Burns. A little dog sits on the bench lookin up at the statue.
Euan Kidd's wee dog Boo sits on a bench and looks up at Rabbie Burns at the Birks of Aberfeldy, giving him a lovely momento of his birthday weekend and a visual gift for the rest of us.

Morag MacNeil from Duror made a timely visit to the Oban War Memorial to photograph beautiful hand-crocheted poppies placed on the rock by the memorial, capturing a community tribute during the remembrance season.

Oban war memorial sits behind a rock which has been covered in crocheted red poppies to mark remembrance day.
Morag MacNeil from Duror made a timely visit to the Oban War Memorial to see these beautiful hand crocheted Poppies on the rock by the memorial.

How to Submit Your Photographs

Readers wishing to contribute their own photographs of Scotland are invited to send them to scotlandpictures@bbc.co.uk. All submissions must adhere to the BBC's rules on photography, and photographers are asked to ensure that images are captured safely and responsibly, without the use of AI editing or enhancement.

Submitted photographs must be the photographer's own work. If images include children, written permission from a parent or guardian of every child is required; permission from grandparents, aunts, uncles, or friends is not sufficient. By contributing to BBC News, photographers grant a royalty-free, non-exclusive licence to publish and use the material in any way, including across all media worldwide, while retaining copyright ownership of their work.

At no time should photographers endanger themselves or others, take unnecessary risks, or infringe the law. All photographs remain subject to copyright protection. This weekly gallery continues a tradition of showcasing reader submissions that capture Scotland's landscapes and wildlife throughout the year, offering a window into the country's natural and cultural heritage as experienced by those who live in and visit these places.

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