Celebrate the Beauty of the UK National Parks: 2025 Photography Competition Now Open
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Date posted: 14/07/2025
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Time to read: 5 mins
14 July 2025 – The UK’s fifteen National Parks are once again calling on photographers of all abilities to capture the magic of these treasured landscapes as the 2025 National Parks Photography Competition officially opens for entries.
Now in its fourth year, and proudly supported by Sykes Holiday Cottages, the competition offers amateur and professional photographers the chance to win one of two fantastic prize bundles worth over £300 each. More than just a celebration of stunning photography, the competition champions conservation and invites people to engage meaningfully with the natural world this summer.
Whether it’s the wild beauty of Cairngorms, the dramatic peaks of Eryri, or the peaceful waterways of the Broads, the competition encourages everyone to explore, appreciate and protect the unique character of the National Parks.
How to Enter:
To take part, simply share your chosen photo on Instagram, tagging @nationalparksuk and including the hashtag #NPUKPics25 in the caption. The top 10 images will be selected by the National Parks team. From these, one winner will be chosen by public vote, and a second winner will be selected by the staff at Sykes Holiday Cottages.
Key Dates:
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Entry Deadline: Thursday 25 September 2025
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Shortlist Announced & Public Voting Opens: Wednesday 1 October 2025
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Voting Closes: Friday 10 October 2025
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Winners Announced: Wednesday 15 October 2025
The Prize:
Each winner will receive:
- A £250 Sykes Holiday Cottages voucher
- A complete set of Collins National Park Pocket Map and Favourite Ranger Walks books, worth £115
Launched in 2021, the competition was created to highlight not only the beauty but also the importance of the UK National Parks in the face of global challenges. As we tackle the climate and biodiversity crises, our National Parks are leading the approach to landscape scale nature restoration with nature-based solutions that benefit people, place, nature and climate.
Sykes Holiday Cottages, has supported National Parks since 2021 through National Parks Partnerships, backing a wide range of impactful projects—from planting over 5,000 trees in Eryri National Park to enhancing pollinator habitats in Northumberland National Park. The partnership also champions regenerative travel, helping to sustain rural economies and support local businesses, ensuring National Parks remain vibrant, living landscapes for future generations.
For full terms and conditions, and to find out more about the competition, visit www.nationalparks.uk/photo-competition-2/.
Notes to Editors
For further information, interview and image requests please contact Bec Butler, Senior Partnership Communications Manager
E: bec.butler@nationalparks.co.uk | T: +44 (0)7843 393962
About UK National Parks
The UK is home to fifteen National Parks, with ten located in England, three in Wales, and two in Scotland. Combined they span almost 10% of land and are more than just protected landscapes; they are living, working environments where people and nature can thrive together.
Each National Park is managed by an Authority, an independent body funded by the central government and other sources. These authorities do not own all of the land within the National Park but are tasked with conserving and enhancing the natural beauty, wildlife, and cultural heritage of these areas. They promote opportunities for the public to experience and understand the unique qualities of National Parks while fostering the economic and social wellbeing of local communities.
2024 marked the 75th anniversary of the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act, which laid the foundation for the creation of these protected spaces. Today, National Parks continue to play a vital role and are committed to leading a transition toward a fairer, greener, and healthier future. By embracing large-scale nature-based solutions to create natural resilience, our National Parks continue to inspire, sustain, and benefit generations to come.
National Parks are open for everyone to explore, with more than 90 million visits each year, offering a chance to connect with nature and experience the beauty of the outdoors.
For more information, visit www.nationalparks.uk.
About Sykes Holiday Cottages
Sykes Holiday Cottages are one of the UK’s leading independent holiday cottage rental agencies. Offering over 23,000 cottages across the UK and Ireland, there’s plenty of choice for your next escape. Whether you’re seeking a beachside apartment, a traditional countryside cottage, or anything in between, you’re sure to find it with us. If you’re looking for inspiration on where to travel for your next adventure, be sure to browse our Travel Guide. Here you’ll find a whole host of information on exciting locations and their very best attractions. From the beautiful Cairngorms to the dramatic scenery of the Lake District, there are plenty of locations letting you uncover the many wonders of a variety of National Parks. Boasting an extensive range of unique self-catering cottages paired with over 30 years’ experience in the industry, you can be sure to book with confidence.
Find your perfect stay in a National Park with Sykes Holiday Cottages today.
About National Parks Partnerships (NPP)
National Parks Partnerships (NPP) unites companies, investors, and environmental funders with all fifteen UK National Parks to drive positive change for people, nature, and climate. Spanning the iconic landscapes of the Peak District, Lake District, Eryri, Dartmoor, Pembrokeshire Coast, North York Moors, Yorkshire Dales, Exmoor, Northumberland, Bannau Brycheiniog, The Broads, Loch Lomond & The Trossachs, Cairngorms, New Forest, and South Downs, NPP operates at a national level to foster partnerships that enhance and protect these vital natural areas.
Since its inception in 2016, NPP has formed impactful partnerships with leading global brands, including BMW UK, Santander UK, and Estée Lauder Companies UK & Ireland. NPP’s comprehensive approach identifies and develops key projects in need of support, offering diverse opportunities such as deploying green finance through the Revere: Investing in Nature initiative with Palladium, to supporting innovative nature-based solutions that preserve and restore biodiversity, to staff engagement, joint marketing campaigns, in-kind contributions, and thought leadership. By aligning with both global and UK-based brands, NPP creates bespoke partnerships that deliver meaningful, lasting impact in National Parks and surrounding communities.
To find out more about NPP visit www.nationalparks.co.uk.
Follow NPP on LinkedIn
It’s not every day you get to see one of our National Parks in biscuit form on @britishbakeoff!
Last night, The Great British Bake Off contestant @itsdoctoryan created a beautiful biscuit mosaic inspired by the Broads National Park, perfectly capturing the view at St Benet’s Mill, Thurne.
And it wasn’t just a feast for the eyes as the mosaic was made using treacle and ginger, honey and lemon, cocoa and malted milk, and pistachio biscuits.
Two great things combined: a beautiful National Park view and delicious biscuits. What could be better than that? 💚
Photo: Channel 4
#GBBO #BakeOff #NorfolkBroads @broadsnationalpark
You’ve likely heard of one - but what does it actually do?
Our 15 Parks wouldn’t be able to function without the authorities working behind the scenes to keep them running.
And each authority relies on people. People within the community, volunteers, staff and members. People that run businesses, or partner as organisations. People that are skilled and knowledgeable in a variety of areas from wildlife to accessibility.
Our National Parks are full of people and action, and it’s the Authorities that bring them all together.
💚
#NationalParksUK #NationalParkAuthorities
The Yorkshire Dales has one of the highest concentrations of caves and caverns of any of our 15 National Parks - a whole landscape hiding beneath the ground.
Our National Parks don’t just protect and preserve the landscapes we see every day. They also help care for historic and unique places discovered by our ancestors, like Ingleborough Cave and Gaping Gill, both of which were shrouded in myth and legend until they were explored by Victorians in the 1800s.
There’s so much more to our National Parks than meets the eye and sometimes, quite literally beneath the surface 👀
#YorkshireDales #GapingGill #Ingleborough
A week on from National Parks UK’s Big Volunteer Weekend, we’re still celebrating the people who make a difference across our National Parks.
Last weekend, hundreds of people came together across all 15 National Parks to give their time, share their skills and support our landscapes.
But volunteering in our National Parks doesn’t happen just one weekend a year. All year round, volunteers play an incredible variety of roles – from leading guided walks and supporting education, to conservation, planting and caring for our landscapes.
Every volunteer makes a valuable contribution to protecting our natural and cultural heritage. We simply couldn’t do what we do without you. 💚
So, to all our volunteers: thank you for your time, energy, enthusiasm and everything you bring to our National Parks.
If you know someone who volunteers in a National Park, help us spread the thanks by sharing this post. 🌿
#Volunteers #NationalParks #NationalParksUK
Mae’r Bele yn un o famaliaid prinnaf Cymru, ond mae eu niferoedd yn tyfu yn raddol. Mae hynny’n newyddion da i’n coetiroedd ac i’r Parciau Cenedlaethol, sy’n darparu rhai o’r cynefinoedd pwysicaf ar gyfer bywyd gwyllt ledled Cymru a Phrydain.
Ym Mannau Brycheiniog, mae’r prosiect adfer wedi gosod blychau nythu yn y coed, ac mae gwaith monitro wedi nodi presenoldeb y Bele, gan gynnwys grwpiau teuluol. Mae’r ffilm arbennig hon yn dangos un ohonynt ar waith. 🐾
Mae’n atgof hyfryd o’r hyn sy’n bosibl pan ddaw coetiroedd iach a gwaith cadwraeth arbenigol at ei gilydd i roi’r gofod sydd ei angen ar rywogaethau prin i wella.
Pine Martens are one of Wales’ rarest mammals, but they’re slowly making a comeback. That’s good news for our woodlands, and for National Parks, which provide some of the most important habitats for wildlife across Wales and Britain.
In Bannau Brycheiniog (the Brecon Beacons), the recovery project has installed treetop den boxes, with monitoring identifying pine martens, including family groups. This special footage shows one in action. 🐾
It’s a lovely reminder of what can happen when healthy woodlands and specialist conservation work come together to give rare species the space they need to recover.
#BreconBeacons #BannauBrycheiniog #PineMartins #Wales
It’s the Autumn Equinox 🍂
Our National Parks are always changing in time with the rhythm of nature, but this becomes particularly noticeable when autumn arrives.
Deer begin to rut, spiders’ cobwebs glisten in the fresh light, fungi become more prominent, and leaves begin to change colour.
What changes have you noticed so far? 🧡
#Autumn #AutumnEquinox #NationalParks
“You look after the National Park not for yourself, but for people who are coming, the ones who are following you.”
These are the words of Ron Wood, who has been volunteering for the Lake District National Park for over 60 years. His story reflects the vital role volunteering plays across our National Parks: keeping them thriving, communities invested, and people connected to and caring for our landscapes.
Over the decades, Ron’s incredible journey has seen him remain steadfast in his commitment through droughts, hand, foot and mouth disease, and the ever-changing rhythms of nature. Through it all, one thing has remained constant: his dedication to looking after the environment for those who come after him.
You can read Ron`s full story by clicking the link in our bio or learn more about volunteering at nationalparks.uk/volunteering 🔗
📸Photos by @lakedistrictnpa
#LakeDistrict #Volunteering #NationalParks
A quiet autumn transformation is beginning to take place. 🍁
Bracken gradually fades to burnt oranges. Mist sweeps across the horizon. Grasses brown and trees begin their annual shaking of leaves.
Our National Parks are never still. They are constantly changing and transforming with the seasons - a living rhythm of growth, decay, colour and renewal.
These four photographs perfectly capture our Parks on the cusp of autumn 📸
1. Dartmoor @ryanbrowningphotography
2. Lake District @jonny.gios
3. New Forest @acornsandscapes
4. Northumberland @calbrownphoto
#Autumn #NationalParksUK
