The Weekly Gallery Round-Up

We're now into the second week of the new Photo of the Month competition with five pairs of Bridgedale best-selling Trekker socks up for grabs. The most rated image since we launched the competition, on 28th June, has been Neill Higgins' shot of Langdale Pikes, from his Lakeland Snapshots album, wih eight votes (see below). As a total contrast, one of its strongest contender is Marcus Crompton's shot of Dizzy at Salen, shown left, proving that there's nothing quite like true mountain scenery to attract interest in the OUTDOORSmagic gallery:-) If you haven't rated any images yet, have a browse, as the competition winner will be picked entirely by OM members.

Langdale Pikes, by Neill Higgins

To bring you up to date on the last week's developments, Mark Pillinger has been getting snap happy on Skye, filling almost a whole page of the gallery with shots from the Cuillin hills. There's a bit of everything on offer - the sea, snowy summits, a few summery blooms, and ghostly hills rearing up on the horizon, as in the shot below. Whether you prefer the coastline or the mountains, his album Kintail and Skye is well worth a visit.

Cuillins from Corran May 2006, by Mark Pillinger

In the same part of the world - and the same part of the country for that matter - is a very golden Glen Rosa. The photographer, Andy Spink, is obviously keen on picturesque, but deserted, spots - have a look at his Arran 2006 album for a bit of wild camping. OK, so it's one of OM's smaller albums, but quality before quantity and all that ...

Glen Rosa, by Andy Spink

Another of the major contributors to the gallery in the last week is Geoffrey Neill who, like Mark Pillinger, has unleashed a wealth of landscapes into his My Trip to Skye album. For those who know Skye well, you can find images of Quirang, The Table and the Storr within - which isn't to say you won't appreciate them if you don't know Skye at all. You just might need a map to follow Geoffrey's tracks. The Storr and the Old Man of Storr certainly look distinctive - are there any geologists out there who'd like to fill us in on rock formations (cue forum thread)?:-)

The Storr and the Old Man of Storr, by Geoffrey Neill

To give a summery feel, now that we've all boiled in a mini-heat wave (and then been rained on again!), here's a flowery contribution from Sarah Anderson. At the moment the title of Sarah's album, Random Pictures, is a bit of a misnomer, as there's only this one picture in it, but we hope there'll be more to follow shortly.

Fleetwith Pike, by Sarah Anderson

And finally, today's parting shot lacks the traditional expanse of marigold sky but without sacrificing any of the atmosphere. The image of the lone hiker is definitely a recurring one on OUTDOORSmagic, but it's always inspiring somehow. A silhouetted figure gazing out into the evening sky from a deserted hillside - what more could you want to get you out on the hills again next weekend? See Darren Salvage's North Wales album for more of his photography.

North Wales, by Darren Salvage

That's it for this week, and a very Hebridean week it's been too. If anyone wants inspiration for trips further afield then have a look at the Travel Section, or if you're going walking in the UK, see our ever-increasing stock of routes. Either way, we always appreciate a peep at your photos when you get back.