It’s 2026 and I want to kick off the new year with a look back at 2025! Every year I do a wee post, highlighting my favourite pictures from the year that has now passed.
From stunning coastlines to remote hills. Football shrines and frozen hill lochs. There’s been a bit of everything so grab a warm beverage and have a look at my favourite pictures of 2025!
10.
This picture comes from Glenbuck, the village where legendary Liverpool F.C. manager Bill Shankly was born and raised. Not only do I love the contrast with the memorial and the barren landscape, but the plethora of tributes to the legendary man make it something quite poignant. The memorial is surrounded in Liverpool flags, shirts and various items in tribute to lost fans and mutual love of a football club.
It was one of the most interesting walks I did in 2025. You can read the full post below:
9.
A cool, sunny day, barely a cloud in the sky and a ridge. The ridge being that of Cairnsmore of Fleet and the walk being my stroll around the Clints of Dromore at the Big Water of Fleet Viaduct.
It made for a lovely walk and seeing the gloomy ridge of Cairnsmore of Fleet, contrasting against the blue sky above and golden ground below made it one of my favourite pictures of the year.
You can read the full story below:
8.
Much to my dad’s chagrin, I have a soft spot for cormorants. He thinks they are ugly while I think they have a weird ‘out-of-Jurassic-Park’ thing going on. Which makes them pretty cool in my mind. I enjoy watching them cruising in flight, low and swift over the water, or diving under in search of prey.
I don’t think I’ve done a coastal walk in Dumfries & Galloway without seeing them perched on a group of rocks. This image came from the wonderful loop walk at the Mull of Galloway Lighthouse and I think it’s my best ‘cormorants-sitting-on-a-rock’ picture I’ve managed yet!
You can read the full blog post below:
7.
A group of walkers, strolling along a beach at low tide with a remote lighthouse in the distance. What a cosy sentence and one that could describe a million coastal walks in Scotland but this one was at Powillimount Beach, during my circuit walk from Carsethorn.
It was a fantastic walk and I loved this cosy shot. I think it encapsulates what makes coastal walks such a pleasant way to spend a day.
You can read the full blog post below:
6.
We are still at Carsethorn to Powillimount and we are still on the beach! A friend of mine said this was his favourite picture from that particular blog post so I had to include it!
A lone rock in a shallow pool on the beautiful gold beach at Carsethorn. It’s quite a pretty sight!
You can read the full blog post below:
5.
Probably the most ‘lesser-known’ of the walks I’d done in 2025, Bengray at Loch Whinyeon is a small hill above Gatehouse of Fleet. By itself you might not be impressed, it’s not particularly large or notable but where it sits made it one of the nicest walks I did all year.
A blanket of snow (which was very deep at points) covered the landscape and made for a stunning view from the summit, looking over the partially frozen loch below and onwards to the Galloway Forest Park.
I love how cold the picture looks. And I can assure you, as I stood on the summit, I felt the same.
You can read the full blog post below:
4.
I simply can’t do one of these posts without including one that features my walking companion and best bud, Messi.
This was him finally standing still after enjoy running like a maniac in the snow at Loch Whinyeon on my walk to bag Bengray. The loch has a lovely big cairn which sits in a lovely spot with rolling fields and the impressive hills of Dumfries & Galloway in the background.
You can read the full blog post below:
3.
A lone statue of an otter. Sitting on a rock. Looking out to sea.
It’s one of the most distinct visuals in Dumfries & Galloway and one that had caught my eye on social media, prompting me to do the walk in the first place.
I simply couldn’t write this post without including this picture of Maxwell’s Otter, Mijbil, who overlooks the gorgeous coastline where he spent so much time with his master.
You can read the full blog post below:
2.
This is one of my absolute favourite pictures of the year from one of the best walks of the year. Maxwell’s Otter at Monreith was a spectacular coastal circuit with a great variety of history and scenery.
This picture was taken just below the site where Maxwell’s Otter looks out to sea, at the entrance to the beach.
I absolutely love the colours! The blues, greens, yellows…the way the flora contrasts so starkly with the sea.
A lovely picture from one of my favourite walks of the year. I may get it framed at some point!
You can read the full blog post below:
1.
My favourite picture of the year is, perhaps, the most simple. The Mull of Galloway Lighthouse is one of the most notable features in all of Dumfries & Galloway and this was my first visit.
Sitting at the most southerly point in Scotland, it’s a fantastic building and a true ‘must-see’ if you are in the area. The lighthouse sits on the edge of huge coastal cliffs, looking out to sea and offering views of Ireland and the Isle of Man.
I love this picture. It’s simple but striking and reminds me of one of the best coastal walks I’ve done in all of Dumfries & Galloway.
You can read the full blog post below:
Conclusion
Those are my top pictures of 2025! I can’t wait to see a new batch, from many new stories in 2026.
So what do you think? Is the order right or do you have different favourites?
Feel free to let me know in the comments below!