We’re raising a dram to our 2016 Wish You Were Here competition winner

We’re delighted to reveal the 2016 winner of the UK’s leading maritime photography competition, ‘Wish You Were Here’.

In partnership with the Sunday Express we’re delighted to reveal the 2016 winner of the UK’s leading maritime photography competition, ‘Wish You Were Here’.

Gillian Kennett, from Louth in Lincolnshire, sailed through the competition to be crowned this year’s winner after her striking photograph ‘Theddlethorpe Beach’ captivated the judges.  Photographed in Saltfleetby, Gillian’s atmospheric entry was captured whilst taking a beach stroll with her two canine companions.

A delighted Gillian scooped a cash prize of £2,500 for her winning image which was highlighted as ‘capturing the spirit of the competition’ by the competition judges. She has also won an exclusive trip for two to the Wick-based Pulteney Distillery, located in the far North of Scotland, where Gillian will be able to enjoy a personal tour from Distillery Manager, Malcom Waring. Whilst at the home of Old Pulteney, Gillian will also have the opportunity to fill her own bottle of Old Pulteney Single Malt.

Selected by a judging panel from our team here at Old Pulteney and the Sunday Express, the winning shot battled a sea of hundreds of entries from across the UK all showcasing outstanding diversity, captureing the essence of the beautiful British coastline. From calming shots of stunning sandy beaches to powerful scenery of the rugged coast, the images all told the stories of the sea.

Gillian delightedly commented:

“I cannot believe I won! The photo was taken on a beautiful deserted beach at Theddlethorpe near Mablethorpe in Lincolnshire. I went there to photograph the sunrise and took my dogs with me. They have a habit of photobombing my pictures but when my lurcher dog, Hagrid posed in front of the rising sun I was really pleased with the result.

We are really looking forward to our trip to the Old Pulteney distillery. I’ve never won a national photo contest before so it was such a surprise when I got the call to say I’d won. Thank you so much!”

Margaret Mary Clarke, Senior Brand Manager of Old Pulteney said:

“Now celebrating eleven years of the competition, Wish You Were Here has uncovered some of the UK’s most gifted amateur photographers. We are thrilled with the continued success of the competition across the country and the consistent high quality photography that we receive year after year.

This year, Gillian’s stunning beach photograph instantly stood out with its striking sunset reflection and calming composition, truly capturing the spirit of the competition. On behalf of everyone at Old Pulteney, I would like to congratulate Gillian on becoming our 2016 Wish You Were Here winner.”