Fiona McGuigan (47) from Cumbernauld was selected as the winner of our Humans of the Walk competition which attracted over 350 entries.
The photo competition, which ran throughout the national walking month of May, invited the public to share photos and stories on social media to show what walking means to them.
Fiona, who works as an optician at Asda in Cumbernauld, posted a picture of herself on Instagram explaining how walking “keeps me trim, keeps me sane and definitely helps me see the world more clearly”.
Mum-of-three Fiona said:
I love walking because I work indoors all day. Walking gives me time to process all life’s dilemmas. I enjoy walking with friends, or alone. In Cumbernauld we are surrounded by fabulous walking areas, and I love explore places I’ve never been before.
Walking is such an inclusive hobby; you meet and socialise with all ages and ways of life. I enjoy the detail you see as you walk, all the nature and the elements you experience.
I only started using Instagram in February to document my walks. I quickly realised that although I go lots of fabulous walks, my photographs were all taken on my very basic phone.
I entered the competition because I fancied trying a bit of photography and needed a camera which was the prize.
The Humans of the Walk public photography competition followed our portrait exhibition with the same name at the Museum of Edinburgh in May.
The exhibition featured the faces and stories of 11 people of all ages and backgrounds explaining why walking was so important for their social, mental and physical health.
Following the success of the exhibition, we decided to invite everyone to share their love of walking on Twitter or Instagram and offered a state-of-the-art camera as a prize.
Ian Findlay CBE, our Chief Officer said: “We were overwhelmed at the number and quality of the entries we received.
“Some photos and stories were about a person’s favourite walk or a place they go to relax and unwind, while others were taken by proud parents and grandparents, showing children enjoying being outdoors and in nature.
“It’s really showcased how walking is at the centre of so many family and personal moments and how much a simple walk means to people.
“I’d like to congratulate Fiona on her win and hope her new camera encourages her to capture more walking photography.”
Fiona added: “I was shown my love of walking by my parents - my dad who is 75 has just walked his sixth Camino!
“I’m doing a midnight charity trek up Ben Nevis on 5th July for Alzheimer’s, and I’m planning to take my new camera.
“Hopefully I will pass this passion to my children as I truly believe a wee walk is enriching to every life.”
See Fiona's winning entry.