Fife photography competition celebrates the return of the railway to Leven

Working with local photographer Jim Hamilton, the lens behind the Levenmouth Building A Railway Facebook page, the competition is looking for images which capture the unique beauty of Fife with the winning photographs set to be displayed in and around Leven.

The competition is now open for entries with the deadline for submissions on Friday, May 10.

The ten best entries will be shortlisted, and one winner and two runners up will be selected by judges. The competition winner and runners up will be announced the week commencing May 13. Each of the ten will receive a special framed poster edition of their photography.

The top three will also receive a commemorative certificate and will be able to nominate a local charity of choice to receive a prize to the value of £500 for the winner and £250 for the runners-up.

The Scottish Government-funded £116m rail link will see a new six-mile double-tracked line with two stations in Leven and Cameron Bridge reconnect local people to the railway after a gap of 55 years.

Joe Mulvenna, Network Rail’s project manager for the Levenmouth Rail Link project said: “The new railway is for everyone in the community to use and enjoy and as we move closer to the opening, we want to engage with as wide a selection of people as possible to join in celebrating the return of passenger trains to Leven.

“The photography competition is just one way we are celebrating the return of the railway, but it also offers a fantastic platform for the local community to showcase some of the best of Fife and show the rest of Scotland why they should come to see it for themselves – ideally by train.

“We look forward to seeing all of the entries and expect to see the uniqueness of Fife being captured and displayed.”

Jim Hamilton, Levenmouth Building A Railway, said: “I am delighted that Network Rail has come on board to support a community photography competition to help celebrate the completion of the Rail Link project.

“I have hugely enjoyed following and photographing the project as it evolved and have captured all of this on the Levenmouth Building A Railway page as a record of the railway’s return to Leven.

“It is fitting that a photography competition is part of the build-up to the reopening of the line and we hope that it helps celebrate the railway but also encourages the local community to refocus on the positives that this area has to offer.”

Jenny Gilruth, MSP for Mid-Fife and Glenrothes, said: “The competition is a really important opportunity for the local community to take part in documenting the return of Leven and Cameron Bridge to Scotland's railway network.

"I look forward to seeing the fantastic entries over the coming months and would encourage my constituents to submit their photographs and be part of documenting the historic return of Leven's Railway".

Fiona Hyslop, Cabinet Secretary for Transport, said: “This photography competition is a real chance for those who know and love the area best to showcase all it has to offer, and I look forward to seeing the entries. It is great to know that the railway will make it possible to visit the local beauty spots captured using greener, public transport options.”

Entrants must provide both a physical and digital copy of their photo. The physical print should be A4 in size, the digital copy in JPG or TIFF format. These can be hand delivered or sent via post to:

Colliers Coffee Roasters, Fife Photographic Poster Competition, 2 Oswald Place, Bridge Street, Leven KY8 4NW.

For those who have any questions about the competition or would like a copy of the Terms and Conditions, there is a dedicated Facebook Group, just search: Fife Photographic Poster Competition