A student from Monmouth School for Girls has won top prize at a national competition for her picture of glaciers in the Scottish highlands.
Madeleine Bainbridge, 12, took the picture from the top of Sgurr a’ Mhaoraich, Loch Quioch and finished first in the competition ran by the Geographical Association.
She has been invited to an awards ceremony at Sheffield Hallam University on the 5 April and will receive her prize from Páramo Directional Clothing Systems.
Fellow Monmouth student Eden Greaves, 13, also impressed with her photograph of Llyn y Fan Fach in the Brecon Beacons National Park and was highly commended in the same category as Madeleine.
Nick Meek, head of geography at Monmouth School for Girls, praised the entries from both students: “The images of landscapes captured by our two keen geographers are exceptional. The department is a firm believer in supporting national competitions and encouraging students to participate because they promote enquiry and challenge students to explore new issues and places.”
Madeleine said: “My photograph showed a deep Scottish fjord (Loch Hourn) surrounded by beautiful peaks, including the 1,020m high Ladhar Bheinn, which falls down into the sea. Loch Hourn is contained within a glacial trough carved out by the ice that covered the entirety of Scotland thousands of years ago. This ice dramatically raised sea levels, when it melted.”
The judges said: “The story leaves a clear impression of the time when this landscape was frozen and introduces some technical geographical terms that indicate a good understanding of the most recent processes that have forged this landscape. This is a very good landscape story, worthy of being a winner.”
Eden’s photograph of Llyn y Fan Fach shows the Welsh mountain overseeing and guarding the lake.
She said: “It is a good example of how valuable physical geography is to humans because this tarn is used as a reservoir and provides water for the local population.”
The judges added: “The story gives a reasonable sense of how glacial cwms are formed. The photograph shows an eye for physical geography in the landscape accompanied by an effort to inspire and explain.”