A SCOTTISH YouTuber has won Trail Magazine’s 2019 UK Mountain Photo of the Year.

Ray Smith, who runs the popular YouTube channel Renegade Scot about his camping and backpacking adventures, was hoping to photograph a dramatic sunrise on Buachaille Etive Mor on the morning he took the photo, but instead captured this stunning image through the snow clouds swirling around it.

The mountain sits at the top of Glen Etive and is one of Scotland’s most iconic peaks – featuring in films such as Skyfall.

Smith said: “Buachaille Etive Mor is such an iconic Scottish mountain image that I never tire of photographing it. On the day I visited the cloud parted briefly, giving me the opportunity to capture a few quick shots before the mountain disappeared from view again.

"I was lucky to be in the right place at the right time. I was very surprised and shocked to win because the level of entries this year was amazing.”

UK Mountain Photo of the Year is an annual photography competition run by Trail, the UK’s best-selling hillwalking magazine, with the winner selected by a team of judges and a public vote.

The competition attracted almost 1500 entries, but Smith’s photograph was a clear winner in the minds of the competition judges.

“A beauty of an image,” said Trail magazine photographer Tom Bailey. “Brave composition, great use of black and white, but still accessible.”

“Ray has captured a simple, fabulous image,” said professional photographer and Fujifilm ambassador Mark Gilligan.

“One which belies the effort needed to see sights such as this fabulous cloud inversion. Beautifully composed.”

As well as the coveted Mountain Photo of the Year title, Ray also wins a Fujifilm X-T3 camera and XF18-55 lens worth £100.

The winning image and the two runners-up were revealed in the March issue of Trail magazine, which is on sale now.