A frosty winter scene in Edinburgh has been awarded first place in the Scottish section of a competition to celebrate churches across the UK through photography.

St Cuthbert’s, in Colinton, was named the regional winner ahead of a clutch of impressive entries from Scotland in the Parish Pixels competition, organised by Ecclesiastical Insurance.

The winning entry has been put through to the next stage of the competition, where a public vote as well as a national judging panel will determine the overall winner. St Cuthbert’s is one of nine churches competing for the overall UK title and a prize of £5000.

Each church which entered was asked to send a single photograph showing what makes their church special, whether taken by a professional or a member of the congregation on a smartphone, and one sentence that sums it up.

The winning Scottish entry said: “Like the ice that appears to break the window, we are a beautiful church in a broken world doing our best to live as Jesus commanded.”

In thanking the panel of judges, Ecclesiastical Insurance said: “It was a close competition and we appreciate that voting on such a variety of the images, and supporting sentences that accompanied them, which were often poignant, sometimes amusing, but summed them up so well, must have been difficult.”

Representatives from each winning church in the regional sections will be invited to a winners’ lunch in London in October, at which the overall Parish Pixels winner will be announced.

The competition was open to all Anglican churches in the UK.

Voting for the national winner is now open. Go to www.ecclesiastical.com/parishpixels

You can see all the Scottish entries at our Facebook page: