A striking photograph of an elite element of the exotic Taipei First Girls’ Senior High School Honour Guard & Drum Corps from Taiwan opening the overseas component of last year’s record-breaking show has been judged best image of the 2007 Tattoo in a competition run by the organisers last August.

IT professional and bird watching enthusiast, Lesley McHardy from the North Fife village of Wormit, which claims its place in history as the first village in Scotland to be powered by electricity, scooped the top award and £500 for her prize-winning shot.

It is the fourth consecutive year that 34-year-old Lesley has demonstrated her photographic prowess at the Tattoo. In 2006 she was awarded a highly commended place in the 17th annual Tattoo photographic contest after taking second place in 2005 and a commended prize in 2004.

Competition Judges, former Scotsman Picture Editor, Stewart Boyd, Brian Swinburne, retired Photography Lecturer and former official Tattoo Photographer, along with Mark Owens, the official Army in Scotland and Edinburgh Tattoo Photographer, examined some 300 entries submitted by visitors from 15 countries before agreeing on a winner.

‘This fine collection of pictures captures something of the drama and excitement of the Tattoo’, remarked competition judge, Brian Swinburne ‘and once again clearly illustrate that quality images can be taken from where you are seated without using flash equipment’.

Runners-up were National Health Service Director David Eltringham, from the English city of Birmingham, and Peter Aragon of Venlo in the Netherlands, who received £250 and £150 respectively.

Highly Commended, Commended and Finalist prizes were also awarded as follows: <><>
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Highly Commended:		Miss Louise Ireland, Broughty Ferry, Dundee UK Mr Michael Bonser, Leicestershire UK Dr Robert Cumming, Glasgow UK
Commended:		Mr Stephen Hermida, Gibraltar Mr Luca Barabani, Saronno, Italy Ms Kathryn Davies, Swansea UK
Finalist:		Mr Lars Blomstrand, Vetlanda, Sweden Ms Simone Renoldi, Saronno, Italy Mr Frank Britton, Bristol UK

All winners receive two tickets for this year’s Tattoo (1-23 August), a presentation certificate and a mounted enlargement of their prize entry.

The winning entries are being exhibited from Easter at The Spirit of the Tattoo Visitor Centre, 555 Castlehill, Royal Mile in Edinburgh.