Enter our Through the Window photography competition

Charity and Sponsorship, Competitions, Fall into Winter

Posted by Ed Roberts on 13th November 2023

Enter our Through the Window photography competition

In support of our partnership with the RSPB this autumn and winter, holidaycottages.co.uk is celebrating the wildlife and nature we can enjoy from our windows! 

Get your camera ready, share your favourite autumn and winter photographs with us on our #ThroughTheWindowCompetition via Facebook, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter), and win a holiday voucher worth £300. 


Skip to competition information


Frosty moors and lake on Bodmin in Cornwall

Why we love autumn and winter

The seasons of autumn and winter mark a series of beautiful changes for us and the land. In the UK, our autumn and winter seasons begin to peep forth during September; tell-tale signs like falling leaves and the departure of many bird species for warmer climates alert you to the year’s endless cycle. 

The seasons of winter and autumn are always visually rich for photographers – the stillness of the winter contrasts with the movement of the autumn with its promise that spring will restore the land’s greenness once again. With a very special quality to the sunlight and the striking colour changes occurring in the plants and trees, autumn and winter together are the perfect time of year for photographing the landscape around our remarkable country. 


Through the Window text with a drawing of a camera being used.

Enter our wildlife photography competition

Enter our competition to share the photogenic joys captured over the autumn and winter seasons. Take breathtaking images from your very own window at home, your car, the train or bus window on your commute to work, your workplace or any other kind of window.

Have you seen a rare bird, a golden autumn sunrise or sunset, spotted some cheeky squirrels, or awoken to a snow-covered wonderland? We’d love to see your photographs, no matter what you manage to capture. You could even win yourself a voucher towards your next holidaycottages.co.uk escape as the perfect incentive.

What could you win? 

First prize winner will receive 

  • A £300 holidaycottages.co.uk voucher

Five runners-up will receive

  • A £30 RSPB voucher each 

Competition advert


How to enter

It’s easy to enter! Simply comment on our Facebook, Instagram or X (formerly Twitter) competition post with your photo entry. 

The competition will run from the 13 November 2023 to the 31 January 2024.

PROMOTER: This photography competition is being run by holidaycottages.co.uk as part of The Travel Chapter Limited. You can find out more details about the Promoter below.

If you can’t find the information you’re looking for below, please contact a team member at holidaycottages.co.uk and we’ll be happy to answer any queries.

Entries open on 13 November 2023 and will close at 11.59pm on 31 January 2024. Any entries received after this date will not be considered.

The competition is open to UK residents who are over 18 only. 

One entry per person only. 

No employees, their families, or agencies of holidaycottages.co.uk or Travel Chapter Ltd are eligible to apply.

No purchase is necessary to apply. The Promoter has the right to withdraw the offer at any time without notice in accordance with these terms and conditions.

By entering the competition, the entrant is indicating their agreement to be bound by these terms and conditions.

By entering the competition, you are giving holidaycottages.co.uk the right to repost your entry photo on its website, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram account.

Entries to this competition can be made in either of the following ways: 

Commenting with your photo on the holidaycottages.co.uk competition social post and including #ThroughTheWindowCompetition in your comment.  

Sharing a photo in a post on Facebook, Instagram, or X (formerly Twitter), tagging one of our official social channels and including #ThroughTheWindowCompetition in your caption. 

For each entry, holidaycottages.co.uk will donate 50p to RSPB*.

The total donation will be limited to a maximum of £1,000.00 and is paid by Travel Chapter to RSPB*.

The Promoter reserves the right to cancel or amend the position and these terms and conditions without notice in the event of a catastrophe, war, civil or military disturbance, or any actual or anticipated breach of any applicable law or regulation, or any other event outside of the Promoter’s control. Any changes to the position will be notified to entrants as soon as possible by the Promoter. 

The selection process is as follows: one winner and 5 runners-up will be selected following an internal decision process in which 15 entries will be shortlisted. These will then be presented to a panel of judges at RSPB who will then make the final selection.

The decision will be final and no further correspondence about the decision will be entered into.

The 1 x successful winner will receive a £300 holidaycottages.co.uk voucher. Terms and conditions apply to the voucher and can be viewed here.

The 5 x runners-up will receive a £30 RSPB voucher each.

In respect of the holidaycottages.co.uk voucher prize and the RSPB voucher prizes, a correspondent at holidaycottages.co.uk will reach out to the winner and runners-up and send the vouchers to them. 

The position and prizes are as stated, and no cash or other alternatives will be offered. The prizes are not transferable. Prizes are subject to availability, and the Promoters reserve the right to substitute any prize with another of equivalent value without giving notice. All stated prize values are at the recommended retail price in pound sterling and are to the best of the Promoters’ knowledge and belief correct at the time of printing these terms. The Promoters take no responsibility for any fluctuations in prize values. 

Unless otherwise stated, prizes will be sent free of charge to a UK address provided by the winner and runners-up. The Promoters will not be liable for prizes which are lost, delayed or damaged for reasons beyond their reasonable control, or any additional expenses that may be incurred by a prize winner in relation to the competition or their prize.

The Promoters make no representation or warranty in relation to any of the prizes provided and we accept no responsibility for any loss, expense or damage which is suffered or sustained in connection with the competition, or accepting or using any part of a prize, except for any liability which cannot be excluded by law, in which case that liability is limited to the minimum allowable by law. Your statutory rights are not affected. 

The terms and conditions will be governed by English law and any disputes will be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England.

The successful winners may be asked to participate in publicity arising out of the competition. 

Any personal data relating to the successful applicant or any other entrants will be used solely in accordance with current UK data protection legislation and will be used by the Promoters for the purposes of administering and fulfilling the competition promotion, and will not be disclosed to a third party without the entrant’s prior consent.

For holidaycottages.co.uk, part of The Travel Chapter Group, your privacy is paramount to us. Your personal data will be treated in accordance with the Promoters’ privacy policy at all times. You can read The Travel Chapter Group’s privacy statement on how we safeguard your data. 

Where you have indicated your consent to receiving communications from the Promoter about their respective products, special offers, promotions and services as part of entering the competition, your email address will be added to the Promoter's email lists and processed in accordance with current UK data protection legislation and the relevant Promoter’s privacy statement and policies as set out above. You can opt-out at any time. 

The relevant Promoter will make available the surname and county of a prize winner to anyone who contacts the Promoter within one month of the closing date of the competition. If a prize winner objects to their surname and/or county being published or made available they should notify the Promoter of this when responding to the notification email to claim their prize. In such circumstances the Promoters must still provide the information to the Advertising Standards Authority where requested, to indicate that a valid award took place under the competition promotion. 

Use of an automated system to participate is prohibited and will result in disqualification and the requirement to return all prizes that they may have won.

The successful winner and runners-up will be chosen and notified as quickly as possible. If a winning applicant cannot be contacted, the Promoter reserves the right to select an alternative shortlisted applicant at random from the remaining applicable entries.

Should the competition be cancelled or varied by the Promoters at their discretion if reasonably required to do so, neither of the Promoters shall be liable for any loss of money or expense incurred by entrants or the winner. 

Except as specifically set out herein and to the maximum extent permitted by law, all conditions, warranties and representations expressed or implied by law are hereby excluded. Nothing in these terms shall exclude or limit the Promoter's liability for death or personal injury caused by our staff’s negligence or for fraud or for any other liability which cannot be limited or excluded by law or regulation. 

This position is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Instagram, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter)  or any other Social Network.

*RSPB Sales Ltd is a company incorporated and registered in England and Wales with CRN 02693778. RSPB Sales Ltd gift aids all of its distributable profits to the RSPB. The RSPB is a charity registered in England and Wales, number 207076, and in Scotland, SC037654. The registered office for both entities is The Lodge, Sandy, Beds, SG19 2DL.

The Travel Chapter Limited (company number 02431506), registered in England and Wales, whose registered office is at Travel Chapter House, Gammaton Road, Bideford, England EX39.

Enter today


Big view across mountains, fields and mistImage credit: Last year's competition winner, Amy Marsh, via Facebook

Wildlife photography inspiration for your entry

With the end of summer, and the arrival of the colder months, comes a parade of activity as visiting birds from the Arctic arrive in our skies and the trees adopt their gorgeous autumn and winter hues.

Some of our indigenous wildlife like squirrels, prepare to hunker down and hibernate, whilst others become slightly more visible like foxes and badgers (if you live in or near a rural area). Keep a watchful eye out for what’s new in your gardens.

Last year’s winner (above) and runners-up (all featured below) have plenty of beautiful images to inspire your wildlife photography this year.


Sunrise over a lake with reedsRunner-up: Jan Mainprize via Facebook

View through a window of a sunset over a lakeRunner-up: Karen Weedon via Facebook

Where to spot wildlife in the UK

With winter approaching, everyone - humans and animals alike - begin hiding away ready to hibernate. But there's a wealth of life around in the colder months if you know where to look! We've dug up all we can about the nation's wild creatures and their winter habits, and have created a guide for wildlife spotting in the UK in winter. There's no excuse not to make the most of the great outdoors at any time of year, our wildlife is on the move all year round. 

Where to spot winter wildlife in the UK


Tiny bird on a branchImage credit: Last year runner-up, Oslo Oska Sara, via Instagram

The Big Garden Birdwatch

Take a peek out of your window and look out for wonderful garden birds to inspire your wildlife photography. The UK is home to so many beautiful birds with friendly robins, pretty blue tits and tiny house sparrows visiting many of our gardens regularly in search of food. 

The RSPB's nationwide Big Garden Birdwatch is the world's largest garden wildlife survey and you can take part from the comfort of your own home. It's an important and interesting way to support our birdlife and find out what species are visiting your garden. This event takes place in January but you can register in mid-December. Find out more about how to get involved and support our UK birdlife. 

The Big Garden Birdwatch


Beautiful view of a sunset over a field of sunflowers through a windowRunner-up: @Wi via X (formerly Twitter)

Funny seagull staring into a windowRunner-up: @FairlyGirly via X (formerly Twitter)

More ways to get inspired

If you already have a holiday booked at one of our self-catering properties this autumn or winter, why not get snapping the views and seasonal treasures from the window of your accommodation? If you need help, then the RSPB has some great tips on bird and nature photography along with a host of other fantastic guides on how to appreciate and help preserve the UK’s birds and wildlife.


View of a swan on a lake with a sunset

Our work with the RSPB

holidaycottages.co.uk and the RSPB have been raising funds to support important carbon-reduction and restoration projects throughout 2021 and 2022. Read our blogs to find out how our customers have helped us to preserve parts of the British countryside for future generations. For 2023, the RSPB has asked us for support in restoring invaluable woodland across the UK - find out about our 2023 partnerships by clicking the button below. 

For every photograph submitted on our #ThroughTheWindowCompetition via Facebook, Instagram and X (formerly Twitter), we’ll be donating to the RSPB* so don’t hold back – send us your beautiful photography! 

*Donations to the RSPB for the Through the Window competition are up to a maximum of £1,000.

Our 2023 partnership


The Wood Shack surrounded by forest

Plan a UK break and get inspired

Book a holiday and get inspired by the local wildlife and the views from your cottage window. We have holiday homes in a wide variety of spectacular destinations where you could be gazing out on a magical forest landscape, looking out across fields and meadows, or watching the waves by the coast. 

Our UK cottages


Head over to our #ThroughTheWindowCompetition

So what are you waiting for? We've provided you with the inspiration so grab your phone or camera and get creative. No matter where you are in the UK, you're sure to have wildlife nearby to photograph. Enter our Through the Window competition below.

Enter today

Disclaimer: Whilst every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information at the time of writing, please ensure you check carefully before making any decisions based on the contents within this article.