An Edinburgh dad has completed a mammoth 1,000 days of a toy car project he first started during lockdown, that has taken him across the country.
Ross Burns, 43, who lives in the capital, began the small scheme as a way of getting rid of some boredom on his daily lockdown walk.
However, he enjoyed doing it so much that he kept on going, and branched out further than locations around his home.
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Due to restrictions during the coronavirus pandemic, the early photos were close to Ross' family home in Edinburgh, and he took hundreds of snaps around the capital.
Now, the dad has taken his unusual hobby around the country, and has photographed the tiny cars in front of various landmarks - including the Finnieston Crane in Glasgow, the Tyne Bridge and even Buckingham Palace.
The 43-year-old said: "My six-year-old son Daniel loves Hot Wheels and it’s fair to say I’ve caught the bug as well. Back in the summer of 2020, to make sure I took a walk every day, I started taking a car out and taking some pictures on my phone.
“After a few weeks, I set myself the challenge of doing it for a full year and then thought I’d stop. But clearly I was hooked and another 635 days on, I’m still at it.
“The great thing now is that the world has opened up a lot more so it’s become a pictorial diary of my life.
“It’s also been a fun hobby for me and Daniel to do together. He likes copying my photos and creating his own. Seeing him sprawled flat on a pavement to get the perfect angle is pretty funny."
Young Daniel enjoys helping with the photos, but Ross tends to set up the shots by himself, and chooses a vehicle from his son's collection of around 500 Hot Wheels cars.
The dad took the milestone 1,000th photo at the iconic Calton Hill in Edinburgh on Wednesday, May 24, 2023.
Ross, who is head of communications at Edinburgh Napier University, posts his toy car photos on his Instagram, and has enjoyed interacting with people across the globe.
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He said: “My followers can probably be split into two camps: those that love Edinburgh and those that love Hot Wheels, and I’ve tried my best to showcase both.
“It’s been great building up a following on Instagram and receiving messages and comments from around the world, from the USA to Japan.
“There are also inspiring people doing similar things in other countries, including in the likes of Dnipro in the Ukraine where they continue even while under siege.
“I said after a year of doing it that I would stop. Now I’ve done 1,000 days straight and seen my pictures progress from very amateur efforts to something more pleasing, I’ve got a big decision to make.”
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