British trees
  • British trees , Wildlife & Nature

The power of the elder

June 21, 2019
A guardian of half-forgotten places, the elder's magic is both old and dark...
  • British trees , Wildlife & Nature

Wild cherry: the last snow of spring

April 19, 2019
One of our most beautiful flowering trees is "wearing white for Eastertide"...
  • British trees , Wildlife & Nature

Sycamore: colonist or custodian?

October 06, 2017
Often seen as an intruder in old woodlands, the sycamore still deserves a second glance for its beauty - and …
  • British trees , Wildlife & Nature

The song of the aspen

December 05, 2016
Fluttering on impossibly slender stalks, aspen leaves whisper a message that seems to flow from the Earth itself
  • British trees , Wildlife & Nature

The fire of the ash

August 09, 2016
The ash is a beguiling tree, elegant in all seasons, and mother to a host of legends
  • British trees , Wildlife & Nature

The fragrance of juniper

November 29, 2015
Since the end of the last Ice Age, juniper has been colonising open areas of land and offering shelter to …
  • British trees , Wildlife & Nature

The spirit of the alder

August 23, 2015
Lover of riverbanks and boggy places, the alder forms a close bond between earth and water. No wonder …
  • British trees , Wildlife & Nature

Hawthorn – bride of the hedgerow

April 25, 2015
With angelic buds and evil thorns, the hawthorn stands at the threshold of the Underworld
  • British trees , Wildlife & Nature

A wand of hazel

February 20, 2015
For their valuable source of food and their versatile building material, hazel trees have been prized since the dawn of …
  • British trees , Wildlife & Nature

The darkness of the yew

October 26, 2014
Evergreen, toxic, and able to live for thousands of years… it's no wonder the yew tree was revered in ancient …
  • British trees , Wildlife & Nature

The Scots pine: keeper of the forest

February 12, 2014
Continuing my series on British trees, we're heading up into the Highlands to stand beneath a beautiful Scots pine...
  • British trees , Wildlife & Nature

The holly bears the crown

November 26, 2013
Glowing with colour when the year is at its darkest, holly was once thought to symbolise immortality
  • British trees , Wildlife & Nature

The enchantment of the rowan

September 09, 2013
The mountain ash is one of our best-loved native trees: beautiful in every season, with more than a hint …
  • British trees , Wildlife & Nature

The majesty of the beech

April 16, 2013
Beeches evoke the true beauty of the British landscape, with their majestic shape and vivid autumn colours.
  • British trees , Wildlife & Nature

The magic of the birch

February 14, 2013
The birch is the tree of love, fertility, new beginnings... and broomsticks
  • British trees , Wildlife & Nature

The wisdom of the oak

January 12, 2013
A new series, taking a look at the natural history and folklore of Britain's trees
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New book - 'Britain's Trees'
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I'm honoured to be Writer in Residence at the Royal Scottish Geographical Society. This book celebrates the lives of 50 great explorers......
BRITISH TREES
  • The darkness of the yew
  • The wisdom of the oak
  • The Scots pine: keeper of the forest
  • The song of the aspen
SCOTTISH CASTLES
  • The value of Stirling
  • Carnassarie Castle in Kilmartin Glen
  • Dunyvaig Castle, Isle of Islay
  • Old Castle Lachlan: loyalty and loss
MEGALITHIC
  • Nether Largie: secrets in stone
  • Diarmuid and Grainne: a boar hunt and a tragic love story in Glen Lonan
  • Castlerigg: out on the wild and windy moors
  • The stones of Kilmory Oib
CHURCHES, CHAPELS & ABBEYS
  • St Bride’s: a history worth saving
  • The Garvellachs: just below the surface
  • Melrose Abbey
  • Torphichen Preceptory – stone-cold but compelling
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