History Rock art at Ormaig October 18, 2018 8515 Views 21 Comments Intriguing symbols and patterns, possibly over 5,000 years old, are etched into a hillside overlooking Loch Craignish...
History , Wildlife & Nature The road to Loch Avich October 06, 2018 3882 Views 14 Comments A back road through glorious autumn countryside... leading eventually to Loch Avich and the 'Castle of the Red-haired Girl'
Wildlife & Nature Back to Ballachuan September 10, 2018 3827 Views 6 Comments Hazel nuts and all kinds of weird and colourful fungi litter the floor of this ancient hazel wood
History The dark mill of Coilebar August 25, 2018 3903 Views 6 Comments A centuries-old mill in the heart of Knapdale Forest... and a refuge for a woman fleeing for her life
Carved crosses , History From Arichonan to Kilmory Oib August 20, 2018 4456 Views 8 Comments Near this ruined village in Knapdale Forest, clear waters run beneath a cross-carved stone...
History Tarbert – the ‘place of portage’ August 12, 2018 5799 Views 8 Comments 900 years ago, Magnus Barefoot saw this quiet harbour as a means to an end...
History Silent voices of Arichonan August 08, 2018 4307 Views 8 Comments Memories linger around this old abandoned settlement in Knapdale
Churches, abbeys and chapels , History Kilmartin church and graveyard July 24, 2018 5374 Views 6 Comments In March we braved the wet weather to inspect medieval carved stones in Kilmartin Glen...
History Walking to the Field of the Heads July 10, 2018 4445 Views 16 Comments A quiet bay, a boggy field, and an ancient battle remembered only in a place-name...
Churches, abbeys and chapels , History The old chapel of Kilvaree June 24, 2018 5711 Views 18 Comments Almost at the end of the Craignish peninsula is this lovely old ruined chapel with links to St Maelrubha of …
Churches, abbeys and chapels , History St Bride’s: a history worth saving June 20, 2018 4884 Views 8 Comments Plans are afoot to restore this lovely old McKinlay graveyard by the River Teith
Wildlife & Nature Rain June 13, 2018 3767 Views 14 Comments After weeks of dryness and warmth, the trees can sense a change in the wind
Geology , Photography Celebrating the texture and colour of rocks June 12, 2018 3118 Views 16 Comments Celebrating the beauty and diversity of our local geology in these photos by Verity Sansom
Wildlife & Nature Fresh leaves in old woodlands May 08, 2018 6481 Views 11 Comments The woodlands are bursting into leaf, and spring flowers are everywhere. It's hard to stay indoors...
History Looking for the Rock of the Dead April 15, 2018 4363 Views 25 Comments How much history is held in a place-name? Quite a lot, if this story attached to a rock on …
Wild flowers , Wildlife & Nature Golden saxifrage April 06, 2018 3432 Views 12 Comments A pretty wayside plant that loves to have its feet in water
Uncategorized About me and The Hazel Tree July 29, 2011 2033 Views 31 Comments About me and The Hazel Tree
History , Megalithic sites Dunchraigaig: the darkness of time October 18, 2013 2310 Views 31 Comments Set within a copse of trees, this 4,000-year-old burial chamber once lay at the heart of the people who lived …
Churches, abbeys and chapels , History Cambuskenneth Abbey May 20, 2015 2179 Views 31 Comments Sitting in a loop of the River Forth within sight of Stirling Castle, this quiet place has witnessed some key …
History , Megalithic sites Camas nan Geall: ‘the Bay of the Strangers’ July 20, 2015 5470 Views 30 Comments A chambered cairn, a standing stone and an ancient graveyard… this beautiful bay on the coast of Ardnamurchan holds some …
History , Megalithic sites Croft Moraig: circle of light January 08, 2015 2502 Views 30 Comments Right by the roadside near Kenmore in Perthshire is this wonderful stone circle - and some of its best friends …
Latest Feature Welcome to my new website! April 02, 2018 3715 Views 30 Comments I'm proud to present a new look and a new logo for The Hazel Tree
Churches, abbeys and chapels , History St Andrews: the glorious Cathedral March 20, 2014 1905 Views 30 Comments Continuing my exploration of St Andrews, I'm now looking at the ruins of its spectacular medieval Cathedral...
Churches, abbeys and chapels , History Rosslyn Chapel: catching the light March 09, 2016 2657 Views 29 Comments This extraordinary church was the vision of one man - William St Clair - and mystery seems to ooze out …
History , Megalithic sites The Tuilyies stones October 25, 2015 1971 Views 29 Comments A windswept shore, standing stones and a blasted oak… it sounds like one of Emily Bronte's dreams!
Churches, abbeys and chapels , History Dunkeld Cathedral: Scotland’s sacred heart January 10, 2014 2851 Views 28 Comments Can 1200 years of worship leave a lasting trace? Dunkeld Cathedral has witnessed warfare and destruction, but its …
British trees , Wildlife & Nature The spirit of the alder August 23, 2015 4412 Views 28 Comments Lover of riverbanks and boggy places, the alder forms a close bond between earth and water. No wonder …
Uncategorized Nacreous clouds February 02, 2016 1241 Views 28 Comments Over the last couple of days, towards sunrise and sunset, our skies have contained something that I never really hoped …
Wildlife & Nature The ancient oak woods of Taynish July 02, 2015 2240 Views 28 Comments A landscape that is a living piece of Scotland's heritage: these oak woods have been growing in Knapdale for …
Churches, abbeys and chapels , History Saddell Abbey – in the footsteps of Somerled January 08, 2019 4075 Views 28 Comments History? Gravestones? Mysterious phenomena? Appalling weather? Time to go squelching around another ancient ruin!
British trees , Wildlife & Nature Sycamore: colonist or custodian? October 06, 2017 3307 Views 27 Comments Often seen as an intruder in old woodlands, the sycamore still deserves a second glance for its beauty - and …
Churches, abbeys and chapels , History Ardchattan: in the footsteps of St Baodan March 25, 2016 1713 Views 26 Comments Sometimes the most beautiful churches have the least to say: this is certainly true of Kilmodan, high above Loch …
