History Latest Feature Megalithic sites Diarmuid and Grainne: a boar hunt and a tragic love story in Glen Lonan
Wildlife & Nature The memory of trees December 04, 2011 515 Views 4 Comments These majestic old Scots Pines stand above Loch Tay, with magnificent views of mountains and heather moor in all directions.
History , Scottish castles Kilchurn Castle on Loch Awe December 02, 2011 2116 Views 8 Comments Built in 1450 by the powerful Campbells of Glen Orchy, Kilchurn Castle sits in splendid decay on a rocky islet …
Wildlife & Nature Snow Bunting December 02, 2011 708 Views 4 Comments In winter, flocks of these elusive little birds come down to Scotland from the Arctic.
Wildlife & Nature Field Gentian December 02, 2011 1162 Views 1 Comment A scarce flower found at higher altitudes throughout Europe - these were photographed in the Grampians
Catkins My name is Blofeld… November 09, 2011 458 Views 0 Comment Good evening, Mr Bond. I’ve been expecting you… Ponyo belongs to Verity Woolf and Chris Sansom. She is a natural …
History History by the roadside: Glenfinnan November 09, 2011 664 Views 2 Comments On the shore of Loch Shiel, the statue of a lone clansman marks the spot where, in 1745, a thousand …
Wildlife & Nature The Scotch Argus butterfly November 09, 2011 1082 Views 0 Comment The Scotch Argus (Erebia aethiops) is resident and widespread throughout most of Scotland, where it prefers damp grassland. It’s found in …
History Finlaggan and the Lords of the Isles November 08, 2011 1171 Views 3 Comments Historic sites don't get more fascinating than this: once a seat of power in western Scotland, these windswept island …
Photography Featured image: Before the storm November 08, 2011 466 Views 2 Comments Windswept isolation - a black and white image by Verity Woolf
Geology Staffa: Pillars of creation October 16, 2011 1304 Views 8 Comments This tiny island off the west coast of Mull looks like the setting for the latest Titan-themed Hollywood movie...
Photography Featured image: Perception October 15, 2011 411 Views 2 Comments An intriguing black-and-white image by Verity Woolf
Photography Starling in snow October 14, 2011 469 Views 2 Comments Sometimes it's all about getting the exposure wrong...
Catkins Purdey’s Hallowe’en Fright Night October 14, 2011 514 Views 2 Comments Purdey (who is relaxing after her supper) has asked me to publish this photo in time for Hallowe’en. Be warned …
History , Scottish castles Linlithgow Palace October 14, 2011 4990 Views 6 Comments Birthplace of Scotland's monarchs, this imposing shell of a palace holds some joyful and tragic memories.
Wildlife & Nature Loch Leven – wildfowl spectacular October 14, 2011 540 Views 0 Comment Loch Leven is Scotland's biggest lowland loch, and every autumn it's the setting for one of nature's most wonderful sights …
Catkins Purdey’s tip for toasty toes October 06, 2011 408 Views 0 Comment As the prospect of icy weather draws ever closer, many of my readers are asking how to keep their paws …
Wildlife & Nature The Bee Orchid September 16, 2011 941 Views 0 Comment Looking like an exotic bloom from a fairytale, the Bee Orchid (Ophrys apifera) does a brilliant job of mimicking a bumble bee. …
Photography Beeches in Sutherland's Grove October 05, 2016 939 Views 0 Comment Thank you to everyone who suggested that my next photo series should focus on autumn in Scotland. A lovely idea! …
History Seacliff beach and the UK’s smallest harbour October 21, 2014 1829 Views 0 Comment Hidden from sight until you've almost fallen into it, this amazing feature is carved into the rock below Tantallon Castle. …
Wildlife & Nature Bluebell enchantment April 16, 2015 3868 Views 0 Comment As our woods start to shimmer with a heavenly blue haze, I'm looking at some of the folklore attached to …
Geology A surprise find on Seacliff beach August 13, 2014 2110 Views 0 Comment The beach below Tantallon Castle is full of fascinating rocks… and this has to be one of my best finds …
Colin's easel Storm over Islay February 07, 2013 578 Views 0 Comment A new painting in progress on Colin's easel, depicting a storm over Loch Indaal with flocks of wildfowl in the …
Wildlife & Nature Windflowers – tears of Aphrodite May 17, 2013 1387 Views 0 Comment According to a Greek legend, wood anemones - or windflowers - sprang up where the tears of Aphrodite fell. …
Photography Windows: Old Castle Lachlan February 04, 2017 1008 Views 0 Comment Something to brighten a rainy day… the view from a window in Old Castle Lachlan on Loch Fyne. This is …
Photography Gateway into 2015 January 02, 2015 454 Views 0 Comment A lovely old gateway near Dunvegan Castle on the Isle of Skye...
History , Scottish castles The value of Stirling December 08, 2013 3302 Views 0 Comment Forbidding and silent, Stirling Castle stands on a natural clifftop overlooking the River Forth. Battles have raged below its …
Reviews Book review: ‘The New Sylva’ May 07, 2014 1313 Views 0 Comment In 1664, horticulturalist John Evelyn published 'Sylva', a comprehensive study of Britain's trees; and in 2014, to mark the …
Catkins Mmm, custard! March 10, 2013 611 Views 0 Comment Those of you who follow my regular meanderings will already know that I have a distinct partiality for dairy products. …
Churches, abbeys and chapels , History St Giles’ Cathedral, Edinburgh February 07, 2014 2800 Views 0 Comment This impressive Cathedral sits right in the middle of Edinburgh's Royal Mile, which is thronging with tourists - but inside …
Catkins Anyone for tennis? June 22, 2014 484 Views 0 Comment If you're looking forward to Wimbledon, why not join Purdey in a game of tennis? You won't see …
Colin's easel ‘Glow of Evening’ – the latest woodcock January 11, 2013 450 Views 0 Comment Colin's newest pin-feather painting has a beautiful autumn glow
Wildlife & Nature Thrift: coastal jewels April 19, 2013 1192 Views 0 Comment This radiant little coastal dweller starts flowering in April, and continues right through the summer.
