Wildlife & Nature Snow Bunting December 02, 2011 573 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 927 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 365 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 514 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 967 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 918 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 351 Views 2 Comments Windswept isolation - a black and white image by Verity Woolf
Geology Staffa: Pillars of creation October 16, 2011 988 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 303 Views 2 Comments An intriguing black-and-white image by Verity Woolf
Photography Starling in snow October 14, 2011 356 Views 2 Comments Sometimes it's all about getting the exposure wrong...
Catkins Purdey’s Hallowe’en Fright Night October 14, 2011 395 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 4387 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 411 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 320 Views 0 Comment As the prospect of icy weather draws ever closer, many of my readers are asking how to keep their paws …
Churches, abbeys and chapels , History Kirkstall Abbey – ancient heart of Leeds October 02, 2011 1303 Views 1 Comment These ruins of a 12th century Cistercian monastery, founded in a Yorkshire river valley 'remote from the habitation of men', …
History Easdale island: a story carved in slate September 20, 2011 693 Views 0 Comment This tiny island once helped to 'roof the world' with its quarried slate; now it's a unique blend of …
Carved crosses , History The Battle of Dunnichen May 20, 2013 1305 Views 0 Comment Dunnichen, Dun Nechtain, Nechtansmere - take your pick (or should that be Pict?) We don't know where this …
Reviews Book review: ‘Strathclyde and the Anglo-Saxons in the Viking Age’ by Tim Clarkson January 23, 2015 1316 Views 0 Comment This fascinating new book by Tim Clarkson, an expert on early medieval Scotland, throws some light on the little-known Kingdom …
History , Megalithic sites The stone circles of Fortingall May 11, 2014 2660 Views 0 Comment Stirred by recent human activity, these ancient circles present an enduring puzzle. Sometimes it really is better to leave …
Photography A walk on Machir Beach September 30, 2012 1045 Views 0 Comment Windswept and wild, Machir beach will take your breath away...
Colin's easel ‘Water Babies’ March 13, 2013 440 Views 0 Comment These cute mallard ducklings have just hatched from Colin's easel...
Wildlife & Nature 10 facts about… eiders August 10, 2011 1940 Views 0 Comment With their superb plumage and distinctive, endearing calls, eiders are a much-loved sight around the coast of northern Britain. …
British trees , Wildlife & Nature The fire of the ash August 09, 2016 3757 Views 0 Comment The ash is a beguiling tree, elegant in all seasons, and mother to a host of legends
Geology Carnelian September 27, 2014 1410 Views 0 Comment Ranging from pale yellow to deep orange-red, this semi-precious stone was a popular choice in Victorian jewellery
History , Megalithic sites Castlerigg: out on the wild and windy moors March 09, 2015 2117 Views 0 Comment What on Earth went on here 5,000 years ago? The stones aren't going to tell us, but they …
Geology Garnet – the warrior stone February 22, 2014 2213 Views 0 Comment Once prized by warriors as a talisman of courage, garnet crystals crop up in some surprising places.
History Looking at brochs July 18, 2014 1328 Views 0 Comment These impressive buildings were designed to last - but what were they used for?
Wildlife & Nature What do you think this is? January 12, 2013 565 Views 0 Comment I have another mini-quiz for you today. Take a look at this object and tell me what it is. You …
History Dun Beag: hilltop fortress May 03, 2013 874 Views 0 Comment When the Picts chose to build a broch on this windswept hilltop in central Skye, they wanted it to be …
History Easdale island: a story carved in slate September 20, 2011 693 Views 0 Comment This tiny island once helped to 'roof the world' with its quarried slate; now it's a unique blend of …
History , Scottish castles Old Castle Lachlan: loyalty and loss October 23, 2016 2600 Views 0 Comment Ghosts of horses tend to come in different guises, some of them benevolent and some of them more inclined towards …
Churches, abbeys and chapels , History St Andrew’s Auld Kirk, North Berwick December 09, 2014 1630 Views 0 Comment I'm fast discovering that North Berwick is a town with a long history - and some of it is hidden …
