History Latest Feature Megalithic sites Diarmuid and Grainne: a boar hunt and a tragic love story in Glen Lonan
History , Scottish castles Linlithgow Palace October 14, 2011 5535 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 632 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 455 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 1824 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 999 Views 0 Comment This tiny island once helped to 'roof the world' with its quarried slate; now it's a unique blend of …
Colin's easel New: Black Grouse studies September 20, 2011 839 Views 2 Comments Two lovely small studies in watercolour and pencil, just released!
Reviews Not a film review: Spartacus September 17, 2011 641 Views 4 Comments Let me be absolutely clear: this is not a film review. There can’t be many people less suited to be …
History Shifting sands and phantom bells September 17, 2011 972 Views 2 Comments Wild flowers and rolling waves greet visitors to Harlech beach in North Wales; while far out to sea, the …
Wildlife & Nature The Bee Orchid September 16, 2011 1043 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. …
Uncategorized Sundogs September 11, 2011 789 Views 3 Comments Strictly speaking, sundogs are a daytime phenomenon, appearing while the sun is above the horizon.
Geology Britain’s oldest rocks September 11, 2011 2446 Views 2 Comments Lewisian gneiss is the oldest type of rock found in Britain, but there's plenty of it, especially in the Western …
Catkins Effective office management September 01, 2011 885 Views 2 Comments Running a business at home is no easy task: good office management skills are essential for efficiency and productivity. Advances …
History , Scottish castles Duart Castle, Isle of Mull September 01, 2011 2163 Views 4 Comments I take a look at Duart Castle, an ancient Maclean stronghold overlooking the Sound of Mull.
History History by the roadside: Ffynnon Eidda August 18, 2011 1602 Views 2 Comments A cattle drovers' well with much earlier origins, high on the windswept moors between Ysbyty Ifan and Dolgellau in North …
Wildlife & Nature Grass of Parnassus August 12, 2011 1202 Views 0 Comment Also known as the ‘bog star’, the Grass of Parnassus (Parnassia palustris) is the county flower of Cumbria and Sutherland. …
Wildlife & Nature Windflowers – tears of Aphrodite May 17, 2013 1620 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 1206 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 557 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 3592 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 1507 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 664 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 3029 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 542 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 494 Views 0 Comment Colin's newest pin-feather painting has a beautiful autumn glow
Wildlife & Nature Thrift: coastal jewels April 19, 2013 1320 Views 0 Comment This radiant little coastal dweller starts flowering in April, and continues right through the summer.
Churches, abbeys and chapels , History Kilmorie Chapel by Loch Fyne October 17, 2016 1971 Views 0 Comment Carpeted with moss, this ancient burial ground of the Maclachlans could hold distant echoes of an early saint
British trees , Wildlife & Nature The darkness of the yew October 26, 2014 5119 Views 0 Comment Evergreen, toxic, and able to live for thousands of years… it's no wonder the yew tree was revered in ancient …
Churches, abbeys and chapels , History Torphichen Preceptory – stone-cold but compelling April 15, 2015 2942 Views 0 Comment This gaunt and rather forbidding church has an extraordinary history. When you enter its cavernous interior, it feels like …
History Athelstaneford – a dovecot, an elusive battle, and the legend of Scotland’s flag August 14, 2014 1896 Views 0 Comment What is an English-sounding name like Athelstaneford doing in eastern Scotland? And what does it have to do with …
Catkins Choosing a handbag February 11, 2013 834 Views 0 Comment With spring just around the corner, I have been thinking of giving my wardrobe a fresh new look… and where …
Photography Lagavulin from Dunyvaig May 18, 2013 709 Views 0 Comment Lagavulin distillery from Dunyvaig - celebrating World Whisky Day!
