History , Scottish castles Carnassarie Castle in Kilmartin Glen April 06, 2018 4893 Views 16 Comments This imposing ruin was once a fine example of Renaissance architecture - home of the 1st Protestant Bishop of Argyll …
Catkins The winner of Purdey’s PAWS Awards… and introducing Clyde! April 04, 2018 2879 Views 14 Comments The much-anticipated result may be a shock for some! And I'd like you to meet a new friend...
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
History A morning in Kilmartin Glen March 17, 2018 3791 Views 26 Comments A quiet walk around some of my favourite places - Nether Largie and Temple Wood
History Caisteal nan Coin Duibh – ‘the Castle of the Black Dogs’ February 11, 2018 3173 Views 11 Comments With sweeping views across the sea from the Craignish peninsula, this hill fort seems to be half-immersed in legend
Wildlife & Nature Trespassing February 06, 2018 3174 Views 21 Comments Renewing my love of hazels, and the spells that they weave...
Catkins Purdey’s PAWS Awards 2018 February 01, 2018 2716 Views 6 Comments It's that time of year again! Polish your whiskers and get ready to cast your votes in Purdey's PAWS …
Latest Feature The Hazel Tree – now on the west coast! January 31, 2018 4465 Views 48 Comments A new home for us, and for The Hazel Tree, on the coast of Argyll
Poetry ‘Song of the trees’ December 14, 2017 2735 Views 24 Comments An evocative and heartwarming poem by Joy Mead
British trees , Wildlife & Nature Sycamore: colonist or custodian? October 06, 2017 3303 Views 27 Comments Often seen as an intruder in old woodlands, the sycamore still deserves a second glance for its beauty - and …
Wildlife & Nature 12 Trees in Autumn October 01, 2017 2702 Views 18 Comments Celebrating the variety of seasonal colour in our best-loved deciduous trees
Wildlife & Nature Three favourite woodlands for autumn colour September 17, 2017 2308 Views 18 Comments Looking forward to the glorious colours of these woodlands in Argyll and Perthshire
Wildlife & Nature Rosebay willowherb August 25, 2017 2495 Views 18 Comments 'Fireweed' or 'bombweed' lights up roadside verges and waste ground with a blaze of late summer colour
Photography Windows: Culross Palace July 31, 2017 1661 Views 16 Comments Distinctive dormer windows in the roof of Culross Palace
History , Megalithic sites Standing stone near Loch Ederline July 27, 2017 2205 Views 15 Comments Checking fields at random around Kilmartin Glen will reveal any number of cairns and standing stones. This one, right …
History , Scottish castles Blackness Castle July 22, 2017 2141 Views 16 Comments There's nothing romantic about this castle on the Firth of Forth: armed to the teeth, with walls 18 feet …
Geology Fossils at Carsaig Bay September 18, 2015 2596 Views 26 Comments On Mull's south-west coast, if you can drag your eyes away from the glorious scenery, you'll find a wealth of …
History , Megalithic sites Nether Largie: secrets in stone October 02, 2013 3382 Views 26 Comments Neither a circle nor a row, the arrangement of stones at Nether Largie in Argyll is puzzling in the extreme. …
History , Scottish castles Castle Sween: still watching for the sails June 13, 2013 2333 Views 26 Comments Dreaming of times gone by, this wonderful 12th-century castle looks out over Loch Sween and the Sound of Jura.
Churches, abbeys and chapels , History Ardchattan: in the footsteps of St Baodan March 25, 2016 1711 Views 26 Comments Sometimes the most beautiful churches have the least to say: this is certainly true of Kilmodan, high above Loch …
History The Butter Bridge, Glen Kinglas March 21, 2015 2635 Views 25 Comments There's something about old bridges, especially when they are left marooned in the past, like this one in Glen Kinglas. …
Photography Museum garden in St Andrews September 02, 2014 904 Views 25 Comments A lovely old doorway in St Andrews, enhanced by a stunning display of late summer flowers
Latest Feature Festive greetings… December 21, 2018 2901 Views 25 Comments Sending you the warmest of wishes on the winter solstice
Churches, abbeys and chapels , History Kilberry: sculptured stones and an enduring mystery November 17, 2013 2535 Views 25 Comments You're wandering around the ancient woodlands and rocky shores of Knapdale, lost in the tranquillity of the landscape. What …
History Looking for the Rock of the Dead April 15, 2018 4362 Views 25 Comments How much history is held in a place-name? Quite a lot, if this story attached to a rock on …
Wildlife & Nature A festival of fungi November 02, 2013 1104 Views 24 Comments Encouraged by the damp autumn, these weird and wonderful fungi are having a ball in the woodlands at the moment! …
Churches, abbeys and chapels , History Jedburgh Abbey October 01, 2015 2132 Views 24 Comments Breathtaking medieval architecture… and a delicious story of a phantom wedding guest
Colin's easel ‘Kingdom of Ice’ – new golden eagle painting November 12, 2013 1153 Views 24 Comments A new painting of a golden eagle set against the magnificent backdrop of the Scottish highlands...
Poetry ‘Song of the trees’ December 14, 2017 2735 Views 24 Comments An evocative and heartwarming poem by Joy Mead
History , Megalithic sites Callanish: a ring to rule them all January 06, 2012 2661 Views 24 Comments On a wind-scoured hillside in the west of Lewis, nothing prepares you for the stark magnificence of Callanish...
Churches, abbeys and chapels , History Dryburgh Abbey September 11, 2015 2019 Views 23 Comments The pink sandstone ruins of Dryburgh Abbey stand in their own little pool of time, listening for the gentle chant …
British trees , Wildlife & Nature The holly bears the crown November 26, 2013 2808 Views 23 Comments Glowing with colour when the year is at its darkest, holly was once thought to symbolise immortality. It's pretty …
