Catkins Purdey's PAWS Awards 2017 – the Results! February 27, 2017 724 Views 5 Comments Who will snatch the Golden Fir Cone this year? The results are in!
History , Megalithic sites Clava Cairns February 25, 2017 2161 Views 0 Comment Rays from the midwinter sunset filter into the deep heart of these passage graves, built 4,000 years ago in northern …
Photography Windows: Old Castle Lachlan February 04, 2017 873 Views 0 Comment Something to brighten a rainy day… the view from a window in Old Castle Lachlan on Loch Fyne. This is …
Photography Windows: Edinburgh Castle January 27, 2017 1514 Views 0 Comment It’s about time I started another photography theme, and the next one I’ve chosen is ‘Windows’. This one is in …
History Culloden: field of sorrow January 23, 2017 1776 Views 0 Comment Remembering a fateful day in Scotland's history, this is one of the most evocative places I've ever been
Churches, abbeys and chapels , History Melrose Abbey January 09, 2017 1700 Views 0 Comment Scotland's first Cistercian monastery, Melrose still has an air of faded opulence
Catkins Purdey's PAWS Awards 2017 January 05, 2017 725 Views 0 Comment Which of these talented little starlets will win the coveted Golden Fir Cone this year? It's time to cast …
British trees , Wildlife & Nature The song of the aspen December 05, 2016 1660 Views 0 Comment Fluttering on impossibly slender stalks, aspen leaves whisper a message that seems to flow from the Earth itself
History , Scottish castles Smailholm Tower November 13, 2016 1522 Views 0 Comment A 'peel tower' in the Scottish Borders, basking in the autumn sunshine and remembering a colourful history of reiving
Poetry ‘All nature has a feeling’ by John Clare October 30, 2016 3196 Views 0 Comment These lovely words by John Clare remind us of the true essence of autumn
History , Scottish castles Old Castle Lachlan: loyalty and loss October 23, 2016 2432 Views 0 Comment Ghosts of horses tend to come in different guises, some of them benevolent and some of them more inclined towards …
Photography Autumn in Glen Garry October 20, 2016 796 Views 0 Comment Taken by Colin on 17th October on the road that leads west through Glen Garry to Kinloch Hourn. Â He …
Churches, abbeys and chapels , History Kilmorie Chapel by Loch Fyne October 17, 2016 1486 Views 0 Comment Carpeted with moss, this ancient burial ground of the Maclachlans could hold distant echoes of an early saint
Photography Beeches in Sutherland's Grove October 05, 2016 814 Views 0 Comment Thank you to everyone who suggested that my next photo series should focus on autumn in Scotland.  A lovely idea! …
History The Lewis Chessmen September 21, 2016 1161 Views 0 Comment Over 800 years old and still full of character, these wonderful little pieces in the National Museum of Scotland will …
Reviews Book review: ‘Island of Dreams’ by Dan Boothby September 18, 2016 892 Views 11 Comments At the end of August I went to the Edinburgh Book Festival to see a joint talk by two authors …
Churches, abbeys and chapels , History Dryburgh Abbey September 11, 2015 1883 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 2599 Views 23 Comments Glowing with colour when the year is at its darkest, holly was once thought to symbolise immortality. It's pretty …
Uncategorized What’s this? August 12, 2013 1001 Views 23 Comments This time my quiz is short and sweet – tell me what this is! Extra clues:Â Â it measures about 5 …
Churches, abbeys and chapels , History St Brendan and the Garvellachs February 24, 2012 1745 Views 22 Comments St Brendan and the Garvellachs sounds like an Irish folk group… and in a way, that's what they were! …
History , Megalithic sites The Devil’s Arrows: shafts of darkness August 12, 2015 1785 Views 22 Comments The people who put up these standing stones in North Yorkshire were obviously thinking big - but what on earth …
Wildlife & Nature Trees of winter January 02, 2016 998 Views 22 Comments On a New Year's Day walk, the sound of the wind in the trees reminded me of these words by …
History The Fairy Flag of Dunvegan August 07, 2013 1991 Views 22 Comments It's 1580, you're in an advancing army and you see the MacLeods on the other side start to unfurl their …
British trees , Wildlife & Nature A wand of hazel February 20, 2015 3777 Views 22 Comments For their valuable source of food and their versatile building material, hazel trees have been prized since the dawn of …
History Dunadd: behold the king! June 14, 2015 2158 Views 21 Comments This low rocky hill in the south of Kilmartin Glen was once the setting for royal ceremonies that shaped the …
History , Megalithic sites The Ballymeanoch stones, Kilmartin Glen March 13, 2016 1945 Views 21 Comments Clad in silvery garlands of lichen, these stones have been casting long shadows in Kilmartin Glen for thousands of years …
History Mons Meg: a damsel of destruction December 08, 2015 1561 Views 21 Comments No one could ever accuse James II of being under-equipped. Take a look at the ultimate in big boys' …
Catkins Loving Angels instead July 17, 2013 612 Views 21 Comments Something slightly different this time in Catkins:  a heart-warming true story! A year or so ago – it’s hard to …
British trees , Wildlife & Nature The enchantment of the rowan September 09, 2013 2628 Views 21 Comments The mountain ash is one of our best-loved native trees: beautiful in every season, with more than a hint …
History Rock art at Ormaig October 18, 2018 8205 Views 21 Comments Intriguing symbols and patterns, possibly over 5,000 years old, are etched into a hillside overlooking Loch Craignish...
Wildlife & Nature Trespassing February 06, 2018 3108 Views 21 Comments Renewing my love of hazels, and the spells that they weave...
Churches, abbeys and chapels , History Dunfermline Abbey (part 1): echoes of majesty November 13, 2015 1821 Views 21 Comments A powerful king and a devoted queen: these massive walls guard a shrine that lies at the very heart …
