History , Scottish castles Blackness Castle July 22, 2017 There's nothing romantic about this castle on the Firth of Forth: armed to the teeth, with walls 18 feet …
Churches, abbeys and chapels , History Kilbride Kirk, Lerags July 04, 2017 In this mossy graveyard close to Loch Feochan, many generations of MacDougalls have been laid to rest
Carved crosses , History The Lerags Cross July 02, 2017 Standing beside the road to Lerags in Argyll is this beautiful late medieval cross
Photography Windows: Dunfermline Abbey March 09, 2017 The third in my photo-series is this beautiful stained glass window by Douglas Strachan in the old nave of Dunfermline …
Catkins Purdey's PAWS Awards 2017 – the Results! February 27, 2017 Who will snatch the Golden Fir Cone this year? The results are in!
History , Megalithic sites Clava Cairns February 25, 2017 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 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 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 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 Scotland's first Cistercian monastery, Melrose still has an air of faded opulence
Catkins Purdey's PAWS Awards 2017 January 05, 2017 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 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 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 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 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 Taken by Colin on 17th October on the road that leads west through Glen Garry to Kinloch Hourn. He …
Churches, abbeys and chapels , History Dunfermline Abbey (part 1): echoes of majesty November 13, 2015 A powerful king and a devoted queen: these massive walls guard a shrine that lies at the very heart …
Poetry An Adlestrop moment June 29, 2013 I’m taking a bit of a diversion from my usual Hazel Tree topics because it’s late June. I think I’d …
History Dunadd: behold the king! June 14, 2015 This low rocky hill in the south of Kilmartin Glen was once the setting for royal ceremonies that shaped the …
Colin's easel Red deer painting January 13, 2016 Colin has started 2016 with a big project… a new painting of some red deer making their way across a …
History , Megalithic sites The Ballymeanoch stones, Kilmartin Glen March 13, 2016 Clad in silvery garlands of lichen, these stones have been casting long shadows in Kilmartin Glen for thousands of years …
Churches, abbeys and chapels , History Dunstaffnage Chapel – haunted by sadness June 26, 2015 Peaceful woodlands enclose this little church on the coast of Argyll; but in December 1462 a wedding here …
Catkins Loving Angels instead July 17, 2013 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 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 Intriguing symbols and patterns, possibly over 5,000 years old, are etched into a hillside overlooking Loch Craignish...
Carved crosses , Churches, abbeys and chapels , History The secrets of St Cormac November 05, 2018 On Eilean Mor in the MacCormaig Isles I found a chapel, a cross, a hermit's cave... and an intriguing mystery
Wildlife & Nature Trespassing February 06, 2018 Renewing my love of hazels, and the spells that they weave...
Wildlife & Nature Rosebay willowherb August 25, 2017 'Fireweed' or 'bombweed' lights up roadside verges and waste ground with a blaze of late summer colour
Carved crosses , History Inveraray Cross August 30, 2013 For any visitor to Inveraray, the glorious castle steals the show - but it's worth taking time to look at …
Churches, abbeys and chapels , History Dunfermline Abbey (part 2): pride of kings November 18, 2015 The second in my two-part series about the abbey and royal palace of Dunfermline
Catkins PAWS Awards 2012: Purdey’s answer to the Oscars January 26, 2012 With the Golden Globes just behind us and the build-up to the Oscars already under way, I feel it’s time …
Wildlife & Nature The dog rose August 15, 2015 Evoking long summer days and warm sunshine, these glorious blooms will soon be turning into bright red hips
