castles
  • History , Latest Feature

Dunaverty and St Columba’s Footprints

November 29, 2020
A tangle of history and legend at the very tip of Kintyre
  • Churches, abbeys and chapels , History

Saddell Abbey – in the footsteps of Somerled

January 08, 2019
History? Gravestones? Mysterious phenomena? Appalling weather? Time to go squelching around another ancient ruin!
  • History , Wildlife & Nature

The road to Loch Avich

October 06, 2018
A back road through glorious autumn countryside... leading eventually to Loch Avich and the 'Castle of the Red-haired Girl'
  • History , Scottish castles

Carnassarie Castle in Kilmartin Glen

April 06, 2018
This imposing ruin was once a fine example of Renaissance architecture - home of the 1st Protestant Bishop of Argyll …
  • 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 …
  • History , Scottish castles

Rosslyn Castle – falling shadows

April 01, 2016
Gaunt and brooding, the battered fragments of a spectacular fortress stand in the woodlands of Roslin Glen
  • History , Scottish castles

Carnbane Castle and a banquet for a bard

February 16, 2016
On top of a little wooded knoll in Glen Lyon, I felt as if I'd stepped straight into a legend... …
  • History , Scottish castles

Tantallon Castle: symbol of strength

January 27, 2015
The ancient seat of the Douglas Earls of Angus, Tantallon Castle tells a story of power, violence and treason. …
  • History , Scottish castles

Loch Leven Castle

November 16, 2014
A Scottish queen held captive on a tiny island… hope, fear and loss… and a daring bid for freedom. …
  • Uncategorized

A very big thank you…

October 11, 2014
Today, my stats show that The Hazel Tree has reached 100,000 views.   What a fantastic total!   What this …
  • History , Scottish castles

Doune Castle: seat of power

July 30, 2014
Is this my favourite castle yet? (It might just take the medieval biscuit!) The setting for 'Monty Python …
  • History , Scottish castles

Falkland Palace: power and glory

June 05, 2014
Sitting on the quiet main street of Falkland in Fife is one of the most remarkable Scottish castles, brainchild of …
  • History , Scottish castles

Castle Coeffin: guarding a broken heart

May 24, 2014
An ancient stronghold overlooking the Sound of Mull... infused in its ivy-clad walls is an irresistible legend.
  • History , Scottish castles

The value of Stirling

December 08, 2013
Forbidding and silent, Stirling Castle stands on a natural clifftop overlooking the River Forth. Battles have raged below its …
  • History

Scotland’s haunted castles: would you be spooked?

October 10, 2013
Let's face it - no castle is complete without a spooky tale of the paranormal. Whatever you believe, …
  • History , Scottish castles

Castle Sween: still watching for the sails

June 13, 2013
Dreaming of times gone by, this wonderful 12th-century castle looks out over Loch Sween and the Sound of Jura.
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New book - 'Britain's Trees'
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I'm honoured to be Writer in Residence at the Royal Scottish Geographical Society. This book celebrates the lives of 50 great explorers......
BRITISH TREES
  • The majesty of the beech
  • The power of the elder
  • The magic of the birch
  • Wild cherry: the last snow of spring
SCOTTISH CASTLES
  • Dunyvaig Castle, Isle of Islay
  • Doune Castle: seat of power
  • Inverlochy Castle
  • Smailholm Tower
MEGALITHIC
  • Diarmuid and Grainne: a boar hunt and a tragic love story in Glen Lonan
  • Castlerigg: out on the wild and windy moors
  • The Devil’s Arrows: shafts of darkness
  • The Ballymeanoch stones, Kilmartin Glen
CHURCHES, CHAPELS & ABBEYS
  • Iona’s timeless haven
  • Kilmore – a quiet chapter
  • The old chapel of Kilvaree
  • Torphichen Preceptory – stone-cold but compelling
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