Latest Feature , Wild flowers , Wildlife & Nature Meadowsweet August 16, 2019 883 Views 16 Comments Over the centuries, meadowsweet has played an important part in our natural remedies, our traditions and our folklore...
History , Latest Feature , Megalithic sites Loch Nell: the Tomb of the Giants and a Serpent Mound July 26, 2019 953 Views 2 Comments Not another chambered cairn! Yes, but this one comes with a twist...
British trees , Wildlife & Nature The power of the elder June 21, 2019 1435 Views 14 Comments A guardian of half-forgotten places, the elder's magic is both old and dark...
British trees , Wildlife & Nature Sycamore: colonist or custodian? October 06, 2017 3231 Views 27 Comments Often seen as an intruder in old woodlands, the sycamore still deserves a second glance for its beauty - and …
History , Scottish castles Old Castle Lachlan: loyalty and loss October 23, 2016 2514 Views 0 Comment Ghosts of horses tend to come in different guises, some of them benevolent and some of them more inclined towards …
British trees , Wildlife & Nature The fire of the ash August 09, 2016 3694 Views 0 Comment The ash is a beguiling tree, elegant in all seasons, and mother to a host of legends
Reviews Book review: ‘Scotland’s Merlin’ by Tim Clarkson July 14, 2016 1196 Views 14 Comments “And in the battle of Arfderydd my torc was of gold…” From ‘Yr Afallennau’ (‘The Apples’), a poem in the …
Wildlife & Nature Lesser celandine: greeting the sun March 15, 2016 1715 Views 8 Comments Star-like flowers of pure yellow welcome the first spring sunshine
Carved crosses , History St Adamnan’s Cross in Glen Lyon February 20, 2016 1299 Views 12 Comments Who lived in this extraordinary glen, 1300 years ago? One man who did was St Adamnan, and this simple …
British trees , Wildlife & Nature The spirit of the alder August 23, 2015 4242 Views 28 Comments Lover of riverbanks and boggy places, the alder forms a close bond between earth and water. No wonder …
History , Megalithic sites The Devil’s Arrows: shafts of darkness August 12, 2015 1837 Views 22 Comments The people who put up these standing stones in North Yorkshire were obviously thinking big - but what on earth …
Reviews A new treasure: ‘Trees and How They Grow’ by G Clarke Nuttall May 25, 2015 831 Views 14 Comments At a show last weekend I picked up this gorgeous old book from a second-hand book stall. Written by Gertrude Clarke Nuttall, …
History Glen More and the headless horseman May 16, 2015 1261 Views 0 Comment After nearly 500 years, is this phantom rider still trapped in the tragedy of a bitter family feud?
British trees , Wildlife & Nature Hawthorn – bride of the hedgerow April 25, 2015 3052 Views 0 Comment With angelic buds and evil thorns, the hawthorn stands at the threshold of the Underworld
Wildlife & Nature Bluebell enchantment April 16, 2015 3335 Views 0 Comment As our woods start to shimmer with a heavenly blue haze, I'm looking at some of the folklore attached to …
History Clan MacThomas and the Clach na Coileach March 30, 2015 904 Views 0 Comment Four dead men and a sackful of live chickens… I'm just waiting for someone to suggest foul play!
