monasteries
  • Churches, abbeys and chapels , History

Melrose Abbey

January 09, 2017
Scotland's first Cistercian monastery, Melrose still has an air of faded opulence
  • 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
  • Churches, abbeys and chapels , History

Cambuskenneth Abbey

May 20, 2015
Sitting in a loop of the River Forth within sight of Stirling Castle, this quiet place has witnessed some key …
  • Carved crosses , Churches, abbeys and chapels , History

Ardchattan Priory: a place of serenity on Loch Etive

July 10, 2014
Tucked away along the tranquil shores of Loch Etive is this lovely little ruin, with a long history and an …
  • Churches, abbeys and chapels , History

Fountains Abbey: from simplicity to splendour

March 10, 2013
The ruins of Fountains Abbey are almost decadent in their scale and breathtaking grandeur. But it had much more …
  • Churches, abbeys and chapels , History

Wenlock Priory: hauntingly beautiful

July 30, 2012
Serene, fascinating, spectacular, steeped in history - Wenlock Priory has it all. Can I live there?
  • Churches, abbeys and chapels , History

Muthill Old Church and Tower

May 05, 2012
In the 12th century, the bell in the Old Tower of Muthill called a community of Culdee monks to prayer; …
  • Churches, abbeys and chapels , History

Iona’s timeless haven

February 09, 2012
Not more ruins! But look how beautiful… Iona's 13th century nunnery will enchant you with its architecture, its setting …
  • Churches, abbeys and chapels , History

Kirkstall Abbey – ancient heart of Leeds

October 02, 2011
These ruins of a 12th century Cistercian monastery, founded in a Yorkshire river valley 'remote from the habitation of men', …
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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 enchantment of the rowan
  • Wild cherry: the last snow of spring
  • The holly bears the crown
SCOTTISH CASTLES
  • Loch Leven Castle
  • In a nutshell: Cardoness Castle
  • Loch Dochart Castle
  • Duart Castle, Isle of Mull
MEGALITHIC
  • The stones of Kilmory Oib
  • Kintraw’s lonely watcher
  • Clava Cairns
  • Clach na Carraig or Diarmid’s Pillar
CHURCHES, CHAPELS & ABBEYS
  • St Andrews: the glorious Cathedral
  • Dunstaffnage Chapel – haunted by sadness
  • Keills Chapel: shadows of time
  • St Bride’s: a history worth saving
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