-
Muir of Dinnet
One of my favourite places to write about for my book was Muir of Dinnet, a nature reserve near Ballater in the Cairngorms National Park. Within a pretty small area, there are lochs, streams and patches of woodland, grassland and bog with a handy boardwalk for wildlife watching with dry feet. I always spend the…
-
The Blues Brothers
-
Look Down
I spend most of my time outside peering up. My love of nature began with birds so I’m constantly checking tree canopies and rooftops for anyone perching or preening. However, each summer my attention is snagged by a different kind of winged wildlife: butterflies. I consider myself pretty competent when it comes to bird ID…
-
Amongst the Heather
Recently I’ve begun helping my new friends Joan and her husband John with their exciting woodland restoration project. Once dominated by non-native Sitka spruce, the site now has a diverse range of trees including rowans, larches, oaks and wild cherries. As a result, it’s attracted plenty of wildlife from bumblebees to pine martens! So far…
-
New Visitors
Although I’m naturally quite an introverted person and love having time to myself, I’ve still struggled to adapt to the lockdown routine. I like to potter around outside for hours while I write or just watch the world go by, so it goes without saying that I’ve missed wildlife far more than the pub. Alerts…
-
A Prickly Afternoon
I arrived at the Hornbeam Wood Hedgehog Sanctuary half an hour early just in case I got lost. They purposely don’t advertise their exact location online, as is often the way with small wildlife charities. Luckily, just as I was cruising along a rather featureless country lane and beginning to think I was in completely…