Today is St. Andrew’s Day, so it makes sense to post something about Scotland and, in particular, the county I currently inhabit: Caithness. The North Coast 500 (NC500) long distance coastal route has brought an increased number of tourists to Caithness. It seems wise to suggest this number will only Read more…
It is November. And the coldest November night since 2010. As I draft this, on a chilly Monday morning, the temperature in Braemar is currently -12°c, and falling. Here in the far north, in the town at the end of the world, it is -1°c. I have been absent from Read more…
I have shared this photo of ridgelines in Highland Perthshire before, in my essay “Trees, A Brief Personal History.” It is a favourite of mine, illustrating how Scottish weather, so oft-derided, can actually increase the beauty of a photograph. Being able to stand on a hillside or, as I do Read more…
Now the season is shifting, and the insects no longer such an issue, I am back up the river for my dawn walks. I tried to take some photos on my phone for here, but they aren’t as sharp as I would like, so I am sharing one from last Read more…
These are not actually The Cliffs of Insanity, as everyone knows they are in Ireland. Or, really, they are in a book and a film, that portion of which was filmed over at Moher. Instead, these are the sea cliffs at St. John’s Head, on the island of Hoy, Orkney. Read more…
This is Stromness. More specifically, this is a path up the hillside, from near the harbour towards the primary school I attended, once upon a time. Stromness remains the only town or village I have ever felt close to calling home. Stromness features heavily in my oh-so-very-nearly completed novel, current Read more…
It is that time of the year again, when I yearn to walk out into wild places and, especially, into the woods. The season seems to have suddenly changed here in Edinburgh, Summer closing her eyes and beginning to nod off at the dinner table, as her rich and velvety Read more…
