These blogs feature my writing and photographs from my experiences out in the Caledonian Forest and other natural ecosystems. Please subscribe to receive automatic notifications when new blog posts are added.
Alan’s blog
Alan’s blog
The way to Coire Loch, part 2
After spending a couple of hours at the oak tree (Quercus petraea) and young hazel (Corylus avellana) near Badger Falls in Glen Affric in early July, which I wrote about in the first part of this blog, I headed further west to Dog Falls, where the footpath to Coire Loch begins. Before setting out to walk to the loch though, I spent some time looking around the area near the falls themselves – in previous years I’ve found quite a lot of interest in a small clearing there. [Read more…] about The way to Coire Loch, part 2
The way to Coire Loch, part 1
I wrote a blog recently about a day in Glen Affric in early June, when I was suffering from sciatica in my leg, which limited my mobility. Unfortunately, the sciatica got worse after that, so I wasn’t able to make any more trips out to the Caledonian Forest for a couple of weeks. By 6th July, I was feeling somewhat better again, so I decided to return to Glen Affric, with the goal of walking from the Dog Falls area to Coire Loch, to give my leg a gentle work-out, as I’d been encouraged to exercise as part of the recovery process. [Read more…] about The way to Coire Loch, part 1
Life on a bird cherry tree
On the 3rd of July I was out at Dundreggan for a couple of meetings, and in between them there was a gap of an hour or two. I decided to go and have a look for some invertebrates on some of the trees near the buildings there, thinking especially of some aspen trees (Populus tremula) along one of the burns. However, on my way to them, I made a slight detour to a couple of bird cherry trees (Prunus padus) at the far end of the field where our tree nursery is situated.
Early summer in Glen Affric, part 2
On Sunday 8th June, after spending more than two hours with an oak tree (Quercus petraea) and a young hazel (Corylus avellana) beside the road at the eastern end of Glen Affric, just above Badger Falls (see Part 1 of this blog), I drove a little further into the glen. As I often do, I stopped near Dog Falls, as I wanted to look at some aspen trees (Populus tremula) that are growing beside the road there, just at the falls themselves. [Read more…] about Early summer in Glen Affric, part 2
Early summer in Glen Affric, part 1
On the 8th of June I went out to Glen Affric for a gentle day of photography. I’d been suffering from sciatica in one of my legs recently, so I wasn’t very mobile, but the advice I’d received was that exercise is good for the condition. My plan therefore was to see if I could find some good subjects for photography along the roadside in the glen, so that I wouldn’t have to walk too far. I reasoned that this would avoid putting undue stress on my leg, while at the same time enabling me to fulfil my creative desires with the camera. [Read more…] about Early summer in Glen Affric, part 1
Life and death in an aspen tree
In a recent blog I wrote about the fallen giants – some of the large Scots pines (Pinus sylvestris) and oaks (Quercus petraea) that were blown down by the powerful storm that hit Dundreggan on the night of 5th December 2013. Since then, we’ve continued to find other trees throughout the woodland on the estate that were either uprooted and blown over, or had substantial limbs broken off them. This blog entry is about one of those – an aspen tree (Populus tremula) – that lost part of a major branch in the storm. [Read more…] about Life and death in an aspen tree
A rainbow day in Glen Affric
On Sunday 16th March I had my first opportunity for a couple of weeks to spend a day out with my camera, taking photographs in the Caledonian Forest. I was undecided where to go, so I headed out from my home at Findhorn uncertain as to my destination. However, I had the intention of trusting my intuition to lead me to a place where I’d have an enjoyable day, and where I would gain the satisfaction of being creative with my photography. [Read more…] about A rainbow day in Glen Affric
A cornucopia of catkins
This is a remarkable year for hazel catkins. I don’t recall ever seeing quite as many in the area where we work as there are out at the moment. The hazels (Corylus avellana) are completely loaded with them, making them stand out very visibly from the other broadleaved trees in our forests in the Highlands. Some trees are utterly bedecked in hanging tassels, with the catkins crowded together, like sardines in a can. [Read more…] about A cornucopia of catkins
Colourful autumn day in Glen Affric, part 1
In late October I spent a couple of days in Glen Affric, as I do most years, to photograph the autumn colours of the trees there when they’re at their peak. The weather forecast for the day seemed ideal for me – it was predicted to be a wind-still, overcast day with morning mist and fog – so I made an early start from home, arriving in the glen just as it was getting fully light. On my way past the village of Cannich, in upper Strathglass, there had been a lot of low-lying fog. I knew from past experience that as the day warmed slightly, this would most likely rise up out of the strath and move into the eastern end Glen Affric, where the River Affric discharges through a narrow gorge into Strathglass itself. [Read more…] about Colourful autumn day in Glen Affric, part 1
Fallen giants
On the night of Thursday 5th December, an unusually powerful storm hit the north of Scotland, with winds gusting at over 100 miles per hour. It caused widespread disruption, with all train services cancelled the next morning, numerous roads closed by fallen trees and a loss of power to thousands of homes. At Dundreggan, our staff were left without power and telephones for almost 48 hours, and had no water supply for a while either, but otherwise were not harmed by the storm. [Read more…] about Fallen giants