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
Another day out, another gorge …
After my experience last week-end, in the gorge of the River Cannich, where I found a large aspen stand we had no previous records of, I decided that this week-end I would visit another gorge I haven’t fully explored before – that of the Abhainn Gleann nam Fiadh burn in Glen Affric. This burn rises on the upper flanks of Carn Eige (which is situated between Glen Cannich and Glen Affric and is the highest peak north of the Great Glen in Scotland) and flows down to discharge into Loch Beinn a’Mheadhoin. On its way, it passes through the Meallan exclosure, which we funded on Forestry Commission Scotland land in 1991 (and where we planted over 28,000 trees in 1992-4) – I know that section quite well. Downstream, however, a section of the burn passes through a steep-sided gorge, which I had never gone into, so that was my destination for the day. [Read more…] about Another day out, another gorge …
In the gorge of the River Cannich
This week-end I decided to go somewhere different to my usual favourite places, so I headed out to Glen Cannich, the next glen to the north of Glen Affric. On the way into the glen the road climbs quite steeply from the village of Cannich, as it heads to the north, and then it drops down again a little and levels out beside the River Cannich, before making a turn to the west into the main part of the glen itself. [Read more…] about In the gorge of the River Cannich
A frosty day at Dundreggan
On Sunday it was a clear, cold and sunny morning when I headed out to Dundreggan, with the first rays of sunshine turning the snow-covered peak of Ben Wyvis (to the northwest) pink, as I left Forres on the road to Inverness. It was going to be my first day out in the forest after the Christmas and New Year break, and the low temperature (-4 degrees C at Findhorn) and abundant frost seemed like Nature’s heralds for what promised to be a beautiful day. [Read more…] about A frosty day at Dundreggan
Egg thieves caught in the act!
This blog entry dates back to a memorable day in early July, when I spent several hours in a beautiful but tiny native woodland remnant downstream from the Dundreggan dam in Glen Moriston. The area is about a mile before the entrance to our Dundreggan Estate itself, and I sometimes stop there on my way to the estate, as it’s such a special area – I’ve written about it in a previous blog entry. [Read more…] about Egg thieves caught in the act!
Snow in the Affric River gorge
The last week has been one of wild weather in the north of Scotland. The beautiful snow from last week-end stayed for a few days, but then a tremendous storm hit the country, bringing heavy rain and very high winds, so most of the snow disappeared, at least at low elevations. On Saturday morning, there was fresh snow again, so I headed out to Glen Affric, to make the most of the winter landscapes, before the weather changed again.
On the way, there were scattered areas of snow, while in other places, especially alongside Loch Ness, there was virtually no snow at all, so I wasn’t sure what I would find when I arrived. As it turned out, there was snow in Affric, but it was mostly left over from the previous week-end’s fall, and it looked like only a little had fallen overnight. [Read more…] about Snow in the Affric River gorge
The first snow of winter
The weather had been getting colder for a few days, and with snow forecast for the week-end, I headed out to Dundreggan, hoping to catch my first experience of a white world this winter. Saturday had been very windy so I’d opted to go out on Sunday, and there was intermittent snow falling en route, and I could see that the high ground was white, so I was optimistic there would be some fresh snow when I arrived at Dundreggan. [Read more…] about The first snow of winter
A great day for lichens
The weather forecast on Saturday was for high winds and rain, but I decided to go out for the day anyway, thinking that the conditions might make for some interesting photographs. Following my intuition, I went to Glen Affric and stopped at an area downstream of the dam in the glen, at a point where I knew there were lots of lichens on the trees. I’d been intending to go there for a while, so it seemed like an ideal day to do so.
Portrait of a fungus
This blog entry actually dates back to the 19th of September, when I spent a day at Dundreggan, photographing the huge abundance and large diversity of fungi fruiting there then. In particular, I spent quite a long time with a specific group of one species, taking about 50 photographs of them. However, it is only recently that I’ve had the species identified as being the common cavalier (Melanoleuca polioleuca), and so I’m taking the opportunity of writing up this blog about it now. [Read more…] about Portrait of a fungus
A special place beside the River Moriston
I was on my way out to Dundreggan, and, as I sometimes do, I stopped at a special place beside the River Moriston, downstream of the dam, and about a mile before Dundreggan. The glen narrows at this point and the river passes through a series of cascades, with beautiful old Scots pines on the rocks on both sides. There’s also some very nice old oaks and aspens amongst the pines, and they are covered with mosses and ferns, because the topography and constant spray from the river create a temperate rainforest micro-climate there. [Read more…] about A special place beside the River Moriston
Miniature worlds on Dundreggan
It was my first day out at Dundreggan for 2 or 3 weeks, and I had planned to go up to look at the new fence that is being erected in the Allt Fearna area, for planting with native trees during the next 3 years. However, the key for the access gate on the hydro road that leads up near that area wasn’t where I had expected it to be, so I ended up spending the time on the low ground instead, not far from Dundreggan Lodge. [Read more…] about Miniature worlds on Dundreggan