First of all, apologies for the missing week. Sometimes, stuff happens… Happy Easter! Given that we had raging blizzards and two feet of snow during the week, I still can’t be very confident that it is actually Spring. As I write this the snow is melting, the rain has cleared, and the evening sun is […]
Equinox greetings – spring starts here! We’ve certainly had some west coast gales this week, but its a lot warmer, the snow has stripped off the mountains and suddenly bulbs are springing up everywhere. “There is no rushing a river. When you go there, you go at the pace of the water and that pace […]
Wherever you go, the birch wood has been resounding to a drrrrrrrrp! of woodpeckers. The Jackdaws have been flocking around the village in huge numbers for much of the night with their chatter-jack-jack. The low-ground snow went into meltdown this week, and a few wretched-looking plants are starting so show through. I hope I have […]
“SpeyBergs” – floating ice on the River Spey We had some very low temperatures during the week – several nights at minus 15 – with stunning crisp sunny days. Despite a thaw yesterday my garden is still covered in deep snow. It has been almost impossible to actually get anywhere, with the deep soft snow […]
“Snow feathers” – hoar frost crystals Welcome to what seems to have become the weekly snow report! This was taken on a wee local ski expedition last week. Temperatures were below freezing all week with lows of minus 16C, allowing these amazing frost crystals to build up. With no wind, and blue skies, conditions were […]
Monadhliath Pine A lonesome pine, above the main treeline, with the view of the Cairngorms from the Monadliath mountains, Strathspey. High up on the hills on my skis, on a perfect surface of hoar-frost crystals sparkling in the intense sunshine – a perfect winter’s day. “We are like islands in the sea, separate on the […]
Lily loch reflections, late winter Its been grey and dismal all week, so here’s an image from last year. I love the rich colour reflections across the Lily Loch. “Don’t ask yourself what the world needs; ask yourself what makes you come alive. And then go and do that, because what the world needs is […]
Snow Birch, Craigellachie National Nature Reserve, Aviemore Another image from New Year, at the treeline of the birch wood on Craigellachie hill, on a day of deep frost and sparkling air. At the time I was amazed how deep the snow was, not realising how much more we would get over the next week! I […]
In the mist… Pine silhouettes Early afternoon, on skis in the Monadhliath near Aviemore. I hoped that the mist would lift, as there was almost blue sky above, but as I approached the big pines the mist closed in further, giving me time for a few shots before they faded away… “The greatest healers who […]
Birch Paths We still have a lot of snow in the woods, alternately deep, soft and cludgy, or treacherously icy. Many trees are still bent right over, cemented to the ground. Many of these have now split completely, in some parts of the woods there is total devastation. On this particular path through the woods, […]
Characterful Pine, Rothiemurchus woods, near Aviemore. One from the last fortnight when the snow was still fresh and beautiful! The slow thaw continues, but we still have some deep snow in the woods making it very difficult to walk anywhere. Footpaths are icy and treacherous, off the paths there is still deep and heavy snow. […]
Sunset light on the River Spey near Aviemore. Our Scandinavian conditions continue… taken this afternoon on a ski along the banks of the Spey, with the sunlight creating these beautiful snowy reflections. A constant flow of ice “pancakes” went drifting by, as the river starts to freeze after another week of constant low temperatures. We […]
