Pine Tree, Loch Vaa, Ice freeze, Cairngorms National Park

Pine Freeze

The light was stunning on this day, with an intense quality, glowing in light. Loch Vaa was a frozen expanse, glinting in the sunshine.

Loch nan Carraiagean ring cairn, aviemore

Solstice Rainbow

Solstice Rainbow over Loch nan Carraigean Ring Cairn The late December weather has been tough with hardly any let-up from the squally storms, rain turning to sleet and back again and no break before the next bout.  Come the midwinter solstice and I was determined to get out before total cabin fever set in.  After […]

Fiery sunset mist, caledonian forest, Rothiemurchus

Fiery Mist

Fiery mist in the Caledonian Forest, Rothiemurchus Our three weeks of heatwave summer came crashing to an end on saturday with some close-up thunder, lightning and torrential rain.  However, shortly before sunset the sun reappeared, and the forest started steaming after all the rain.  I spent a breathless ten minutes jumping through the heathery bog […]

Solitary Pine

Solitary Pine, Monadliath mountains, near Aviemore An old gnarled pine, an outlier above the natural tree-line, on the moorland of the Monadliath mountains.  I love these ‘natural bonsai’ pines, shaped by the ferocious weather conditions.  As ever, adverse conditions are character-forming, our suffering can become beauty when viewed from a different perspective… “It’s like you […]

Loch an Eilein Pine

Pines and the castle, Loch an Eilein, Strathspey This is surely one of the most-photographed places in Strathspey, with good reason!  It changes so much from moment to moment with the play of light on the water and the changes in weather.  I liked it yesterday with this slight mistiness to the air, and a […]

sunset pines

Snowy pines at sunset Its been a lovely warm weekend, definitely feeling on the edge of spring with crocuses and snowdrops out in the garden.  However, here’s another one from last weekend’s walk in the forest.  This is taken at sunset, as the suns rays were directly horizontal onto the tree trunks, coming from the […]

The Forest Edge

Pine trees looming through thick mist and snow, Strathspey I took this a couple of years ago during a really hard winter spell.  It was hard work breaking trail on skis through deep fresh snow, up the trail to the forest edge.  I loved how the shapes of these big pines started to appear through […]

In the woods

Rothiemurchus woods, evening light Just before sunset in the Rothiemurchus pine woods, in the background is a small loch filling a deep hollow, full of reeds. I loved the intense colours with the low sun. This week’s quote basically says that caring for our planet is caring for ourselves – a message which is at […]

Loch Garten Light

Light on Loch Garten glinting through the trees. Can’t see the wood for the trees?  I liked this one of the intense light on the loch reflecting through the Caledonian Pine forest.  Whatever the weather its a lovely spot for a gentle walk, or just to gaze into the water. “The most beautiful thing we […]

Stone Circle

Loch Nan Carraigean Stone Circle, Strathspey This pine has grown up in the centre of the ancient stone circle, out on its own in the moorland.  I love the atmosphere in this photo, from the character and energy of the old pine  and the combination of winter colours. Being out in nature helps to ground […]