After talking and reading about all things Elder-related at the herb study group last week, I haven’t been able to pass by these beautiful trees without my mouth watering. Being limited for time today, I decided my wild day activity would involve collecting some flowers during a journey along the cycle path and making fritters for my dinner – bonus because I have little food in my cupboards at present! Although short on time, stopping part way along a cycle route I usually tr

It’s been an incredibly busy time since I last wrote, but I have been enjoying taking time out for some wild moments each day. I’ve been back to see the swans on a couple of occasions. I visited them very early in the morning the day after they hatched and was rewarded with the beautiful sight of their first swim. It was great to see their personalities come out – two stayed in for about 10 minutes before retreating back to the nest with mum, while the third decided he was ha

Today I went to explore a location where I expected to find wildflowers… except the area had been mown and applied with herbicide in places the mower couldn’t reach. I’ve been deliberating whether or not to blog about this, but have decided to go ahead. I’m not going to divulge where in the Central Belt this specific place was, as that is not relevant to the reasons behind writing this entry. I feel that it is vital we question behaviours that we consider normal in order to e

Today I challenged myself to find the colours of the rainbow in the flora around me. Setting off late afternoon, I expected the hardest colours to find would be indigo and red... and was right and wrong. Surprisingly, red occurred fairly regularly, mainly in close-up details such as stems and young leaves, although I also found a red flower. Aside from indigo, the colour I had most trouble with was orange. The fantastic thing about focusing on colours though, is you begin to

There’s nothing quite like the morning sun breaking through clouds after a burst of refreshing springtime rain; presenting an illuminated world of tender young shoots and flowers elegantly adorned in sparkling swathes of delicate jewels. Stunning as it is observing this glittering world from a distance, it is equally – if not, even more – fascinating close up. I recently enjoyed a walk in such conditions between Achmelvich and Lochinver during another visit up the far North W

It’s that time of year where Spring is fast approaching and plants are beginning to awaken. The snowdrops have already made their appearance, and it’s been a welcoming sight, seeing them dotted all over the city of Edinburgh. But now it is the crocuses time to shine. Check out a verge near you to see these beauties emerging in their masses. I headed out to explore Victoria Park for the first time, and was delighted to happen across a vast, colourful congregation. I managed a