I can hardly believe it’s the final day of 30 Days Wild (and June!) already. Today I made the effort to get out to a wildflower meadow, as it has been something on my list that I was determined to fit into my wild day activity. I’m grateful that Edinburgh Botanic Gardens is a short cycle ride away from the office, and to my boss for alerting me to the fabulous display of beautiful wildflowers currently on offer there. I made a flying visit on my lunch break, and it felt great

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

…you’re sure of big, wonderful, amazing surprises. Including zombie rabbits… …Jewel-like reflections… …and not forgetting the odd heart! To put into context, this time last week I was up in the far North West Highlands, completely immersed in the beautiful Culag Woods of Lochinver. Enveloped in a dramatic atmosphere – created by that morning’s rainfall, and enhanced by the sun frequently bursting through low cloud, creating beautiful contrasts between the striking silvers of

A photography cycle-ride yesterday along the amazing Edinburgh cycle-path network was intended for travelling far and wide, capturing a variety of “spring-bursting-into-life” pictures. I was absolutely intent on avoiding my usual trap of ending up in one place for three-hours flat. Yet ten minutes of cycling later, a beautiful whiff of onions tantalising my nose and a stop to investigate what on first appearance was a spread of generic – albeit eye-satisfyingly lush – green l

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