Monthly Archives: October 2019

I don’t blame you, the leaders of Trees for Life, for my problems on the tree planting week. I brought my demons with me. I certainly don’t regret doing it, and there were many positives. There were also some things … Continue reading →

We’re back tree planting again but at a new location higher up in the mountains. It’s no more than half an hour’s walk to get to the small exclosure, but it’s wet and rough as usual.  I’m in a team … Continue reading →

Day 5 Thursday 3 October  I am a wild man, tangled hair unwashed for 6 days; tea with milk just about to turn and slightly acidic; straight out of my bunk and into my clothes. Actually I’m cheating. It’s not … Continue reading →

It’s Wednesday 2 October. We’ve worked for 3 hard days and now are free to do what we want. For  me it’s simple: take pictures. For the others it’s mostly walking – a chance to tackle some of the big … Continue reading →

1:30 “I can’t do this! It’s prison work, no skill, just hard labour!” Failure. I admit defeat. With 90 minutes still to go I’m exhausted and my back is hurting. If I carry on it will get worse. I had … Continue reading →

I’ve slept late for me. It’s 6 45 before I open the van door to a blast of cool air. The ground as I step down is soft but the grasses are all silvered with frost. It’s absolutely still. Not … Continue reading →

On the map it looked impossibly remote, but this is Glen Affric in the Scottish Highlands, one of the most popular tourist destinations in Europe, and  there are few times when there are not walkers, hunters, even vehicles coming and … Continue reading →

It’s a name on the map, a croft which can only be reached by a 5 mile rough track from the little estate village of Tomich north of Drumnadrochit on Loch Ness. It’s home to a pair of Golden Eagles, … Continue reading →