Spot the smaller things in nature this summer

Travel writer Phoebe Smith and binocular maker Swarovski offer tips to help countryside explorers slow down this summer and notice the little things in nature. 1. Look for nature’s clues Sometimes, when we take a walk, we can get so fixated on where we are headed to that we forget to take the time to…

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Ten birds to spot in your garden this spring

The warmer months of spring promise the start of the nesting season and a chance for nature lovers to spot busy birds as they hurry to build nests. To help stay-at-home wildlife explorers identify their sightings, Swarovski Optik, a world-leading manufacturer of long-range optics, has shared a list of ten British birds that can easily…

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Call to join daily Scottish birdwatch

Scots are being invited to join in with the RSPB’s daily breakfast birdwatch. It is taking place between 8-9am weekdays, at a time when many of us would have been commuting to work, doing the school run, or otherwise unable to enjoy the splendour of nature, from the safety of our homes. Using #BreakfastBirdwatch on…

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Relocating red squirrels is saving the species

Relocating endangered squirrels offers a road to recovery. Safeguarding red squirrels in Scotland may be an ongoing concern, but the pioneering work of one man is offering hope for the future of this threatened species. Ornithologist and wildlife consultant Roy Dennis MBE has an impressive track record. His name is frequently linked with ospreys, a…

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A contemporary home on a Scottish isle

An architect-designed home with five acres of land on the beautiful Isle of North Uist, a stunning and unspoilt Hebridean island, is now for sale. Presented by Galbraith, Taigh na Coille (The Forest House) is situated close to the beach and enjoys a panoramic outlook over the surrounding countryside and the sea. The property has…

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Ramblers Scotland names its first woman president

Blogger and mountain leader Lucy Wallace will become the first woman president of Ramblers Scotland, the walking charity has announced. Lucy is a professional wildlife guide and outdoor instructor who holds the Winter, Summer and International Mountain Leader awards. She is an accredited Duke of Edinburgh’s Award assessor, working with schools and young people on…

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Volunteers wanted for Big Garden Birdwatch

This weekend (25-27 January), RSPB Scotland is celebrating over four decades of Big Garden Birdwatch, and asking people to join in with the citizen science project by dedicating just one hour of their time. Last year over 32,000 people took part across Scotland, and house sparrows took the top spot for the 8th year running,…

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Keep an eye out for these rare winter birds

Across the country large numbers of winter thrushes, fieldfares and redwings are turning up on lawns as the temperature plummets. These birds are often mistaken for the song thrush, which can be found in gardens all year round, as they look very similar. Sadly the more familiar song thrush, together with winter visitors fieldfares and…

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Rural communities stand up to Chris Packham

Around 150 rural workers staged a demonstration in Perth last night (Tuesday), protesting against what they say is broadcaster Chris Packham’s ‘relentless drive’ to wreck their livelihoods. The BBC presenter – an outspoken critic of fieldsports – was giving a talk on nature photography at Perth Concert Hall. However, his appearance was met with a…

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The moor the merrier with affordable shooting

Grouse shooting doesn’t need to cost the earth and a day of walked-up shooting can bring you closer to mother nature than ever before. A dozen exhausted bodies collapsed into the thick heather at the mention of lunch – it had been a strenuous morning, and with six brace in the bag it had been…

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