Tag Archives: landscape

Shielding and shelter

Posted on April 22, 2020 by Annie O'Garra Worsley

There are wriggling tadpoles in small pools across the bog next to our croft but in the last few dry days water levels have dropped and their living spaces have shrunk. A rescue attempt will be made shortly, buckets and … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged coastal landscapes, cuckoos, Highlands, landscape, mountains, nature, North West Highlands, Spring, weather, west coast, wildlife | 4 Comments

Abundance

Posted on August 30, 2019 by Annie O'Garra Worsley

It is late August and the morning is fierce with light. Westwards the Outer Isles are floating in a blue haze, their familiar shapes swollen yet indistinct. I am roaming the croft fields with a bag and a walking stick. … Continue reading →

Posted in birds, crofting, encounters with wildlife, environment, experiencing nature, landscape, meadows, nature, Scotland, summer, wildflowers, wildlife | Tagged birds, experiencing nature, jungles, landscape, meadows, nature writing, summer, wildflowers, wildlife | 7 Comments

Whale bones and wintry wilds

Posted on November 17, 2017 by Annie O'Garra Worsley

Snow appeared on our mountain tops with the back-turning of clocks, just as it usually does, so now days are constricted, confined at each end by swift sunrises and swifter sunsets. Each incremental diurnal shortening can almost be tasted. To … Continue reading →

Posted in birds, bones, coasts, death, encounters with wildlife, environment, experiencing nature, landscape, nature, nature writing, otters, photography, Scotland, sea, Storms, Uncategorized, walking, weather, whales, wilderness, wildlife, wildlife encounters, winter, winter weather | Tagged coasts, crofting, environment, landscape, nature, otters, Scotland, Scottish Highlands, Storms, whales, Wild weather, wildlife, winter | Leave a comment

Limestone homecoming and olive trees

Posted on October 5, 2017 by Annie O'Garra Worsley

For a few years I took groups of university students to Mallorca. It was both a privilege and a pleasure; hard work but great fun. Through fieldwork we investigated the island’s mountain and coastal landscapes and tried to piece together … Continue reading →

Posted in archaeology, beaches, Formentor, karst, limestone, Lluc, Mallorca, Mediterranean, Mediterranean holidays, Mediterranean vegetation, olive groves, olive trees, rillenkaren, Serra de Tramuntana, terraces, university teaching | Tagged beach, coast, coasts, geology, karst, landscape, limestone, Mallorca, Mallorca mountains, Mediterranean, Mediterranean vegetation, mountains, nature, olive trees, sea, terraces, weather, wilderness, wildlife | 5 Comments

Wild meetings and mirages

Posted on May 29, 2017 by Annie O'Garra Worsley

A heron-grey early dawn. Through my open window wet scented air slipped in. It smelled wonderful. After days of heat that has bleached bog mosses and sucked moisture from soil, the rain was very welcome. Scents slicked over my tongue … Continue reading →

Posted in beaches, birds, coasts, encounters with wildlife, environment, environment, experiencing nature, landscape, nature, wilderness, wildlife | Tagged beach, birds, coast, croft, landscape, meetings, nature, new friends, ringed plovers, stag, weather, Wester Ross, wild, wilderness, wildlife, wildlife encounters | 3 Comments

Cuckoo blues

Posted on May 14, 2017 by Annie O'Garra Worsley

Our high-sky, Mediterranean-bright spell of dry weather has ended in a shimmer of pearly light and cool lavender breezes. The last few days have blown change in at our windows and doors and brought silver mists and gentle dampness woven … Continue reading →

Posted in coasts, environment, environment, experiencing nature, landscape, nature, nature writing, photography, sea, Spring, Uncategorized, walking, wilderness, wildlife | Tagged coasts, cuckoo, experiencing nature, landscape, nature, painting, Scotland, sea birds, Spring, weather, Wester Ross, wildlife | 4 Comments

Swallow-filled scents and a hidden beach

Posted on April 30, 2017 by Annie O'Garra Worsley

Warm light has spread across us like butter melting on toast. A week ago winter splashed about and shrugged snow over the hills and now just a few white patches remain on the high peaks. As the ground warms here … Continue reading →

Posted in coasts, environment, experiencing nature, geology, landforms, landscape, nature, photography, Spring, Uncategorized, walking | Tagged art, coasts, landscape, nature, nature writing, photgraphy, senses, swallows, wild beaches, wildlife, wildness | Leave a comment

The fantastic beasts (of Trotternish) and where to find them

Posted on February 19, 2017 by Annie O'Garra Worsley

Buffeting breezes and grey rains have returned yet the signs of spring are manifold. There are snowdrops gasping in wide open surprise at the lack of snow and ice, crocuses vibrating in purple and orange and daffodil spears bursting through turf … Continue reading →

Posted in environment, experiencing nature, geology, landforms, landscape, legend, mountains, myth, nature, photography, sea, Skye, Trotternish, walking, wilderness, wildlife, winter | Tagged beaches, geology, Inner Sound, Isle of Skye, landforms, landscape, mountains, Old Man of Storr, Quiraing, Trotternish, waterfalls, wilderness, wildlife, winter | 9 Comments

A poem for a summer storm in the mountains

Posted on September 9, 2016 by Annie O'Garra Worsley

Summer Storm on Stac Pollaidh Languishing in perfumed August heat Stac Pollaidh stands crowned in red A stone serpent draped across his flanks Interlocking scales curl steeply upwards Reptilian ladder protection against a tide of booted feet Under tussocks … Continue reading →

Posted in environment, landscape, mountains, nature, poetry, storm, Uncategorized, wilderness | Tagged crags, deer, landscape, Loch, mountains, nature, paths, peat, poetry, Quinag, rocks, Stac Pollaidh, storm, Suilven, summer, summit, trails, wild, Wild weather | Leave a comment

Midsummer: inner sounds and outer colours

Posted on July 3, 2016 by Annie O'Garra Worsley

Since the summer solstice sunshine and showers have been passing quickly across the croft, hills and sea. The bright warmth of recent weeks still clings to the North West Highlands and the air is filled with countless trillions of tiny … Continue reading →

Posted in art, landscape, Midsummer, nature, photography, Summer Solstice, wilderness | Tagged art, coast, colour, croft, Inner Sound, landscape, meadow, Midsummer, nature, ocean, photography, phytoplankton, sea, Skye, solstice, summer, wildlife | 3 Comments