Splat! Something hit the windscreen. Something large. One of those ones you REALLY notice. And another. The wipers tried their best but a misty smear nonetheless formed in their wake across the whole of the windscreen. It was only then that I noticed just how many smaller, soundless collisions there had been during my drive down the A90. On arriving in Fife, I exclaimed aloud when I saw that the front of my white car wasn’t white anymore. Anyone who drives will be accustomed to this happening, but I genuinely couldn’t remember the last time I’d seen the car in…

As walkers, often venturing into wild and remote places, we can play an important role in the conservation of rare species that many people will never come across, but why bother with bumblebees? Here, Annie Ives – hillwalker and professional bumblebee-bagger as Project Officer for Bumblebee Conservation Trust – explains why these precious, mountain-dwelling pollinators deserve a place in our hearts and how we can help them when we are exploring the hills. Following a faint footpath (or is it a deer track?!) through knee-high heather, I hear a distinctive low hum. Automatically, my eyes join my ears, tuning in…

I’ve written a fair few spring-related articles over the years, each one pondering the various signs that herald the end of winter. And while I’ve always reasoned that spring is a culmination of numerous natural cues across a period of weeks, if I was forced to single-out one thing that represents spring more than any other, then it would be the return of the curlew. Appearance wise, the curlew is surely a contender for our most recognisable bird silhouette. Large, with long legs and a long neck, a small head, and a long and thin beak that curves downwards. That…

There’s not much life up high this time of year. Or at least, that’s the impression you get as you push through shifting sprindrift and up wind-scoured ridges. You can easily buy into the notion that there’s only you up there. As far as you’re concerned, you’re the only creature mad enough to try. But it’s often at times like those, when the wind is raging and you feel the need to keep moving to stay warm, that a small, plump white bird crosses your path. It’s never the case that I catch advance sight of its silhouette on a…