A breath of fresh air from Scotland

Welcome to "Man with two dogs" - the family website for dog owners and dog walkers.

This is my countryside diary which appears each Saturday in the Courier & Advertiser newspaper.

Archive for December, 2009

Back door drama

Saturday, December 26th, 2009
Weekly

THERE WAS correspondence in Craigie Column several months back about the scarcity of wildlife in readers’ gardens.  We noticed it here but assumed that there was so much natural feeding in the hedges and woods that the birds and red squirrels didn’t need the bought food we put out – and they would return when they were ready to do so.  I’m beginning now to wonder if this is really the case (more…)

Written for Weekly |

In from the cold

Saturday, December 19th, 2009
Weekly

CHRISTMAS SHOPPING can be a bit of a trauchle but, by way of diversion, if you look about you it’s surprising how much wildlife there is to see that has become accustomed to human company and cheerfully adopted urban living (more…)

Written for Weekly |

… in his master’s steps he trod

Saturday, December 12th, 2009
Weekly

CATS PAWS riffled the shallow water covering the sands of the Annat Bank. The ebbing tide had almost completed its twice daily cycle of emptying the Montrose Basin and I was standing on the damp sand at the outfall of the River South Esk where it meets the North Sea, looking across to Scurdie Ness Lighthouse. (more…)

Written for Weekly |

Sliding up the bannister of life

Saturday, December 5th, 2009
Weekly

THE IMMORTAL memory of Scotland’s national bard burned bright in Perth last Saturday. For seven years now Perth Burns Club has held a St Andrew’s Day celebration at which four of Scotland’s “leading academics, writers and personalities” give presentations on topics of Scottish life and culture. To my genuine surprise I was invited to give one of the lectures this year. (more…)

Written for Weekly |