Monique Sliedrecht

Caithness comes to life in the summertime. There is so much activity - county shows, kayak adventures, exhibitions, pipe band parades, park runs, highland games, nature walks…not to mention swallows nesting, wildflowers growing, seals bobbing and honeybees buzzing. Recently, whilst in the waiting room before a medical appointment, I was paging through one of the magazines on the table and came across an article about someone working to restore ponds and pond life in the UK.

The Pentland Firth in the far north of Scotland is known to be one of the roughest stretches of tide in the world. There has been many a shipwreck in these terrifying cross currents, with very few able to survive the frigid waters. I remember a trip across the Firth once. The person driving the boat was experienced and familiar with that passage of water, having made the trip many times, and suggested that we would have to take the long route back as the tide was turning. It

When it comes to perseverance and sheer determination, I never cease to be amazed by the tiny swallow. While small, it has a larger than life journey every year. The task of flying from South Africa to Scotland is no simple feat, and if we witness their arrival in the UK, we know they’ve survived an incredibly treacherous journey over sea and desert, through all weathers. I have kept their wonderfully made mud nests in the porch and am looking forward to when they fill t

Northern Drift, 3 April 2026, John O'Groat Journal With Spring comes change. For many, it is a welcome one of lengthening days, new growth and warmer weather. This is a sure thing in the northern hemisphere, an event we can count on, however long it takes to get here! Change can also bring with it a sense of uncertainty, opening up the path to something else. It can involve the closing of one door and open another. Change is hard. The unknown is scary. Sudden shifts can h