Forest Healing

18/04/2026

Recently, the Cairngorms National Park Authority announced a ban on open fires in parts of the park, which came into force on the 1st April 2026. It was introduced to help protect the fragile landscapes and reduce the risk of wildfires. For many people who spend time in wild places, the idea of lighting a small campfire has long been associated with warmth, companionship, and a sense of connection with nature. Yet the decision is also a reminder that fire is never a neutral presence in the landscape. It is powerful, transformative, and demands care and responsibility.

This announcement also invites a deeper reflection. Fire has been part of human life for hundreds of thousands of years. Long before modern parks, regulations, and conservation policies, the discovery of fire changed the course of human history. It allowed our ancestors to cook food, survive colder climates, and protect themselves from predators. But perhaps most importantly, fire brought people together. Around the glow of a fire, early humans gathered, shared stories, exchanged knowledge, and began to build the social bonds that would eventually shape human culture. In many ways, the circle of firelight became one of the first spaces in which human community truly formed.
In our latest article, we explore the social significance of fire and why people are still drawn to its warmth and light today.

Read the full article here.

For early humans, fire was not simply a tool. It was a presence. It was warmth in the cold, light in the darkness, protection against the unknown, and a place to gather. The discovery of fire was one of the most transformative moments in human history, but its importance goes far beyond cooking or s

17/04/2026

06/04/2026

Find out more about the Guided Forest Bathing walk I will be offering on Saturday at the Heal Scotland Wild Medicine Festival in Stonehaven (and again in Tarbert in just over two weeks time!)

04/04/2026

Spiritual Experiences in Ecotherapy — How nature connection can awaken meaning, healing, and a sense of belonging

Ecotherapy is often described as a therapeutic approach that brings people into contact with nature in ways that support mental health and wellbeing. Activities such as forest bathing, nature-based counselling, conservation work, or mindful walking in natural landscapes are increasingly recognised as effective tools for reducing stress, anxiety, and depression. Yet research increasingly suggests that something deeper may also occur in these settings: people frequently report spiritual experiences.
These experiences do not necessarily involve religion or formal spirituality. Rather, they often take the form of profound feelings of connection, awe, presence, or belonging within the living world. In recent research, participants in nature-based therapy described moments in which they felt deeply connected to life, more accepting of themselves, and newly hopeful about their future.

Understanding the spiritual dimension of ecotherapy is important because it may explain why nature-based approaches can feel uniquely transformative. Rather than simply improving mood or reducing stress, encounters with nature may help people rediscover meaning, identity, and their place within a larger web of life.

Read more in my latest website article ...

Studies show that nature-based therapies can sometimes evoke powerful feelings of presence, belonging, and awe. Participants often describe moments when the natural world helps them see their lives from a new perspective, process difficult emotions, and rediscover hope.

04/04/2026

Part of the ethos of Forest Bathing is that we shouldn’t just take from nature, even if that is just taking the benefits of better health and wellbeing, but that we should give back too. This is what is know as a reciprocal relationship that benefits both parties. I try to give back in various ways, but one of these ways is as a proud Ambassador for Trash Free Trails. Today I helped with the Spring Clean at Tarland Trails as it’s my local bike track. The great thing about Tarland Trails is that from the start there has been a strong emphasis on not dropping single-use pollution and other litter. This becomes self-perpetuating as people as much less inclined to drop litter of no-one else does. So not a lot to Spring Clean in terms of litter. So we spent a couple of hours removing about 200 old plastic tree guards an a length of dilapidated stock fencing instead.

29/03/2026

I will be offering a Guided Forest Bathing Walk in Dunnottar Woods on Saturday 11th April as part of the Heal Scotland Wild Medicine Festival in Stonehaven.

28/03/2026

Integrating nature into work routines can significantly boost cognitive performance and deep-focus capacity. Decades of research – from Kaplan’s Attention Restoration Theory to modern EEG studies – show that natural environments replenish attention and improve memory and executive control ....

Integrating nature into work routines can significantly boost cognitive performance and deep-focus capacity. Decades of research – from Kaplan’s Attention Restoration Theory to modern EEG studies – show that natural environments replenish attention and improve memory and executive control.

24/03/2026

The mindfulness activity reconnecting people with nature and themselves

A Japanese medical practice where participants immerse themselves in nature is gaining global popularity. Shinrin-yoku or forest bathing was developed almost 50 years ago to combat elevated levels of stress associated with a fast-paced lifestyle. And experts say the practice is even more relevant today.

A Japanese medical practice where participants immerse themselves in nature is gaining global popularity. Shinrin-yoku or forest bathing was developed almost 50 years ago to combat elevated levels of stress associated with a fast-paced lifestyle. And experts say the practice is even more relevant…

23/03/2026

About a year ago I put an Owl Box I had made in a tree in the woods opposite where I work. This week I found out that a Tawny Owl has made its home in my Owl Box!

21/03/2026

St. Lesmo, The Celtic Saints and Nature Connection

The legend of St. Lesmo of Glen Tanar is an example of a hermit‑saint tied to the wilderness; like many early Celtic hermits he served travellers on rough mountain roads. But it is really the broader Celtic tradition (with or without Christianity) that kept alive a deep love and respect for nature. From holy wells to storybook saints feeding animals, the Celtic ethos saw the natural world as charged with the divine.

My latest website article looks at the legend of St Lesmo of Glen Tanar and some of the other Celtic Saints associated with nature and the wilderness.

St. Lesmo of Glen Tanar is an example of a hermit‑saint tied to the wilderness; like many early Celtic hermits he served travellers on rough mountain roads. But it is really the broader Celtic tradition that kept alive a deep love and respect for nature. From holy wells to storybook saints feedi...

20/03/2026

Tomorrow’s planned adventure up Carn Ban Mor and Sgur Gaoith ….