And another celebration day, this time for my heart dog, Calaidh who turned 11 today. Named for Caledonia, the land we both call home, she has been my rock for over a decade. Through the quiet days, the hard days, the big changes and the small wins, she has been there for all of it, steady and loyal. Some dogs come into your life for a short time but some are here longer, each one changing the shape of your world forever. Calaidh is the one who did that for me first and continues to to this day.

The Great Caledonian Forest once stretched across most of Scotland. Not pockets of woodland like we see now, but a continuous canopy of pine and birch, with mother trees anchoring entire ecosystems beneath them. Wolves moved through it. Lynx. Creatures that don’t walk these hills anymore. It’s strange to stand here and realise how much of it is gone What's your Roman Empire? | Hairy Highlander