SNH Magazine
A big part of SNH’s work involves encouraging people from all walks of life to get
outdoors and enjoy what nature has to offer. Getting outdoors isn’t just good for
us physically; it’s also good for our mental well-being... for ‘the soul’, if you like.
It helps us experience different aspects of the world we live in and, hopefully, be
inspired by them.
Our mountains, rivers, forests and coastline are all things that spring to mind
when we think about being outdoors in Scotland. But it’s not just in the wilder
places that we can fi nd inspiration. Nature that’s closer to home – such as
farmland, local parks, community woodlands, paths and canals – can also provide
an invaluable outdoor experience in our often hectic, mainly indoor, daily lives.
Wherever you live in Scotland, the natural world has the power to stir emotions
and inspire a creative response.
Scotland’s rich and varied nature and landscapes have, for hundreds of years,
inspired artists of all kinds to put pen to paper, brush to canvas or – more recently
– to point the camera or click the mouse.
In this issue of The Nature of Scotland we explore how nature, both remote
and close to home, can encourage creativity. The artist Keith Salmon talks about
how he has combined his twin passions of painting and hill walking to create
stunning abstract landscape works. The fact that Keith has lost much of his sight
has not prevented him from being inspired by Scotland’s natural environment,
from agricultural Ayrshire to the wilds of Sutherland.
We also feature the ‘PoeTree’ project, where poet Kenneth Steven describes
his work helping children to explore and understand their local environment. He
encourages them to record their responses in poetry and prose after they visit a
woodland and experience trees with all their senses. It's a great example of how
‘nature on our doorstep’ can help us look at the world in different ways.
Two national nature reserves (NNRs) also feature in this issue. Forvie NNR,
north of Aberdeen, is host to spectacular sand dunes and bird life, and is profi led
as part of our ongoing series on NNR walks around Scotland. We also provide
some background to a recent BBC documentary, part of the Natural World
series, on the spectacular wildlife and landscapes of Beinn Eighe NNR in Wester
Ross. The music for the film was composed by world-renowned Scots musician
Phil Cunningham, providing another example of art inspired by nature.
I hope you enjoy this winter edition of The Nature of Scotland and that it
motivates you to get outdoors. Who knows, you might also be inspired to create
your own artwork while you’re out there!
Kenneth Fowler
Head of Information and Communication
Scottish Natural Heritage
2.24 MB)