Winter comes to Caerlaverock
The first thing you notice when you step out of your car is the chill. If you’ve not put your gloves on already, you quickly pull them out of your pockets. After that, the thick cover of frost that hasn’t melted in days glistens at you and catches your eye. It crunches underfoot as you make your way towards the visitor centre. You can hear the jackdaws rustling in the tree above your car and the whooper swans’ strident call over on the frozen Whooper Pond. The sky is clear and a tranquil blue.
You’ve made it to WWT Caerlaverock and are in for a treat.
Sir Peter Scott, the founder of WWT, said “Man needs nature for his spiritual wellbeing as well as his material wellbeing.” This is never more important than in winter when people find themselves feeling down and wanting to hibernate as the sun rises ever later and the night comes on ever more quickly. Carving out time to connect with nature becomes crucial: whether it is taking five minutes on your lunch break to sit on a bench and feel the sun on your face or taking a trip to your local reserve to get close to wildlife. Spending time in blue spaces, like at WWT Caerlaverock, can be a peaceful way to capture the beauty of winter and maybe for a moment, forget that it is getting dark at 4pm!
Written by Marianne Nicholson
Feature photograph by Sam Vadas
