April- Red deer stag in blizzard, Scotland.
Let's be honest, Scotland's red deer get a pretty hard time. Far from their 'Monarch of the Glen' emblematic image, they face an onslaught from the weather, a deforested landscape and a cocktail of cultural and political opinion about how many should live where and why. The poor beasts are well familiar with the path between a rock and a hard place.
As part of a book project on Scotland's native forest, I've long tried for images of red deer in their natural setting - no easy task in itself. But not satisfied with just cake, I want cream on mine - cream in the form of falling snow. So just when I thought the icy winter had loosened its grip and the opportunity was gone for another year, the Highlands was recently hit by a blizzardous day, a day that I grabbed with eager hands. This stag, on the brink of losing his winter antlers, stood momentarily framed by the bulk of a veteran pine. Cake, cream and lots of those coloured sprinkly bits on top!
(Thanks to Graham MacDonald and David Kinnear of Alvie Estate).
