Country diary: The utter shock of seeing wildfire devastation up close | Amanda Thomson

Abernethy Forest/Dava Moor, Cairngorms: Hillsides were charred and trees left with the barest of crowns. Nothing had been sparedThe forest's understorey is wonderful just now, dotted with cow-wheat and northern bedstraw, speedwells and tormentil. It's also the time of year to search for my favourite - the twinflower, with its tiny Y-shaped stems that hold two tiny flowers of the palest pink. In the UK, it's found only in such pinewoods, though there are great initiatives to expand their colonies through translocation.I'm late for my usual pilgrimage after going on holiday, but my first attempt to find them, at the end of June, was quickly thwarted. A change in the wind direction had brought acrid smoke from wildfires that were burning 20 miles or so to the north. The evening was so dark that it felt like there was an eclipse, before a shower of rain cleared the air. Continue reading...