Mairi Hedges
@hedgesbackward.bsky.social
I’m Mairi. I live & work on a croft in Rogart. I keep a small flock of sheep. I'm a maker of things, often out of wool & found/recycled objects. Attempting to turn this into a business. Never come home from a walk without something in my pockets.
Rogart. 7.19am. After the rain. The hay park sparkles & swallows swoop low catching breakfast. Good morning.
July 1, 2025 at 6:22 AM
Rogart. 7.19am. After the rain. The hay park sparkles & swallows swoop low catching breakfast. Good morning.
Rogart. The wind keeps blowing. It's beyond getting on my nerves. The constant noise. Willow branches are bent at wrong angles or snapped off entirely. However, because the wind was so noisy it didn't hear me coming, I met a young lapwing up close. (It pretended to be a stone).
June 29, 2025 at 7:35 AM
Rogart. The wind keeps blowing. It's beyond getting on my nerves. The constant noise. Willow branches are bent at wrong angles or snapped off entirely. However, because the wind was so noisy it didn't hear me coming, I met a young lapwing up close. (It pretended to be a stone).
Rogart. 10am. Blustery. Big cloud shadows move fast along the strath. Small birds blow about. The hay park sorrel is full of goldfinches. Hogweed is busy with insects. Down the croft, many butterflies, today, mainly ringlets, none willing to pose. Cuckoo spit is on everything...
June 28, 2025 at 9:45 AM
Rogart. 10am. Blustery. Big cloud shadows move fast along the strath. Small birds blow about. The hay park sorrel is full of goldfinches. Hogweed is busy with insects. Down the croft, many butterflies, today, mainly ringlets, none willing to pose. Cuckoo spit is on everything...
Rogart. A meadow pipit’s nest. Hidden in the moss & heather outside the gate…
June 25, 2025 at 7:03 PM
Rogart. A meadow pipit’s nest. Hidden in the moss & heather outside the gate…
Rogart. 1.30pm. The wind is whipping across the hay park. Grasses shimmer in waves, bending & rippling ahead of me. The hoggs scatter & run as I approach. They've known me all of their lives & see me every day, but the wind makes them spooky. Swallows swoop low with extra speed.
June 23, 2025 at 12:44 PM
Rogart. 1.30pm. The wind is whipping across the hay park. Grasses shimmer in waves, bending & rippling ahead of me. The hoggs scatter & run as I approach. They've known me all of their lives & see me every day, but the wind makes them spooky. Swallows swoop low with extra speed.
Rogart. A walk up the hill. In the loch of lost pants (long story) water lilies bloom, leaves lifting in waves in the wind. On the track, nests of debris made by this morning’s heavy rain & green larch saplings. Roots under water in the lochan, looking like a tangle of antlers…
June 22, 2025 at 7:54 PM
Rogart. A walk up the hill. In the loch of lost pants (long story) water lilies bloom, leaves lifting in waves in the wind. On the track, nests of debris made by this morning’s heavy rain & green larch saplings. Roots under water in the lochan, looking like a tangle of antlers…
Rogart. 6.30am. Woken by thunder, lightning flashes through closed eyes & rain bouncing in through the open window. The sheer volume of water coming out of the sky is incredible. It is lying in ever growing puddles which join, submerging grass. The first noisy storm in a while...
June 22, 2025 at 6:01 AM
Rogart. 6.30am. Woken by thunder, lightning flashes through closed eyes & rain bouncing in through the open window. The sheer volume of water coming out of the sky is incredible. It is lying in ever growing puddles which join, submerging grass. The first noisy storm in a while...
Rogart. Solstice dawns grey & breezy, mist is blowing in. It’s not quite what I expected, especially after yesterday’s heat. I’ve caught a cold & that brings on thoughts of days getting shorter. I shouldn’t be thinking of winter. Red & white campion & ragged robin are everywhere.
June 21, 2025 at 8:51 AM
Rogart. Solstice dawns grey & breezy, mist is blowing in. It’s not quite what I expected, especially after yesterday’s heat. I’ve caught a cold & that brings on thoughts of days getting shorter. I shouldn’t be thinking of winter. Red & white campion & ragged robin are everywhere.
Rogart. Solstice eve. A day where sheep sought shade. Now it is grey & breezy. I brought a newly hatched ghost moth inside so she wouldn't be eaten by hens. I watched her unfurl. Recently I have found lots of white wings in the hay park (the males are white & fly in groups)...
June 20, 2025 at 7:59 PM
Rogart. Solstice eve. A day where sheep sought shade. Now it is grey & breezy. I brought a newly hatched ghost moth inside so she wouldn't be eaten by hens. I watched her unfurl. Recently I have found lots of white wings in the hay park (the males are white & fly in groups)...
Rogart. 9am. 19 degrees already. It's a beautiful day. Behind the ruin, swallows are swooping in & out of the one tiny window hole. Self seeded foxgloves, ivy & honeysuckle (brought home from local walks) climb. The first apples are growing on a small tree I raised from a pip...
June 20, 2025 at 8:13 AM
Rogart. 9am. 19 degrees already. It's a beautiful day. Behind the ruin, swallows are swooping in & out of the one tiny window hole. Self seeded foxgloves, ivy & honeysuckle (brought home from local walks) climb. The first apples are growing on a small tree I raised from a pip...
Rogart. 6.12pm. Sheltering in the shed waiting for a torrential downpour to pass. I could see it coming from the west. The Pensioner eventually joined me & there was a hen laying an egg in the straw bale next to me. The rain was so heavy it was bouncing up off the ground...
June 17, 2025 at 6:47 PM
Rogart. 6.12pm. Sheltering in the shed waiting for a torrential downpour to pass. I could see it coming from the west. The Pensioner eventually joined me & there was a hen laying an egg in the straw bale next to me. The rain was so heavy it was bouncing up off the ground...
Rogart. Looking to the west across the hay park which is rippling in the wind. The sky is threatening rain. I found the reason why I've only had about 4 eggs in the last 2 days. Every day is a game of hide & seek (dratted birds). In the big ditch, yellow flag iris is flowering.
June 15, 2025 at 6:19 PM
Rogart. Looking to the west across the hay park which is rippling in the wind. The sky is threatening rain. I found the reason why I've only had about 4 eggs in the last 2 days. Every day is a game of hide & seek (dratted birds). In the big ditch, yellow flag iris is flowering.
Rogart. Fine rain at bedtime, turned everything blue green silver. Droplets of water haloing & drooping plants in the still light of short nights. (I fall asleep to almost daylight). Morning across the hay park. My wellies stuck with grass pollen. The air smells of elderflowers…
June 15, 2025 at 7:48 AM
Rogart. Fine rain at bedtime, turned everything blue green silver. Droplets of water haloing & drooping plants in the still light of short nights. (I fall asleep to almost daylight). Morning across the hay park. My wellies stuck with grass pollen. The air smells of elderflowers…
Rogart. One of the first jobs in the morning is bottle breakfast for Betty. (Smaller twin whose Ma can only count to 1, despite my best efforts). Betty stays in the park with the rest of the flock. She plays with the lambs. She comes running when she hears the gate latch squeak.
June 14, 2025 at 6:47 AM
Rogart. One of the first jobs in the morning is bottle breakfast for Betty. (Smaller twin whose Ma can only count to 1, despite my best efforts). Betty stays in the park with the rest of the flock. She plays with the lambs. She comes running when she hears the gate latch squeak.
Rogart. Breezy & warm. Cloudy skies, but bright. The scent of grass & birch. Birdsong is surround sound. A pair of wood pigeons clatter out of an ash tree, followed a little while after by another pair. Plump grey bodies flying west. The spotted orchids are up, globeflowers too.
June 13, 2025 at 7:15 AM
Rogart. Breezy & warm. Cloudy skies, but bright. The scent of grass & birch. Birdsong is surround sound. A pair of wood pigeons clatter out of an ash tree, followed a little while after by another pair. Plump grey bodies flying west. The spotted orchids are up, globeflowers too.
Rogart. It’s been a while. Lucky (15 year old pensioner) roams & lurks. Stuffing her face. Giving me jump scares by baaing loudly from unexpected places. Elsewhere, sparrow nest building control needs to step in. This, on the front of the baler, low down, easily in reach of cats.
June 12, 2025 at 7:23 PM
Rogart. It’s been a while. Lucky (15 year old pensioner) roams & lurks. Stuffing her face. Giving me jump scares by baaing loudly from unexpected places. Elsewhere, sparrow nest building control needs to step in. This, on the front of the baler, low down, easily in reach of cats.
I'm fine thank you, just busy & feeling quiet, (this is this year's bottle lamb, a part of the busyness). Thank you.
June 6, 2025 at 7:31 PM
I'm fine thank you, just busy & feeling quiet, (this is this year's bottle lamb, a part of the busyness). Thank you.
Rogart. 7.16am. Heavy rain shower earlier. (Woken by 2 soggy cats, met a 3rd in the kitchen at breakfast time). Tree branches droop under weight of water. Low cloud hangs in the strath. Not a breath of wind in this green place. Loud birdsong & the first midge bites of the year.
May 30, 2025 at 7:21 AM
Rogart. 7.16am. Heavy rain shower earlier. (Woken by 2 soggy cats, met a 3rd in the kitchen at breakfast time). Tree branches droop under weight of water. Low cloud hangs in the strath. Not a breath of wind in this green place. Loud birdsong & the first midge bites of the year.
Rogart. 9.25am. It's raining, heavily, but it's coming straight down, no wind behind it. (I like to think I can hear things growing). From my run up to the lochan. Not much to see at a distance, but the track on the way up was full of milkwort, bird's foot trefoil & lousewort...
May 29, 2025 at 9:16 AM
Rogart. 9.25am. It's raining, heavily, but it's coming straight down, no wind behind it. (I like to think I can hear things growing). From my run up to the lochan. Not much to see at a distance, but the track on the way up was full of milkwort, bird's foot trefoil & lousewort...
Rogart. (Between Golspie & Brora). Seals swim. Oystercatchers walk quickly or fly noisily overhead. Running back towards Golspie. Fresh sand studded with rocks & pebbles, strewed with seaweed. I pick my way along until it gets too difficult, then I head onto the coastal path...
May 28, 2025 at 2:13 PM
Rogart. (Between Golspie & Brora). Seals swim. Oystercatchers walk quickly or fly noisily overhead. Running back towards Golspie. Fresh sand studded with rocks & pebbles, strewed with seaweed. I pick my way along until it gets too difficult, then I head onto the coastal path...
Rogart. 8pm. Sunshine through red campions & blackcurrant bushes with a background of chattering aspens. A cold wind & rain showers again. My eyes are soothed by the green that abounds at the moment. Today, it’s been constantly moving. Catching the light & filled with sparrows…
May 27, 2025 at 7:49 PM
Rogart. 8pm. Sunshine through red campions & blackcurrant bushes with a background of chattering aspens. A cold wind & rain showers again. My eyes are soothed by the green that abounds at the moment. Today, it’s been constantly moving. Catching the light & filled with sparrows…
Rogart. 7.30am. Rain showers blowing through or bright sunshine & vivid colours so far this morning... Good morning.
May 26, 2025 at 7:20 AM
Rogart. 7.30am. Rain showers blowing through or bright sunshine & vivid colours so far this morning... Good morning.
Rogart. More rain showers in the night & now. They come, grey, filling the strath. The wind is blowing, trees sound like the sea & are constantly in motion. Leaves fluttering & occasionally taking flight. The sheep are happy it’s cooler, sitting, sheltered from the weather...
May 25, 2025 at 7:58 AM
Rogart. More rain showers in the night & now. They come, grey, filling the strath. The wind is blowing, trees sound like the sea & are constantly in motion. Leaves fluttering & occasionally taking flight. The sheep are happy it’s cooler, sitting, sheltered from the weather...
Rogart. 7am. 12 degrees. 5.6mm of rain. The small world here feels in much better order. It smells of birch & petrichor. Raindrops on bluebells. Frost burned bracken, green crosiers turned brown & withery (new growth on some trees has also suffered). Lambs who’ve not seen rain…
May 24, 2025 at 6:43 AM
Rogart. 7am. 12 degrees. 5.6mm of rain. The small world here feels in much better order. It smells of birch & petrichor. Raindrops on bluebells. Frost burned bracken, green crosiers turned brown & withery (new growth on some trees has also suffered). Lambs who’ve not seen rain…
Rogart. 6.24am. Light dew. Another beautiful morning...
May 21, 2025 at 5:54 AM
Rogart. 6.24am. Light dew. Another beautiful morning...