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Countryside magazine featuring the people and wildlife that shape the landscape of Britain

Countryside magazine featuring the people and wildlife that shape the landscape of the British Isles

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Open Country: Winter Wonder in East Lothian

12/01/2023

Winter Wonder in East Lothian

BBC Radio 4 - Open Country, Winter Wonder in East Lothian

Helen Mark is in East Lothian in Scotland to revel in the beauty of the winter landscape.

For this week’s Open Country, Helen Mark is in East Lothian in Scotland to revel in the beauty of the winter landscape. On the outskirts of Haddington, wildlife artist Darren Woodhead is ensconced in a hedgerow at dawn. Winter is his favourite time of year to paint; all his painting is done outside, sitting on the ground. He relishes the way in which the elements alter the way water-colours behave on the paper, creating patterns as the paint starts to freeze.

Further east on the coast, Helen walks down onto one of the Dunbar beaches known locally as ‘Eye Cave Beach’. Land artist, James Craig, is engaged in the meditative art of stone stacking, at one with his surroundings, racing the rising tide. James organises the annual European Stone Stacking Championships here and tells Helen that his family has had a connection with the stones and the coastline for generations.

On her final stop, Helen travels north-west to the sweeping sands of Gullane beach. Emily Hogarth takes inspiration from her daily walks across the wide open bay for her papercut art designs. Her work seeks to make the everyday magical, and she tells Helen there’s nothing like winter in this part of Scotland to heighten her senses. 

Produced by Beatrice Fenton

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