{"id":1611,"date":"2013-06-17T22:42:51","date_gmt":"2013-06-17T21:42:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/bl6.co.uk\/wordpress\/?p=1611"},"modified":"2013-06-17T22:42:51","modified_gmt":"2013-06-17T21:42:51","slug":"chance-meeting-with-pine-martens","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bl6.co.uk\/wordpress\/2013\/06\/17\/chance-meeting-with-pine-martens\/","title":{"rendered":"Chance meeting with pine martens"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"450\" height=\"253\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/FzaM5kFVVsA?rel=0\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>On a walk at the weekend I had an unbelievable wildlife experience when I saw a couple of pine martens literally within a couple of yards of me. One ran across the path in front of me, while the other clung to the rock\/shrub level with my face. <\/p>\n<p>It eventually decided to scamper up the rock so I walked past (the other one was barking\/hissing down below so I figured I should get out of their way in case there were young ones around).<\/p>\n<p>Once I got around the corner I looked back and could see the one in the video was keeping a close eye one me, running towards me on the branches then hiding away again. I filmed it for a while and took a couple of photographs.<\/p>\n<p>I love the way it looks up above the undergrowth towards the end of this short clip. I&#8217;d never seen a pine marten in the flesh before and here were two right in front of me &#8211; and I had time to film one of them. What a fantastic memory!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>On a walk at the weekend I had an unbelievable wildlife experience when I saw a couple of pine martens literally within a couple of yards of me. One ran across the path in front of me, while the other clung to the rock\/shrub level with my face. It eventually decided to scamper up the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"episode_type":"","audio_file":"","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[4],"tags":[11,95,94,18,93],"class_list":["post-1611","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-blog","tag-highlands","tag-moray","tag-pine-marten","tag-walk","tag-wildlife"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p5M0xs-pZ","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":4419,"url":"https:\/\/bl6.co.uk\/wordpress\/2018\/12\/21\/learning-curve-on-loch-affric-loop\/","url_meta":{"origin":1611,"position":0},"title":"Learning curve on Loch Affric loop","author":"John Davidson","date":"December 21, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"I\u2019ve made no secret of my love of this low-level walk that gives a glimpse into the awe-inspiring landscapes of Glen Affric, so it was a pleasure to lead a group of Ramblers around the loch. As part of my Mountain Leader training, I\u2019ve been trying to gain more experience\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Active Outdoors&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Active Outdoors","link":"https:\/\/bl6.co.uk\/wordpress\/content\/active-outdoors\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bl6.co.uk\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/Loch-Affric-Inverness-Ramblers-3.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bl6.co.uk\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/Loch-Affric-Inverness-Ramblers-3.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bl6.co.uk\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/Loch-Affric-Inverness-Ramblers-3.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bl6.co.uk\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/Loch-Affric-Inverness-Ramblers-3.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bl6.co.uk\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/Loch-Affric-Inverness-Ramblers-3.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2994,"url":"https:\/\/bl6.co.uk\/wordpress\/2017\/06\/09\/making-a-splash-on-family-cycle-in-the-cairngorms\/","url_meta":{"origin":1611,"position":1},"title":"Making a splash on family cycle in the Cairngorms","author":"John Davidson","date":"June 9, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"A COUPLE of summers ago I took my two young children on this off-road cycle ride by myself \u2013 this time I had parental back-up! Back then our eldest had been riding her first pedal bike for little over a month and I was pulling the youngest in the double\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Active Outdoors&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Active Outdoors","link":"https:\/\/bl6.co.uk\/wordpress\/content\/active-outdoors\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bl6.co.uk\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Glenmore-family-cycle-3.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bl6.co.uk\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Glenmore-family-cycle-3.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bl6.co.uk\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Glenmore-family-cycle-3.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bl6.co.uk\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Glenmore-family-cycle-3.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bl6.co.uk\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Glenmore-family-cycle-3.jpg?resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3544,"url":"https:\/\/bl6.co.uk\/wordpress\/2018\/03\/11\/making-the-white-choice\/","url_meta":{"origin":1611,"position":2},"title":"Making the white choice","author":"John Davidson","date":"March 11, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Tentacles of interconnected ice crystals reach out from every point on each frozen rock, desperately clinging on in any sanctuary that offers even a hint of shelter in this wind-blasted landscape. These tiny reminders of the harsh environment up here on the Cairngorms plateau are mere fragments, left over from\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Active Outdoors&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Active Outdoors","link":"https:\/\/bl6.co.uk\/wordpress\/content\/active-outdoors\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bl6.co.uk\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Bynack-More-3.jpg?fit=1200%2C880&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bl6.co.uk\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Bynack-More-3.jpg?fit=1200%2C880&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bl6.co.uk\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Bynack-More-3.jpg?fit=1200%2C880&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bl6.co.uk\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Bynack-More-3.jpg?fit=1200%2C880&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bl6.co.uk\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Bynack-More-3.jpg?fit=1200%2C880&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":5401,"url":"https:\/\/bl6.co.uk\/wordpress\/2019\/05\/27\/riverside-walk-leads-to-play-park-heaven-for-kids\/","url_meta":{"origin":1611,"position":3},"title":"Riverside walk leads to play park heaven for kids","author":"John Davidson","date":"May 27, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Going for a walk can sound like the most boring thing in the world to a child, so we\u2019re always trying to think of new ways to make it sound more appealing. This one is practically faultless. All we had to say was that we were going to a really\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Active Outdoors&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Active Outdoors","link":"https:\/\/bl6.co.uk\/wordpress\/content\/active-outdoors\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bl6.co.uk\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/IMG_3232.jpg?fit=1000%2C667&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bl6.co.uk\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/IMG_3232.jpg?fit=1000%2C667&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bl6.co.uk\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/IMG_3232.jpg?fit=1000%2C667&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bl6.co.uk\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/IMG_3232.jpg?fit=1000%2C667&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":14996,"url":"https:\/\/bl6.co.uk\/wordpress\/2026\/07\/11\/new-sections-of-great-glen-way-path-have-transformed-route-south-of-drumnadrochit\/","url_meta":{"origin":1611,"position":4},"title":"New sections of Great Glen Way path have transformed route south of Drumnadrochit","author":"John Davidson","date":"July 11, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Sweet summer rain! There is something joyful about the feel of warm rain on your face, especially if you\u2019ve been cooped up all day in the office. I had to get out, even if it meant missing at least one of the World Cup games on this particular evening. And\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Active Outdoors&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Active Outdoors","link":"https:\/\/bl6.co.uk\/wordpress\/content\/active-outdoors\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bl6.co.uk\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Active-Outdoors-Great-Glen-Way-GGW-new-path-Drumnadrochit-5-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bl6.co.uk\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Active-Outdoors-Great-Glen-Way-GGW-new-path-Drumnadrochit-5-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bl6.co.uk\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Active-Outdoors-Great-Glen-Way-GGW-new-path-Drumnadrochit-5-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bl6.co.uk\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Active-Outdoors-Great-Glen-Way-GGW-new-path-Drumnadrochit-5-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bl6.co.uk\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Active-Outdoors-Great-Glen-Way-GGW-new-path-Drumnadrochit-5-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":14994,"url":"https:\/\/bl6.co.uk\/wordpress\/2026\/06\/27\/skeletons-and-stone-age-ruins-on-yarrows-heritage-trail-in-the-heart-of-caithness\/","url_meta":{"origin":1611,"position":5},"title":"Skeletons and Stone Age ruins on Yarrows Heritage Trail in the heart of Caithness","author":"John Davidson","date":"June 27, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Stone Age structures and a vast array of archaeological evidence give a glimpse into the lives of the people who have called this small area of Caithness home during the last 5000 years. The Yarrows Heritage Trail was first created in the 1970s when then Highland Council archaeologist Bob Gourlay\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Active Outdoors&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Active Outdoors","link":"https:\/\/bl6.co.uk\/wordpress\/content\/active-outdoors\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bl6.co.uk\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/dji_fly_20260612_164742_709_1781279346455_photo_optimized-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bl6.co.uk\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/dji_fly_20260612_164742_709_1781279346455_photo_optimized-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bl6.co.uk\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/dji_fly_20260612_164742_709_1781279346455_photo_optimized-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bl6.co.uk\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/dji_fly_20260612_164742_709_1781279346455_photo_optimized-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bl6.co.uk\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/dji_fly_20260612_164742_709_1781279346455_photo_optimized-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bl6.co.uk\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1611","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bl6.co.uk\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bl6.co.uk\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bl6.co.uk\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bl6.co.uk\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1611"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/bl6.co.uk\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1611\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1613,"href":"https:\/\/bl6.co.uk\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1611\/revisions\/1613"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bl6.co.uk\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1611"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bl6.co.uk\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1611"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bl6.co.uk\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1611"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}