Vlogs

For three weeks, the sun hasn’t appeared here in the Scottish Highlands. A biting easterly wind, freezing temperatures and endless grey skies have slowed everything down on our croft. In this vlog, we deal with more winter damage after the wind rips what was left of our chicken enclosure roof. We temporarily rebuild with a heavy-duty tarpaulin while planning a full spring rebuild. We also test out a solar generator and battery system to bring light and heat to the enclosure d

Surrounded by floodwater, our croft was suddenly cut off as water closed in from every direction. With fields underwater and access threatened, we had to act fast to find a way to drain it before things got worse. In this vlog, we deal with the aftermath of flooding as melting snow and rain water overwhelms the land around our croft, turning fields into floodwater and blocking our road. We show how we worked to relieve the pressure, clear drainage, and protect the croft as co

We were completely cut off by a Highland blizzard for five days. No road access, snow drifts over a metre deep, and our croft buried. This vlog documents five days of extreme winter conditions in the Scottish Highlands, as relentless snowstorms left us isolated from the village and struggling to keep everything going. With blizzard conditions, whiteouts, and drifting snow, even simple daily tasks became a challenge. Over the course of five days, the snow continued to fall, pi

Storm damage on a Scottish croft, flooding soakaway problems, winter beekeeping, and life in the Highlands. In this week’s Life on the Croft, we deal with the aftermath of Storm Bram, including storm damage, a newly installed soakaway that is flooding (and backing up), and repairs needed on the chicken coop roof. We also show our winter bee preparations, removing varroa strips, feeding fondant, and bedding the hives down for the colder months. Along the way, Shaun showing off

If you’re trying to get an adult ADHD diagnosis in the UK, this video walks through the whole process step by step. I was assessed in 2013, so I’m sharing exactly what happened to me, how to get referred, what the NHS and private routes look like, and the information you’ll need for your assessment. In this video I answer the six questions people ask the most. 1. How to get an ADHD referral in the UK. 2. What the referral routes are for an ADHD assessment in the UK. 3. What i

Long term relationship advice, gay couple stories, and how to make a relationship last are topics we are asked about all the time. After 33 years together we are sharing how our relationship survived the early challenges, how we met, how we fell in love, and what really keeps a relationship strong. Whether you are an LGBTQ couple or simply looking for honest, real world relationship guidance, this is our full story. We look back at the early nineties when acceptance was not g

Something’s changing on the croft… but not quite what you think! We’ve given our hens a surprise, and it’s about time. Their old run looks more like the surface of Mars, so today we’re clearing new ground, fresh grass, and creating a new enclosure on the tightest of budgets. Our girls mean the world to us, so every change we make is about their comfort and happiness. We’ve built the new space with care, somewhere safe where they can forage, dust-bathe, and just be chickens. I

Winter is coming, and it’s time to prepare honey-bee colonies for winter, the hardest season for any beekeeper. In this video, I’ll show exactly how I prepare my bees for winter, step-by-step, including feeding bees with fondant, checking and treating for Varroa mites, improving hive ventilation and insulation, and giving each colony the best chance of survival until spring. Whether you’re a beginner beekeeper or managing a large apiary, overwintering bees can be tough. I’ll

This week’s vlog is a little different… So many of you had questions about my latest book Off the Record. How I wrote it with ADHD, developed the characters, structured the story, and somehow stayed focused long enough to actually finish it!

The long-delayed Train Barn project is finally about to take shape! After months of setbacks, we share what’s been happening behind the scenes and how this long-awaited model railway barn build and workshop space in the Scottish Highlands is about to begin Inside, we chat about our plans for the model railway layout, how the barn will transform into the heart of Colin's railway dream, and what’s next for our croft projects, including the upcoming goat enclosure. Colin also sh