We had been planning on going on our first hillwalk of the season last Saturday but the bracing breeze from the north made us think again. It was freezing.

So we pointed the car towards Ladybank and ended up taking a walk around Heatherhall Woods which is a managed woodland owned by Fife Council. It’s a very tame walk and so I suppose it is good for people who want to take small children for a walk.

I can’t say that we saw much in the way of wildlife though. There are supposed to be red squirrels around there but the only thing we saw was a crow, and I heard a pigeon. It seemed bereft of wildlife even compared with our teeny wee back garden, which is usually teeming with birds.

But the trees are nice there, mainly pine trees which should suit red squirrels. I think they could maybe be doing with having some smaller trees for wee birds to perch on, although they do have silver birch.

Holly trees would be good for the birds. Ours is always stuffed full of them. You can’t see any birds as they are all hidden in it but they certainly like to make themselves heard.

I’m hoping that it will be warm enough to go up a hill soon. We’re definitely fair weather walkers.