Country diary: On it flows, this lick of flame through the forest | Merryn Glover

Badenoch, Cairngorms: As we pause above the river, a sudden flash catches our eyes – a red squirrel is rippling along the branches belowIt’s early morning and the sky is a billowing parachute of blue, bursting its seams with sunshine and the fluffiest white clouds. A cool wind blows up Loch Insh, roughening the water and bearing the scent of spring. From the island, a song thrush pours out all the trills, beeps and chirps of its bravura performance, oystercatchers pipe and a woodpeck