Kirsten Henton

Edinburgh, London

Writer and Editor at Weather2Travel.com

Edinburger • @weather2travel editor & travel writer • Words for The Sunday Times, Scotland Mag etc • History, nature, watersports, lover of the great outdoors🌍

Articles

The Earls of Mar

3 weeks ago | discoverbritain.com | Kirsten Henton

Leaf through books on Scotland’s history and it won’t be long before an ‘Earl of Mar’ pops up – notable holders of the title having served the Scottish and then British Crown, in one way or another, for centuries. Here, we start with the most prominent and divisive Earl of Mar before diving into the peerage itself, considering its origins, evolution and role in today’s society. The most conspicuous holder of the Earl of Mar title has to have been John Erskine, 23rd Earl of Mar.
We stay in a former tax office in Edinburgh's West End

1 month ago | scotsman.com | Kirsten Henton

The Resident is in walking distance of the capital’s best sitesThe Resident Edinburgh opened its glass doors in autumn 2024, and inside it’s a far cry from the more austere surroundings of the former HMRC building whose space it inhabits on Drumsheugh Gardens. The sleek stone frontage coats a now-unrecognisable hub of understated hospitality in arguably one of the city’s best locations.
Coolcations: Cooler summer holiday destinations for 2025

2 months ago | weather2travel.com | Kirsten Henton

The world is warming, and with it, some of our favourite holiday destinations.
The Black Douglases

2 months ago | discoverbritain.com | Kirsten Henton

Medieval Scotland was rife with noble families jostling for power. But with great position inevitably came great competition from ambitious rivals and suspicion from nervous monarchs, which more often than not saw a stint at the top end in ruin. The Black Douglases were no exception. One of the most dominant noble families of the 14th and 15th centuries, their influence stretched from their stronghold in Douglasdale, Lanarkshire, across the Lowlands and eventually to estates around the kingdom.
10 strange and bizarre underground animals that live beneath our feet

Mar 21, 2025 | discoverwildlife.com | Kirsten Henton

From the largest elephant to the tiniest mouse, the earth is roamed by animals big and small that we can spy from behind telescopes, in hides or on safaris. But what about those that inhabit the subterranean world we rarely see?
Here's the vital reason 15 gigantic birds were just driven from Argentina to Chile

Mar 19, 2025 | discoverwildlife.com | Kirsten Henton

A multi-organisation rewilding project is translocating 15 Darwin's rheas (Rhea pennata), or lesser rheas, from Argentina to Chile, the first international scheme to move a wild population of the species in the Southern Cone region of South America.
The Glencoe Massacre | DiscoverBritain.com

Mar 14, 2025 | discoverbritain.com | Kirsten Henton

Venture into the warm embrace of the Clachaig Inn near Ballachulish at the north end of Glencoe, and you’ll see a sign that reads “No Hawkers or Campbells”. Although general manager William Stewart assures that “these days it is very much tongue and cheek”, the roots of this local humour are anything but. The story of the Glencoe Massacre, in which many Campbell troops brutally murdered families of the MacDonald clan, has haunted Scottish history – and school children, me included – for centuries.
Rare onagers return to Saudi Arabia after century-long absence

Mar 2, 2025 | discoverwildlife.com | Kirsten Henton

Nearly a century ago, the Syrian wild ass, one of six subspecies of onager and the only one found in Saudi Arabia, was declared extinct, a result of hunting, habitat loss and competition with livestock. Last year, the country welcomed back these equids with the introduction of the Persian onager, a fellow subspecies and the closest genetic relative of the Syrian wild ass.
When do you need hotels or villas with heated pools on holiday?

Feb 28, 2025 | weather2travel.com | Kirsten Henton

Whether you're set on completing your daily laps or simply relish splashing about in the sunshine, finding accommodation with a heated swimming pool is often a non-negotiable when planning a holiday. Yet, not all swimming pools are created equal. Many pools found at hotels and villas across some of the most popular holiday destinations are unheated, either at certain times or all year round, which can dramatically impact your enjoyment. When are you likely to want a pool?
These lions were tracked for eight years through the vast plains of Zambia - now researchers have found something

Feb 14, 2025 | discoverwildlife.com | Kirsten Henton

A new study by the Zambian Carnivore Programme (ZCP) and partners has revealed the extent to which wildlife protection measures, such as anti-poaching patrols, can benefit lion populations. Depletion of prey such as antelope due to wire snares used for bushmeat hunting is one of the biggest threats to large carnivores across Africa, but prior to the research, surprisingly little was known about how this activity impacts lion populations, nor how effective intervention could be.