Katarzyna Nowak

25/02/2026

Our newest arrivals! Twin girls born last night 😍

15/02/2026

WORKING TERRIERS

There’s a lot of noise these days from people who’ve never set foot in the countryside, never walked a hedge line at first light, and never relied on a dog to do a proper job. So I’ll say this straight, from someone who knows: working terriers aren’t pets, accessories, or status symbols – they are tools of the countryside, bred with purpose and worked with respect.

A good working terrier is small, tough, intelligent, and fearless without being reckless. These dogs were never bred for ribbons or sofa life. They were bred to go where we can’t, face what we can’t, and work calmly under pressure. Whether it’s fox, rat, mink, or other vermin, the terrier’s job has always been the same – control pests to protect livestock, ground-nesting birds, and rural livelihoods.

From a hunter’s point of view, the terrier is the unsung hero. While others see mud, cold, and long hours, we see tradition. Early mornings, frost on the ground, dogs reading scent like a book, and a terrier slipping into cover with focus and intent. There’s no chaos in good terrier work – it’s about patience, control, and knowing when to stop. A real terrier man knows the dog’s limits and his own.

Working terriers don’t just appear – they’re made over years, not weeks. You don’t rush them. You don’t force them. You build confidence slowly, teach manners, obedience, recall, and steadiness before ever expecting work. A ruined terrier is usually the fault of a rushed or careless handler, not the dog.

People forget that terriers have saved countless lambs, poultry flocks, and game birds. Rats alone can devastate farms, spread disease, and cost thousands. A good terrier can clear ground far quicker, cleaner, and more humanely than poison ever could. That’s something armchair critics never like to admit.

There’s also a bond that forms between hunter and terrier that’s hard to explain unless you’ve lived it. These dogs trust you with their lives, and you owe them the same. Proper rest, proper food, proper vet care, and knowing when a dog has earned retirement. The best terrier men I know treat their dogs better than they treat themselves.

Working terriers are not aggressive monsters – they’re balanced, intelligent dogs doing the job they were bred for. Take them out of that context and misunderstandings happen. Keep them within it, and they’re some of the most loyal, honest animals you’ll ever work alongside.

The countryside doesn’t run on opinions from social media. It runs on knowledge passed down through generations. Working terriers are part of that heritage, and as long as there’s land to protect and vermin to control, there will be terriers doing what they’ve always done best.

Respect the dog. Respect the land. Respect the tradition.

⸻

15/02/2026

Old picture from the 1870’s - Newfoundland, Fox Hound, Greyhound, Bulldog, Spaniel, Scotch Terrier and Poodle. The interesting dog here for me is the Scotch Terrier, a breed that is now extinct and that I have spoken about in the past. As it name suggests it hailed from Scotland but it’s believed to have played a crucial role in the Irish Terrier. There was a lot of immigration between Scotland and Northern Ireland at the time, so it does not surprise me that these dogs were taken to Belfast and were used to create today’s Irish Terrier.

10/02/2026

10/02/2026

On this day in 1739, Scotland launched what would become the oldest magazine in the world still in publication. An incredible 286 years later, it’s still running.

Inside a small printing shop in Edinburgh, the very first edition of The Scots Magazine rolled off the press.

It cost just sixpence and promised to cover the “affairs of the nation”, at a time when news travelled by horse and cart, and photography hadn’t yet been invented (that was still 87 years away).

When the first issue was read aloud in Edinburgh coffee houses, Bonnie Prince Charlie hadn’t yet launched the ’45 Rising. The French Revolution was still half a century away. Australia, Canada, Germany and Italy didn’t even exist as nations.

The Scots Magazine predates The Times by nearly a century. It’s older than the USA, trains, photography, electricity, flight, and every modern form of media that came after it.

It has covered everything from the Jacobite rebellions to two world wars, and made the leap into the digital age without missing a beat.

A reminder that while the world changes constantly, some things in Scotland are simply built to last. 📖🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

30/01/2026

30/01/2026

29/01/2026

On this day in 1908: Traditional musician Jimmy Shand was born in East Wemyss, Fife. The acclaimed accordion player's biggest hit was The Bluebell Polka, a timeless tune still heard in school gym halls and ceilidhs around Scotland. This fantastic statue is in his home town of Auchtermuchty. 📷 Raibeart MacAoidh

29/01/2026

Casper putting on an awesome strike for yesterday! 🤯🐊

29/01/2026

29/01/2026

NORTHERN LIGHTS CONFIRMED AS HAGGIS MATING SIGNAL.

Meteorologists claimed the spectacular lights over the past week were caused by “solar geomagnetic storms”, however the truth has now emerged after a discovery from Scotland’s top scientists.

The lights are, in fact, the annual mating signal of the Wild Haggis.

Researchers at the University of the Highlands and Islands confirmed that we are currently in peak "Haggis Courtship Season.”

According to the new report, the phenomenon, known scientifically as Aurora Haggis, occurs when thousands of bachelor haggis sprint in tight circles across the tops of Munros. The friction of their uneven legs on the heather builds up massive amounts of static electricity, at which point they begin "aggressively vibrating" before launching themselves several feet into the air while screaming.

This raw energy then collides with whisky vapours in the upper atmosphere, producing the shimmering green and red glow visible across Scotland.

It is, essentially, "Nature’s Tinder."

Decoding the colours, experts have released a guide to what the lights actually mean in haggis language:

🟢 Green — “Single, owns own burrow, good sense of humour.”
🟣 Purple — “Looking for something serious. Must love teacakes.”
🔴 Red — “I have a stash of single malt whisky. You up?”

The haggis only ask that Linda fae Falkirk puts her iPhone 12 down for the night.

So when you look up at the beautiful dancing skies, just remember:
It’s not solar wind, love is in the air.

Enjoy the view… and give the haggis some privacy. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 ✨