As a child, I was given Ring of Bright Water by Gavin Maxwell.

That book changed me.It told the story of a man who turned his back on London and the rat race, and chose wilderness instead. He found sanctuary in Scotland, at Camusfearna, where he lived with an otter named Mij. More than a story about an animal, it was a story about escape, solitude, and choosing a life shaped by nature.That book planted a seed. It introduced me to the idea that wild places matter, that silence heals, and that connection with other species can define who we become.I’ve carried a deep emotional bond with Scotland ever since. I recorded there for many years and fell in love with its landscapes, weather, and uncompromising beauty.In 1989, while living in Blair Atholl, Perthshire, I met Hamish Pelham Burn. We walked the glens together with our dogs. My yellow Labrador was called Mij, named after the otter. When Hamish asked why, I told him about the book. He smiled and said Gavin Maxwell had been a close friend of his.Hamish later took me to Camusfearna.That was 32 years ago.In 2025, I returned there with our film crew. The access felt different, the trees had grown thick, but the landscape was instantly recognisable. When I saw the old white house near the cairn where Gavin Maxwell is remembered, everything came rushing back.Camusfearna sits just beyond Glenelg, reached by a narrow, primitive road. This time, snow was falling. The atmosphere was unchanged. My heart raced as I approached the cairn, and memory flooded in. The boy. The book. The life that followed.When I leave this world, my ashes will be scattered here.Some places never let you go.www.thelisteningplanet.com