Covid thoughts: Changing soundscapes in the Cairngorms

The village is empty and the woods are full.

Of people, who are noticing they are not the only ones there.

The reversal of soundscapes in this small tourist town in the Scottish Highlands has been striking: the roads are quiet and the background roar from the A9 which previously filled the strath has considerably dropped, but the pavements, paths and trails are busier than ever.

The Scottish Government advice on exercising by foot from your front door has meant an exodus into the woods and open spaces: where once it was unusual to see one person on a little wander, it is now usual to see a dozen people or more. Having said that, the recordings below don’t particularly capture this change as it is the Highlands after all, with still many opportunities for non-human interactions.

The volume and richness of birdlife particularly has been staggering. Any vehicle noise now seems intolerably loud, a disturbance which is usually a constant, and which we have become adept at blocking out.