Five Reasons why September is my Favourite Month in the Scottish Highlands

It's the start of September, which is my favourite time of year here in the Scottish Highlands.

There are loads of times of year that I find really special in the Scottish Highlands. I love that first fall of snow. I love the cold wintery evenings when the night is clear and you can see thousands of stars. I love the start of springtime when the daffodils start blooming and the lambs are young and bleating. I love June, when the day lasts forever and there are elderflowers to pick.

But if I really think about it, my absolute favourite month to be in the Scottish Highlands is September. If you planning a trip during this month, which often feels link the link between summer and autumn here in the Scottish Highlands, then hopefully this list will inspire your nexty trip during this wonderful month.

1) The Colours of this Month really start to Pop

One of my favourite things about September in the Scottish Highlands is the colours that start to come out at this time of year. It's the time of year when the bracken starts to die, leaving the most beautiful shades of brown and yellow. It's the time of year when the heather in the hills starts to bloom and turn the most beautiful shades of purple. The leaves on the trees are just starting to turn.

For me, this is a time that you can really appreicate the beauty of the Scottish Highlands. I just love seeing the colours of this beautiful place come alive. If you're wanting some inspiration for some places I'd recommend visiting at this time of year, be sure to check out these places.

• Beauly in Autumn

• Dornoch in Autumn

• Dundreggan Rewilding Centre

2) The Flavours of Autumn start to come into season

I love the flavours of this time of year. It's the time of year when you start having warming foods again. Our slow cooker comes out of hiding and we start to make things like chilli and curry again. I love a squash and a sweet potato so I'm often roasting those to make into tasty seasonal dishes. It's also the time of year when I start making big pots of soup for the week's lunches.

One of my favourite desserts also comes into its own at this time of year. I love a crumble so much and this time of year is the perfect time to have a crumble. My absolute favourite type of crumble is apple and bramble, two seasonal fruits which come into season in September. So now is the perfect time to be enjoying this beautiful dessert (especially with latherings of custard and/or ice cream).

3) It is the start of Cosy Season

The days are drawing in. After months of late evenings, it;'s now starting to get dark at about 8 o'clock here. Although I do miss the late evenings of summer, there's something quite nice about the slightly darker evenings.

At the time of year, I can sometimes struggle with the affects of the coming winter season. But after a long summer, there's something really wonderful about the start of this cosy season. I love being able to cosy up in an evening, with a book and with fire on.

Another key part of this time of year that I really lean into is being able to drink as much hot chocolate as possible. I don't drink much hot chocolate at other points of the year, but I love drinking a cosy hot chocolate at this time of year. There's nothing that beats it.

4) It marks the End of the Busy Summer

The summer months in the Scottish Highlands are a busy time of year. It's when the majority of the tourists come to visit and it's probably the time of year when most people make their visits to the Scottish Highlands. Unlike a lot of people who work with tourists, I actually love the oppurtunity to meet so many interesting people from all over the world. But by the time you've spent four or five months talking to people and being stuck behind loads of traffic, you do wish the tourist season would end soon.

That's another reason to love September rolling around. With the changing of the seasons come a slightly quieter time of year and I am so excited for this slower season.

5) It's my Birthday Month

A slightly more selfish reason why I love September. It's my birthday month! For a long time I didn't actually love having a September birthday (I always wanted to have a birthday during the summer holidays) but now I love having my birthday at this time of year. I have some plans to do some exciting things on my birthday in Glasgow this year with family, and I am so looking forward to having the chance to spend time with them.