It’s wonderfully sunny today, one of those glorious days you get in September, a last burst of summer warmth before the chill of autumn descends. It’s my favourite time of year – I love the harvest, Halloween, the build up to Christmas, all darkness and fairy lights – so I’m excited to be heading away for the weekend with The Silent Eye.

I’m not a student of the school, but I try to attend one of their workshops each year. Together, we’ve wandered the mountains of the Peak District, the granite moorland near Aberdeen, and explored ancient hillforts down south. We’ve visited stone circles large and small, climbed a chalk giant, examined Pictish sites, and listened to poetry in the shadow of a Neolithic wall. Each wweekend I’ve shared with them has been wonderful.

The groups are always friendly, and each site is wonderfully well-researched by our guides, so I…