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Winter can be cold and bleak in the Glens, but when the wind and blizzards subside, there is also magical beauty. It’s a time for bedding in and reflection as the winter storms rage outside.

At Glenarm Castle, estate manager Adrian Morrow deals with a fallen tree. The tree is hundreds of years old, and the plan is to cut it down and repurpose the wood for tables. In the walled garden, head gardener Jordan is beginning preparations for next year’s tulip festival.

To the north, Theresa O’Hare from Heart of the Glens Landscape Partnership is on her way to surprise 11-year-old musician Aoife NicCoinnigh. Aoife has won a bursary to study the uilleann pipes and travels to Dublin to be fitted for her first set.

It may be cold and wet, but on the farms of Fairhead and the moors of Glenwherry there’s still work to be done. Sean and Gerard McBride are dosing sheep, and grouse gamekeeper Alex Rodgers is setting traps for rats.

The Glens’ coastal villages are getting ready for Christmas. In Carnlough, Robert and Tiffany McKay are preparing for the village’s Christmas lights switch-on. A couple of months ago, they opened a cafe in the village, and this will be their first evening event. Glenarm is also celebrating Christmas with its Christmas fair, and estate manager Adrian Morrow is the conductor of the magical train ride.

In January and February, the weather turns colder, and the Glens look beautiful covered in snow. But winter storms can also be brutal, especially in Glenshesk where the Devlins farm their sheep.

In Glenarm, there is a surprise for head gamekeeper Alex Rodgers. He has won the prestigious Purdey award for his conservation work on Glenwherry Hill, and staff have secretly gathered in the tearoom for an unexpected celebration.

As winter draws to a close, it will soon be spring, but with the Covid-19 pandemic on its way, this year will bring a spring like no other.