I followed in footsteps of Scots woman who pioneered Italian geology

Jagged limestone spires rise above lush valleys, their iconic, pale faces catching light in an endless play of colour. At sunrise the mountains blush pink, at sunset they glow in copper and gold. Locals call this spectacle enrosadira, from the ancient Ladin word “to turn pink.” It’s a reminder that this UNESCO World Heritage landscape is as alive and expressive as the people who call it home.

Much of what we know about these 250-million-year-old peaks is thanks to a pioneering Scotswoman. Aberdeenshire-born Dame Maria Matilda Gordon left her mark on the Dolomites in the early 20th century. At a time when few women were seen in the field of geology, she trekked the massifs, studying their folds and strata.

Her research proved how immense tectonic forces had thrust and twisted the limest