Lews Castle

Heather and Ewan have excelled themselves; we are currently on a trip to the Western Isles and they have booked us into the amazing Lews Castle in Stornoway. The castle was most recently owned by Lord Leverburgh but in the 1920s he gifted it with its extensive estate to the people of Stornoway. The Stornoway trust manages it. It has been used as a school among other things, but had been unused for about twenty years before being converted into apartments with a café and function rooms. Our apartment is huge, with two beautiful en-suite bedrooms and a living-room / kitchen, with views over grassy lawns to the harbour and the sea beyond.

Today we cycled from Stornoway to Dun Carloway, a distance of 32 km, which is about as far as I have ever cycled. I was very nervous before we set off because I was worried about getting too hot, road traffic, and how far we were going. Well, I was very lucky. I didn’t overheat because there was a cool breeze coming in from the west the whole time, and I also took 1.5 litres of water in my platypus which I drank to keep cool. Road traffic was not a problem either. There was a little traffic as we left Stornoway, but then we got onto a track which had no traffic at all. When we eventually rejoined the undulating road towards Dun Carloway there was hardly any traffic at all which was great for me. And as for distance … by the time we got to the friendly Pit Stop café between Dun Carloway and Calanais I was pretty convinced that 30 km was enough for me today. I was getting tired and slowing down, so while the others returned by bike, making a total journey of 60 km, I returned to Stornoway by taxi. The others were very understanding and although they were too tactful to say so, I know that they made rather better speed on the return journey without me. 

I was absolutely delighted with my cycle. The weather was perfect, the Lewis countryside was green and beautiful, studded with lochans. We could see the hills of Harris, blue in the distance. There were skylarks and plovers singing loudly as we cycled along. James, Heather and Ewan each spent time cycling beside me, which was very encouraging. Dun Carloway was impressive although currently covered in scaffolding. The highlight for me was Calanais. We had it to ourselves and the ancient stones were lit up by the sun and warm to the touch. It was a brilliant day and I feel inspired to keep cycling and build up my stamina. 

The Secret of our Successful Marriage

Our holiday with Heather and Ewan has continued with more walking, relaxing, dining and music.

As forecast, Wednesday was a rainy day, so as well as a walk around the village we spent an afternoon of reading and chatting in front of the fire in the living room. Except James, who had to go for rather a long drive to pick up a part for our broken car - I will save the details of this for a future blog post when hopefully our ongoing car saga will have had a happy ending. James was back in time for a slap up dinner of Lochinver pies with chips, gravy and baked beans, followed by a convivial evening. 

Thursday was grey but dry and we drove south, past Dundonnell, to go for a 10 km walk to and from Slaggan Bay. It was a lovely walk past a couple of lochans, through a lush green valley and down to an attractive sandy beach. As we enjoyed our coffee and shortbread, we could see the Shiant islands in the distance with the very faint outline of Harris beyond them. In the evening we had a tasty dinner at the Arch Inn where the service was extremely speedy after the slow service last week - seems like someone has had a word with the staff! It meant that we had time for dessert which was delicious but of course made me very full! 

And today we went for a boat ride on the Shearwater out to the Summer Isles. We were lucky enough to see a pod of dolphins again, dozens of them leaping about in the water. There was a friendly and talkative tourist sitting near us who got chatting to James about the different seabirds, which led James to tell him, “I have difficulty telling the difference between a shag and a cormorant!” Without missing a beat, Ewan commented, “And that’s the secret of your successful marriage!” Well, that just cracked me up which set Ewan off and soon we were helpless with laughter. Heather was laughing too and said, “I can’t take you two anywhere!” which added to our mirth. 

Later James planted some heathers in the garden while Ewan made a fantastic dinner of pasta with pesto, mushrooms and artichoke hearts. It wasn’t until we went out later to watch the sun set that I realised that Heather had been gardening too; she had very kindly done some weeding down by the gate. Such excellent guests - cooking and gardening! 

Sunshine and clouds

Heather and Ewan arrived in Ullapool yesterday, and since the weather was fine and sunny, I suggested that we should climb Ullapool Hill after lunch. James was taken aback at my enthusiasm for going up a hill, albeit a small one; my reasoning was that we should make the most of such a lovely afternoon because the weather forecast for the next couple of days is dreich at best. I set off a bit before the others because I knew that my pace would be slow on the uphill, and the timing was good because I was just slogging up the short but steep final ascent when I spotted the other three not far behind me. By the time we arrived at the summit the weather was markedly greyer than when we set off, but we still had pleasant views up and down Loch Broom and over to Loch Achall. We headed back down to the village where we had drinks sitting outside the Arch Inn and we watched the ferry coming in and docking. 

Today the weather was indeed grey with low cloud as forecast. However it was dry and we all fancied a walk so we went to the Stoer Peninsula and walked along it to view the sea stack known as the Old Man of Stoer, a round trip of about 7 km. The good news is that we had a pleasant and companionable walk and saw some sea birds including a great skua and a black-backed gull, and of course the impressive sea stack, which according to legend is the thumb of a giant sticking out of the water! The bad news is that although it didn’t rain, the cloud was so low that sometimes we were enveloped in it, so we couldn’t see the undoubtably beautiful sea views that were hidden by the shifting veils of cloud. We had some coffee and shortbread, then we climbed the small hill in the centre of the peninsula and made our way back across sometimes boggy terrain until finally we could see the lighthouse at the car park through wisps of cloud.  

Off to Lochinver we drove to have more coffee and snacks in the An Cala Café before visiting both the pie shop and Highland Stoneware, where we successfully made various purchases. Back at the cottage we dined royally on James’ Sweet Potato and Spinach Curry. 

The Longest Day of 2021

And here we are at the longest day of the year. It has been warm and sunny all day. I got the cottage ready for Heather and Ewan who will be arriving tomorrow, and James worked in the garden. In the afternoon we strolled into the village and had drinks at the Ferry Boat Inn then picked up fish suppers on our way home. There was something very special about the quality of the light this afternoon; the water in the loch was so clear and the mountains at the end of the loch were shades of pastel colours. 

After tea we sat outside on the bench in the sunshine. The sun set at about half past ten and I went up to Castle Terrace to take a few photos of the pink and blue evening sky. It was still as light as day. As I type this it’s just coming up to midnight and the sky is not completely dark here in Ullapool. 

And back to Ullapool again

After my busy weekend of trains and Spa and Baby Shower, James and I got packed and set off northwards to Ullapool last Monday. We did a bit of grocery shopping and had a walk around the village when we arrived, and prepared for our visitors, Christine and Gerry, who arrived on Tuesday. 

Christine and Gerry know the north-west of Scotland very well, but have not spent a lot of time in Ullapool apart from passing through it, so we stayed fairly close to home during their visit. We went on a boat trip on the Shearwater, which is a two and a half hour trip out to and around the Summer Isles. It was tremendous. The skipper was very informative and we got a good look at one of the sea eagles through Gerry’s binoculars. The Summer Isles are beautiful at this time of year, covered in short green grass with sea caves and red rocks. We cruised around and got a good look at Tanera Mor which is currently undergoing development into a luxury tourist resort. It looks as if it’s being done in keeping with its surroundings which is good. On the way back towards Ullapool the skipper put the boat into full throttle because he had received reports of a pod of dolphins at the mouth of the loch. We slowed right down when we reached them and they were delightful, there must have been at least twenty dolphins leaping in and out of the water around the boat. What a bonus to our already very enjoyable boat tour!

The rest of the week flew by. We went on a drive to Lochinver along the coastal route via Achiltibuie from where we got a very good view of the Summer Isles again. We stopped at the Fisk Gallery which stocks crafts and paintings made within ten miles of it, and then had a light lunch sitting in the sunshine outside Am Fuaran Bar which is a tiny little pub in an amazing setting just a little further along the Coigach peninsula. We spent the afternoon sunbathing at Achnahaird Beach. I went into the water but only up to my waist, the water wasn’t too cold but the waves were quite high. As we left the beach a herd of black sheep came walking across the sand; they looked very beautiful.

We had dinner at Peet’s in Lochinver and very nice it was too, every dish was cooked to perfection. 

In Ullapool, Christine and I visited the lighthouse and had lunch at the Ceilidh Place while James and Gerry went up Ullapool Hill. We all visited Corrieshalloch Gorge and on Christine and Gerry’s last night we had dinner at the Arch Inn which was very good, although the waitress kind of forgot us and didn’t offer us the dessert menu, and then panicked when she realised that she had left us to go over our allotted two hour slot. We were hurried out of the restaurant but we were in good spirits and didn’t mind, we had cake and ice lollies back at the cottage. 

When Christine and Gerry left to continue their holiday in the Western Isles on Sunday morning, we said goodbye to them down at the car queue for the ferry and then James and I went back to the cottage where we sat outside with a cup of tea and waved goodbye again as the ferry passed us on its way to Stornaway. We couldn’t see them but Christine messaged me to say that they had also been waving from inside the ferry as they passed the cottage. 

Spa Day and Baby Shower

Last Friday I set off to Manchester by train in order to have a spa day on Saturday with Chanel. I had given her a spa day at Mottram Hall for Christmas and she gave me the same present for my birthday so that we could go together. We provisionally arranged the date a couple of months ago, hoping that Covid restrictions would be lifted in time, and luckily they were! 

So I bought a coffee and a pain au raisin and had a peaceful journey, relaxing and reading my book. Chanel very kindly picked me up from the station and we went out for a fabulous Italian meal at Puccini’s. The next day was spa day and it was excellent. We made full use of the facilities including two swimming pools, a sauna, jacuzzis, and a grassy outside seating area. This was especially good because the weather was perfect - it was really warm with not a cloud in the sky. A lovely lunch was included and it was a great day.

Back at Chanel’s we had a takeaway dinner and watched comedy on television - Chanel showed me stand up by James Acaster whom I hadn’t seen before and I thought he was very funny. On Sunday morning I headed north on the train again. 

However this time it wasn’t so peaceful. It got very crowded after Carlisle and there was no social distancing at all - I was the only person wearing a mask at my four-seated table (and no train official arrived to enforce the masks rule.) Every seat in the carriage was occupied, and most people were shouting and drinking lager. It was all quite good-natured but it was loud and hot, and the train had to stop a couple of times to reset the cooling system. When I arrived back at Glasgow Central I was very hot and also late for Carolyn’s baby shower, which was about to start.

To make up a bit of time I jumped into a taxi to get home quickly, and then after a very quick shower I drove to Shona’s house to join the baby shower. It was such a friendly, fun afternoon, a really happy occasion, and we sat in the garden which was cool and comfortable. Carolyn looked great; it’s only four weeks until her baby will arrive. Shona had made a delicious buffet including lots of her fantastic cakes. 

It was a truly lovely weekend. 

Memorial Bench

A couple of years ago I enquired about sponsoring a bench in Douglas Park, in memory of my Mum and Dad. This came about because a friend, Susan, lived opposite the wee park until recently and was a member of the Douglas Park committee. Jennifer and I have a strong connection with this tiny park, which is actually just a couple of terraces of grass with a path, at the corner of Douglas Drive and Stewarton Drive. 

Our Mum used to stop there for a rest on her way up the steep hill from the Main Street to our house in Grenville Drive. As was her lifelong habit, she also took the opportunity to have a couple of cigarettes! We had a big, old-fashioned pram, in which I remember Jennifer lying, a small baby, and there was a piece of wood sitting across the pram near the back, which had been fashioned by Dad into a seat for toddler me. This must indeed have been a heavy load, especially including her grocery shopping slung underneath, for Mum to push all the way up the hill. She told us that on days when it was raining, the space between her glasses and where they rested against her cheeks used to fill up with rain water, and she had to lift her glasses up with one hand to let the water escape down her face! 

I only remember stopping there on sunny days, when I loved to lie down on my side and roll down the grassy banks, which seemed very steep to me, although when I see them now they are very small. 

The tiny park had fallen into disrepair over the years; the council must have stopped cutting the grass and the hedges due to financial cuts. So a few years ago a group of people who lived nearby formed a committee and did some fund-raising as well as persuading the council to maintain parts of it. It’s still a work in progress but is looking much better, and my offer to pay for a bench was accepted by the committee. In fact James very kindly paid for it. 

However first they had to get permission from the council, and then Covid happened, and I had almost forgotten all about it when I got a message from them last week to invite me to the installation of the bench, one of two for people walking up the hill to rest on. *

I couldn’t be there because we were in Ullapool at the time. Instead I went there by myself on Friday morning to check that the spelling was correct on the inscription, and to sit on the bench. I was surprised at how emotional I felt and I have to admit that I had a little cry. This was ironic because although they might have been mildly pleased, neither my Mum nor my Dad was particularly sentimental about memorials and didn’t really see the need for them! They would have been happy just to be remembered fondly by their children and grandchildren. But I do like memorials and I look forward to sitting on the bench with Jennifer soon, whom I haven’t seen since last summer in Ullapool, before we were all locked down again over the winter. 

For anyone who is interested, the inscription is as follows:

“For Jimmy and Maureen Russell

And beyond them a far green country under a swift sunrise”

It will surprise no one who knew them that this is a quote from their favourite book which my Dad bought for my Mum in the 1950s, as soon as each volume was published: The Lord of the Rings.

* The other bench is inscribed “For all of the victims of Covid 19”

Ash and Birch

Alison and Hugh had told us about their new kittens and I couldn’t wait to meet them when we visited. They are brothers, about 10 weeks old, and both very sweet. 

Ash has soft black fur, medium long, with a small white patch on his chest. On closer inspection his fur is actually a mix of black and dark brown, with hints of chestnut. I have never seen a kitten with so much hair sprouting out of his ears! So cute! He is slightly more reserved with strangers (us!) than his brother is, but is very lively and certainly holds his own in their rough and tumble. 

Birch has shorter fur, with tabby striped legs and a spotted pattern on his back and tummy that make me think that he has Bengal relatives; his markings are extremely attractive. He is currently more outgoing towards humans than his brother, and has such a beautiful wee face, full of curiosity about his world. 

As you can probably tell, I am absolutely besotted with these kittens! How can two such tiny wee bundles of fur have such big characters! They are enjoying exploring Alison and Hugh’s house and they are allowed to go outside for short periods. They are fascinated by climbing everything in the house that they can, and playing with their toys, and pulling down dish towels from the rail, and hiding behind plants in the garden. But most of all they are fascinated with each other - they play fight and chase each other constantly, proving that the best toy that you can give a kitten is another kitten! 

Paddling at Findochty

We are spending a few days at Alison and Hugh’s before heading back to Cambuslang. The weather is beautiful and today we went for a walk from Portessie (just east of Buckie) via Findochty* to the Bow Fiddle sea arch beyond Portknockie, and back - about 16 km. These are a few of a series of little fishing villages on the Moray Coastal Trail and are all very attractive, with the houses built gable end towards the sea to protect them from storms. They are certainly not tourist villages, which I presume is the way that the residents want it; despite being very picturesque they don’t have a café or a gift shop between them! I was torn between wishing that there was a nice wee place to sit and have a cool drink, or applauding them for keeping themselves quiet and peaceful.

It was hard to imagine any storms lashing the villages today; it was very warm, the sea was a beautiful deep blue and the sky was blue with lots of high clouds. Of course walking on such a warm day made me overheat, and I decided to stop at Portknockie and postpone viewing the sea arch to another day! I cooled down in the shade while James, Alison and Hugh  walked onwards, and I ate a refreshing apple. I then set off back to Findochty where I went paddling from the sandy beach; the sea was warmer than I expected and there were wee minnows darting about. There were lots of orange rocks dotted about the bay. James, Alison and Hugh arrived soon afterwards and very kindly agreed to collect me after they finished the walk so that I could keep on paddling. Despite my early finish I had still walked more than 10 km. After I dried my feet on the sand and grass, I strolled up through the village to meet them at the post office. They were all very tolerant - they have seen me overheat before. It was a lovely day. 

Later, after cool drinks back at the house, we walked into Nairn town centre for dinner at Olly’s which is a great restaurant; the food was excellent and the staff were very friendly.

* Findochty is actually pronounced Finechty, which I only know because Alison and Hugh told me. 

Painting the Fence

James and I have spent the last three days painting the new fence outside the cottage, which was built for us during the lockdown. We are painting it dark green, which looks good amongst all of the green foliage. Fence painting is hard work and it took me a while to get used to it. The weather has been very warm which is good for drying the paint quickly, but initially made me feel very hot and bothered. Several times I went into the cottage to cool down but if I stayed inside for too long James came looking for me. The first day was very slow going for me; we had to paint the sides of the boards as well as the front and back, and give the fence two coats of paint. We calculated how much we had each painted and James had done three times as much painting as me. On the second day I was a bit speedier and by day three I was really into the swing of it. I wasn’t hating it any more and even felt a sense of satisfaction as we progressed along the sections of the fence. James was still faster than me but I was nearly keeping up with him. Lots of people stopped for a chat and gave us words of encouragement as they passed by us on the path. My legs are quite bitten by midges which have now come out for the summer season, not during the day luckily because of the sunshine, but in the early evening they were fierce. My legs are also scratched by gorse and I have a few skelfs from the wood. 

We have now completed about two thirds of the painting and are having a wee break before finishing on our next visit. To reward ourselves for all our hard work we went on the wee one hour boat trip on the Selkie that we did with David and Chanel last year. The lady at the kiosk insisted that we wear survival suits as well as life jackets. I wasn’t impressed by this at all, as they seemed far too bulky and warm, but when we were out whizzing up the loch in the boat we were glad of them! We saw common seals, a sea eagle and a porpoise, so we were very pleased that the wildlife had turned up for us! The skipper explained to us that spring has been late this year and the loch is a still bit cold for mackerel just yet, which means that there the dolphins and seabirds who eat them haven’t arrived yet either. I think he said that the water is currently about 8 degrees C and it needs to warm up to 10 degrees C before more fish will arrive. We then went for dinner to the Ceilidh Place; it was nice to be back, but the menu is still very short (it was shortened when it reopened last summer when the first lockdown lifted) and didn’t feel very special. I hope that they make it more interesting again soon. 

Today we collected our hire car, which we will have until our car is repaired in about a week. We thought that we would have to hire it from Inverness because there are no hire cars currently available in Ullapool, and this would have meant taking the bus to Inverness with all the stuff we would need for the next week including our hill-walking stuff. I asked for ideas on the Ullapool Community Facebook page and someone suggested that we approach one of the Stornoway car hire firms (over in Lewis). We did so, and were able conveniently to pick up a car at the ferry terminal, and we will put it back on the ferry next week! 

Second jag and return to Ullapool

We are back in Ullapool! And the weather is glorious!

We couldn’t come back here until today because I had my second Covid jag yesterday, at ten past seven in the evening at the Ally McCoist centre in East Kilbride. I’m delighted to say that I have had no headache this time and Marjory has told me that with Astra Zeneca there seem to be less side effects with the second dose. 

It was actually an overly warm car journey today because the air conditioning in the car has stopped working and only blew hot air around the car. This was the least of our worries however, as we later got a sudden warning message on the dashboard to say that the brakes were faulty and we needed to go straight to a garage. We were nearly at Ullapool by this time so I drove the last couple of miles to the cottage rather nervously and very cautiously. After we unpacked James took the car to the nearby garage and it turns out to be a very serious (and expensive) fault which will require the whole abs (the braking system) to be replaced. We will know more about the cost and timescale of the repair tomorrow but we are currently without the use of the car.

Apart from that it has been fantastic to be back at the cottage. James mowed the grass while I went for a swim at the Lochbroom Leisure Centre, and we met up in the village to pick up a celebratory fish (and veggie burger) supper. We relaxed and watched the Great British Sewing Bee on television.