You might be forgiven for thinking that life in a tiny
Highland community would be quiet, even boring, but not a bit of it. I’m
writing this on a grey and rainy Thursday evening, on the only day so far this
week that I haven’t actually been out somewhere. The reason I have unhindered
access to my laptop is that DH is out at the moment at another meeting about
the community transport database he’s been working on.
Sunday morning saw me making the short but beautiful walk
along the road to the local parish church, where we had five
rousing hymns and an enjoyable sermon from a visiting minister. As if that weren't enough singing for one day, after lunch I walked across the road to the
local community centre for a meeting of the newly-established music group which
meets every Sunday afternoon for impromptu singing and music-making. It was a
very hoarse Perpetua who made her way home for tea two hours later, after
singing a wonderful variety of Scottish and Irish folk-songs, together with a
sprinkling of good old parlour and music-hall ditties. Our beautifully crisp
rendering of “My Grandfather’s Clock” almost raised the roof!
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| The recycling centre with a view! |
Monday was another gloriously sunny day, so after an early
lunch we filled the back of the car with a variety of stuff destined for the
local recycling centre and drove across the causeway to what must be the most
beautifully-positioned council utility in the country. Once we had offloaded
everything into the relevant bins, we set off on the wonderful drive around the
Kyle of Tongue, stopping every few minutes to take yet another photograph of
the stunning scenery.
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| Ben Loyal from the causeway across the Kyle of Tongue |
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| Turn round and this is the view down the Kyle to the sea |
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| The road goes ever on.... |
At one point we parked the car and walked up a gentle slope
to a headland overlooking the lovely Lochan Hakel and the magnificent peaks of
Ben Loyal. The hill was dotted with aromatically-blossoming gorse bushes,
interspersed with the last of the bluebells peeping through the heather and a
mass of daisies among the shorter grass. This is one of our favourite local
spots and it was lovely to see it in the summer sun, rather than on the
freezing cold February day when we first discovered it.
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| DH on a peak in Darien.... |
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| Ben Loyal across Lochan Hakel |
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| Lovely Lochan Hakel |
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| The road home from Lochan Hakel - with trees! |
Tuesday morning brought a very different kind of outing for
me – a short walk along our street for coffee with a neighbour. She is the wife
of the painter and decorator who made such a good job of the house in our
absence and being German and knowing that I once studied German, she invited me
for a good old German Kaffeeklatsch. It was an immensely enjoyable hour, as my ageing
brain dredged up the rusty remains of my once very fluent German, and I felt
very pleased that I only had to drop into English a couple of times, when I simply couldn't find the words I wanted. But oh boy, was I tired by the time I went home
to make lunch!
Yesterday was Wednesday and Wednesday of course means Knit
and Natter and we did a great deal of both, on what became a very cold, grey
and wet day. Indeed I was so late home that poor DH was starting to think he wouldn't get any lunch at all, but at least he had had four uninterrupted hours
on my laptop to edge his project closer to completion. Now we are looking
forward to lunch with a friend tomorrow and our return to Wales on Saturday,
ready for my hospital appointment (pre-op assessment!) next Wednesday. It’s all
go!
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| The view at bedtime |
Perpetua, your photos are beautiful. And everything looks so peaceful (although you sound quite busy). It's obvious you love it there.
ReplyDeleteRian, it's a wonderfully quiet and beautiful area and the light has been so good that's it's been easy to take great photos. We do indeed love it here and feel very much at home.
DeleteLovely to see your little corner of the world in bonnie Scotland Perpetua. It makes you wonder how any of us ever found time to do paid employment - life is so busy. Your bedtime view is gorgeous, when does it get dark with you up there?
ReplyDeleteI thought you'd enjoy it, Rosemary, loving Scotland as you do. Have you ever been up as far as the north coast?
DeleteI often ask myself the same thing as I buzz from one thing to another, though I have to say life is actually quieter back in Wales. As for getting dark, even on a very cloudy evening like tonight, it's still fairly light at 10.30 and on a clear night it never really seems to get completely dark.
Never been to the very top Perpetua - Ullapool is the farthest I have been.
DeleteOh, you must one day, Rosemary! The scenery all along the north coast is wonderful, though I admit to a special fondness for the stretch from Bettyhill to Durness.
DeleteBeautiful photos. And nice weather, too! It's getting to be that time of year, I think.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Linda. Sadly the weather has gone back to this year's norm of cold, grey and wet, but the sunshine was great while it lasted. :-)
DeleteI am enjoying your photographs...how lucky that the sun has been shining on your stay in Scotland.
ReplyDeleteAnd after smiling to myself at thoughts of stout Cortez in the person of your far more elegant husband I wondered if you knew about the Darien scheme which just about ruined Scotland; the effects of which were one of the factors bringing about the Act of Union.
History trips us up at every turn...
The sunshine has made these photos, Helen. The light has been so strong and crystal-clear.
DeleteI think DH would admit to a degree of stoutness in both senses of the word. :-) Sadly my O-Level History syllabus only began with the French revolution, so I've been looking up the Darien scheme. What a tragedy. There's a good article if anyone wants a quick overview at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/civil_war_revolution/scotland_darien_01.shtml
It really makes all your travelling worthwhile to have views like those every day.
ReplyDeleteUtterly gorgeous Perpetua, and the close-up of the gorse is dazzling.
I can at last understand why you do it, though frankly, it would kill me.
Have you noticed that picture no 2 has an excellent photo of 'Nessy' in the foreground?
I didn't think you were that close to LochNess.
I will admit to being very pleased with my photos this visit, Ray. :-) I have never seen so much blossom on a gorse bush as on the one of which this is a close-up. It was absolutely smothered in it!
DeleteAs for Nessy, those bits of driftwood were VERY convincing! We're about 90 miles north of Loch Ness in fact. It's a very long drive each time, but so worth the effort.
Wonderful photos!! The air seems so clear making the photos even more special. I spent most of my life in New Zealand ... gorse was introduced by our early Scottish forbears; little did they realise the warmer temperatures would turn it into a pest; a weed that is difficult to eradicate. Flying into Dunedin in spring the hillsides below are a carpet of yellow.
ReplyDeleteThat's exactly what I'm finding, Shirley, especially in full sunshine. There's none of the mistiness I tend to associate with my usual images of Scotland.
DeleteI know just what you mean about introduced plants becoming a real pest. In our case the main culprit is the common, purple-flowered rhododendron, which was brought back from the Himalayas and planted in country-house gardens, from which it escaped and has spread very strongly in many hilly areas. It looks wonderful when in bloom, but it shades out the native vegetation and is very difficult to eradicate. Sigh....
It really is a most beautiful place Perpetua, and who would think that life would be so busy there. Lovely photos...thanks for sharing them x
ReplyDeleteGlad you enjoyed them Ayak. Yes, I'm always amazed at how much is happening in such a sparsely-populated and remote an area. The music group is new and great fun. :-)
DeleteYou're so right, Perpetua. I pictured a much quieter time! The beauty of the surrounding area is really gorgeous. Lochan Hakel is gorgeous. I'm delighted to hear that you're enjoying yourselves so much, including time with friends and fellowship. I'm so glad you shared the photos. I enjoy a peek into your life in Scotland. :-) (breathe lighter)
ReplyDeleteI've done a lot more sharing of photos this time, Debra, because the weather has been so gorgeous and the photos have come out so well. It's all about the light, as with your super beach photos.
DeletePerhaps it's quieter at other times when we're not here, but somehow I doubt it. Being involved with the church does mean that I meet people and attend most, if not all the activities there, as well as more social ones such as knitting and music groups. It's all very enjoyable. :-)
Those breathtaking views are just fabulous! Lucky you!! The nicest view I get at the local recyling place is French builder's bum :-(
ReplyDeleteThey never fail to amaze me every time, MM. We're luck with our recycling centre views in France too, which is on top of a hill from which you can see for miles. In Wales it's in a small industrial estate. 'Nuff said. :-)
DeleteTut, tut, Perpetua - getting hoarse after an afternoon of singing? You can't be using your singing apparatus properly and supporting the voice! Breathing and positioning is the key - and not straining the throat! (Thus spake a former singer/singing teacher:-))
ReplyDeleteI thought you were going up there for a bit of a rest - it sounds much busier than at home! Pity it's such a short trip this time - hasn't it gone quickly?
Have a safe journey South.
I was already hoarse after the morning's hymns, Helva. :-) Unfortunately my larynx has never completely recovered from the onslaught of inhaled steroids when I was hospitalised with a severe chest infection at the Millennium. I was exaggerating a bit for literary effect here, but it does sadden me that my voice will no longer reliably do what I ask of it. :-(
DeleteWe've been resting all this long, cold, grey winter so this was definitely a visit during which I expected to be busy, but it's been even busier than anticipated. Thankfully the weather forecast for tomorrow is reasonable which does help on a very long journey. See you soon.
You've chosen some lovely places to live in, Perpetua. Safe journey back to Wales tomorrow!
ReplyDeleteWe've been very fortunate in our choices, Linda, and are constantly discovering just how beautiful this area is. The journey is very long, but thankfully is motorway from Perth to Wrexham, which makes life easier.
DeleteAnd there was me just saying yesterday that the dechetterie in Caunes must have the best view in the world. That recycling centre looks amazing.
ReplyDeleteYour photos are beautiful, and the social whirl sounds wonderful. I hope all goes well with the pre assessment. Jx
You'd better put a photo on your blog and we can compare notes, Janice. :-) As I said above to MM, our dechetterie in Normandy is on top of a hill with a lovely view down over our valley, so we always enjoy our trips there too.
DeleteThe social whirl has been enhanced by the lovely weather we've had for most of our visit and I'm glad to say the sun is shining again this morning, though it probably won't last. I will report back on the assessment.....
What a busy time you've been having Perpetua! I'm so pleased the weather has been so kind to you. Scotland is beautiful when it isn't grey, cloudy & raining! The photos are wonderful - I'm a great fan of mountain views.
ReplyDeleteSafe travels back down to Mid-Wales & may your pre-assessment next week go well.
Thanks, Ricky, Yes it's been busier than expected for such a short visit, but we just happened to coincide with the monthly Eucharist and then there was the new music group. The views since we arrived have been truly spectacular, partly because the days are so much longer and the sun higher than when we're usually here and there has been so little cloud. Actually I think the scenery is pretty spectacular even in the rain. :-)
DeleteWonderful photos, Perpetua, it is all so beautiful. Between your photos and Rosemary's I am developing a bad case of Scottish nostalgia, although I've never been there. Must remedy that asap. Irish and Scottish folk songs are the best - sounds like a lovely musical afternoon. What a downer going back for medical reasons, and may it all go well for you.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you're enjoying these glimpses of Scotland so much, Patricia. I know you would love it if you ever managed to visit. The musical afternoon was enormous fun. I do love singing, even though my voice is not what it once was, and rarely have a chance nowadays, other than in church.
DeleteThe medical appointment really isn't a downer as it's the pre-op assessment for my long-awaited cataract operation which will be happening at the end of the summer. I can't wait to be able to see better with my right eye. :-)
How fortunate you are to see these beautiful place. You sound extremely busy, but you will slow down after your eye surgery. It's been three days since mine, and I am trying very hard to stay quiet. I can just imagine all the singing, and what great fun that would be. Singing is good for your health, so keep singing. :)
ReplyDeleteWe are very fortunate indeed,, Bonnie. I've been warned that I will need to be quiet for a little while after the cataract surgery, so it's lucky it will be happening in Wales where life isn't quite so full. :-)
DeleteI too had read that singing is good for us, especially as we age (deep breathing and all that) so I must keep it up. I do enjoy it.
Dear Perpetua
ReplyDeletethat first photograph of Ben Loyal is breathtaking! Scotland is such a beautiful country and I hope you know how privileged you are to call it home (it is your "part-time" home, isn't it)! Thank you for sharing these wonderful pictures. Ich könnte das alles ja auch auf Deutsch schreiben, jetzt wo ich weiss, dass Du es verstehst. Es wäre für mich bestimmt einfacher, auf Englisch habe ich immer den Eindruck, dass vielleicht nicht ganz klar ist, was ich sagen möchte. Herzliche Grüsse aus der Schweiz. Heidi
Hello, Heidi and welcome to my blog. If the beginning of your comment is anything to go by, your English is probably much better than my German. :-) You obviously love Scotland very much, as we do, and yes, we are privileged to be able to spend part of the year here.
DeleteWenn Du lieber auf Deutsch schreiben möchtest, würde ich gerne Dich auf Deutsch beantworten. Es wäre eine gute Übung für mich! Dein Englisch scheint trozdem prima zu sein. Meine Freundin aus Hamburg schreibt auch auf Deutsch, denn ihr gescriebenes Englisch ist fast verschwunden. Schön, dass Du heute was gesagen hast.
Do you realize that the view from your recycling centre is the kind of view tourists (like me!) spend money to come see in Scotland? :-)
ReplyDeleteActually, that is a view from the causeway OF the recycling centre (the group of buildings in the middle of the picture). The view FROM the centre is of the Kyle and the mountains! I really will have to phrase my captions more clearly.... :-)
DeleteMarvellous views, Perpetua, and some lovely roads for motorbiking on! I love the causeway.
ReplyDeleteThey are wonderful, Sarah, even when the sun isn't shining. I imagine the only trouble with biking on these very narrow, winding roads would be keeping one's attention on the road and not being distracted by the view. :-)
DeleteHari Om
ReplyDeleteOch aye, yon's a braw spot!!! You should try selling pictures to the Scottish Tourist Board &*> The 'broom' is one of my favourite bushes and it is interesting that as you spoke of the fragrance, I could actually recall the smell! It is our strongest point of memory stimulus after all.
Safe driving South - hard to leave when it's as wonderful as this, I'm sure, but it will be worth it. YAM xx
It is indeed, Yam. :-) It's one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen, a jewel in Scotland's crown. As for the gorse blossom this year, my scent of smell is rapidly diminishing with age, but the distinctive scent of gorse (I always think of it as honey with a dash of pepper) is almost overpowering in the warmth of the sun.
DeleteMonday's gloriously cloudless sky is now a thing of the past, so it won't be quite so hard to leave, but we always drag ourselves away very reluctantly. Still, Wales is lovely too. :-)
Kaffeeklatsch I haven't heard that term in ages. Sounds delightful, and good for you for pushing forward with your German.
ReplyDeletePerpetua, these views are breathtaking. I can only imagine what they are like "in person". So much beauty, including your recycling center - and oh my, oh my, that view from your window. I would either never get to sleep or sleep sound as a babe.
Enjoy the rest of your time there, dear one, and keep us posted regarding the upcoming cataract surgery.
Kaffeeklatsch was the only word that fitted, Penny. My German is still good, but it used to be so much better, so it was great to get some practice and realise I can still hold a proper conversation in it.
DeleteThe views are wonderful; in all weathers, but Monday's bright sunshine and total lack of cloud made them particularly beautiful. The water you can see in the photos from the bedroom is tidal, so sometimes all I see when I open the curtains is a wide stretch of sand with just a narrow river channel winding across it. The constant change is fascinating to watch.
I will certainly be reporting back after Wednesday, hopefully with some hard facts about when and where. :-)
There are no views that I've ever seen that can compare with those. Wow.
ReplyDeletePearl
Pearl, I honestly think there are few places on earth which can match Scotland at its best, especially its wonderful mic of mountains and water. Sheer magic.
DeleteScotland at its best - stunning, just stunning! Visit Scotland photographers eat your heart out ;-) You're making me have itchy feet but our visit won't be until October.
ReplyDeleteHope all your hospital-y things go as smoothly as mine have. Safe travels south.
They ARE good aren't they? I say it as shouldn't, but the light that day was quite extraordinary. I've never seen the Kyle and the Ben look like that in all our visits. Will you be heading for Edinburgh in October or having a bit of time elsewhere in Scotland?
DeleteNext week's appointment is purely tests and planning, but I do indeed hope the op itself will be as successful as yours when it comes. We'll be heading for France the week after next, so please make sure you order some good weather for our arrival. :-)
Absolutely gorgeous pictures. You really have the best of all worlds, three times over.
ReplyDeleteI hear from Julia that you are back in Wales for only a few days and then off to France again. Dizzying? Positively spinning like a dervish!
Thanks, Friko. What I particularly value is that all three locations are distinctively different, though hills do feature in each place. DH and I don't do dead flat. :-)
DeleteJulia is quite right. Once we finally had a date for my pre-op assessment and knew we could delay the op itself until after the summer, we could finally make plans after being in Wales for a full six months this winter. After the op, I'll be back on the waiting-list for the second eye, so we're making hay while the sun shines (if it does).
I laughed - I've done the same thing on the Kyle of Tongue road - stopped every half mile or so to drink in the views, simply wonderful place - thank you for reminding me today.
ReplyDeleteI'd defy anyone not to do so, Anny, especially when driving round anti-clockwise, where the views are at their best. :-) We were SO lucky with the weather that day. Glad to have brought back happy memories.
DeleteGlorious, glorious views, Perpetua - so glad you had time to take them in amongst the whirling social life! It certainly sounds like excellent fun - particularly the singing, I think. I know exactly what you mean about being exhausted after spending time conversing in another language - it still can wring me out, despite having quite a lot of practice.
ReplyDeleteHope that wonderful weather lasts as I'm sure you take lots more fantastic photos to share with us.
Axxx
It's my pleasure to share them, Annie, particularly when I can demonstrate that the Highlands aren't always shrouded in clouds and mist. :-) Last week was unusually busy, but I'm always out at least a couple of times a week when we're there.
DeleteSadly the sun had disappeared by Wednesday, but it reappeared for our journey south yesterday, than goodness. Driving 546 miles in the rain does NOT appeal!
When it's sunny, the Highlands take some beating. My social life up North is vastly different to yours - I say hello to the goats, deer and hares and occasionally get a reply from the nanny goat.
ReplyDeleteAnd it was wonderfully sunny for days on end this visit. :-) I gathered from your blog you were somewhere very remote and beautiful. Interestingly we're much nearer to everything that's going on in Scotland than we are in Wales, where we are up in the hills away from the village.
DeleteWhat a wonderful area - I had somehow missed this post and just came across it. I think one is often far busier in a village rather than a city or town. You obviously have a wonderful lifestyle in your various homes.
ReplyDeleteAll the best for the "op".
It's truly glorious, Susan. Mid-Wales is lovely, but the North-West Highlands have a grandeur I've found nowhere else in Britain. You're so right about village life. I think it's partly because people actually know each other and work together well.
DeleteThe op won't be until after the summer, but all the tests will be done on Wednesday in preparation for it.
OOoh those photos of mountains bring back memories of my recent holiday. Lovely! We had brilliant weather too. And since my return I've not had time to post photos. Sending good wishes for your hospital appointment.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Sian. I thought of you on your West Highland holiday and was sorry we arrived too late to meet up for a cuppa on your way through. Weren't we both lucky with the weather. :-) It gives the scenery a whole different quality and I've never seen it look quite like this before. Looking forward to your photos when you have time.
DeleteDear Perpetua, if there were such a thing as a "deus ex machina," that would sweep down from the heavens and rescue me and take me to "the Promised Land" (to mix the Greek culture with the Hebrew!!!!!) then I would ask that in these final years of my life I would live in a home from whose windows I could see an expanse of water with the sun glinting its surface and hills beyond. That truly does sound like heaven to me! Your text and photographs have me being just a trifle---a trifle mind you--envious! Peace.
ReplyDeleteDear Dee, if I could wave a wand and permanently share this view with you, I would do so in an instant. It's the presence of water so close which makes our view in Scotland so entrancing. The mountains are wonderful, but so are the hills of Wales, but we have no water near us here. We never tire of the constantly changing pattern of tidal water and the play of light and shade on its surface. The proximity of the sea is one of the great pleasures of living on a relatively small island.
DeleteWhat glorious, glorious blues! There is a whole summer of creative inspiration in these photos. How wonderful to have seen this landscape in that weather.
ReplyDeleteThe 'peak in Darien' photo made me chuckle. I once heard someone interpret that line as referring to a 'Peke' (dog): he gave a little yelp as stout Cortez stood silent upon him! :D
In this case the camera really hasn't lied, DB. The sky and water truly were as blue and sparkling as in the photos. I've never seen them quite like this in all our visits.
Delete'A peak in Darien' is one of those quotes which embedded itself in my mind as a child and pops up even when not wanted. I love your interpretation and so will DH. Any Peke he stood on would certainly yelp. :-)