Wednesday 18.09.2019

In many ways these last couple of days have been one of my favourite kind of autumn days. Not the jewel-coloured leaves shimmering in a still-warm sun, nor the last of the swallows and martins circling round, nor the busy combining and baling of golden straw, going on late into the night under a harvest moon, lovely as all those things are.

By contrast, these days of perfectly still air, misty, cool and grey, mizzling,not yet winter cold although inviting a morning fire to be lit anyway, the damp air enhancing the autumnal fragrances of the land tip-toeing towards winter. Makes you want to light a bonfire, where you still can, a time honoured autumn tradition.

And meanwhile the summer and its adventures recede ever more quickly into the distant past.
In July there was a long weekend in Dublin: a revelation in many ways, not least the way the history of the country came at us from practically every wall and building

and made us realise how ignorant we were. Not taught in our history lessons anyway.




The Spire of Dublin, the anticipated pubs, the unanticipated (by me) nature reserve and walk along the beach, the little reminders that you weren`t in the UK,

the awesome Trinity College library, the thought provoking National Museum (especially the Alison Lowry exhibition about the Magdalene Sisters which runs until May 2020 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xecqNvY3Cs), a train ride (that crossed a border without any drama - just saying) and two ferry journeys, the one from Belfast to Cairnryan done on a beautiful sunny day which meant we could do the whole trip on deck. The only way to travel.

And then came August........

Sunday 15.09.2019

Checking back in after a summer of gadding and gallivanting and adventures. Last few days quintessentially autumn: gaggles of geese, swirls of starlings, mushrooms everywhere

and fields full of fat, round straw chequers.

Breezy, not to say windy, cool and grey one minute, still warm sun the next and just the suggestion of leaves on the turn in the woods.

Tales of derring-do and festivals to follow.
Meanwhile reading Katherine Rundell`s latest children`s novel, The Good Thieves and Salman Rushdie`s Quichotte. Both writers are master story tellers in their own way.

Sunday 7.07.2019

"Summer breeze, makes me feel fine,playing with the jasmine in my mind". (Seals & Crofts - who remembers? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CeJuxHwrKI)


Quite a strong breeze this afternoon perhaps but definitely summer, fresh greens and blues and whites, summer scents, trilling birds, butterflies, bees - feeling fine indeed. :)

Wednesday 26.6.2019

A peerless early summer evening. Warm sun in a clear blue sky particularly welcome after two or three days shrouded in mist and rain.
The woods positively glowing,

and the cow parsley shining, providing perfect stalking cover.

Luckily, the weather was similarly kind last week on Lewis, especially on our final day. Never as cold as it had been the week before round Lochinver, it was relatively calm as we sailed out of Ullapool on Wednesday evening,

arriving at a campsite quite late but in this part of the world at this time of year that doesn`t pose a problem.



Plenty to explore: an iron age village, a large Broch, a Norse mill, Black Houses,

an inspiring lighthouse (have a bit of a thing about lighthouses - magnificent)

and of course the famous Callanish stones.

All fascinating sites, with plenty of room to roam across the stony, sparse, largely treeless land softened by the many lochs and lochans

and surrounded by the most beautiful beaches. In fact spent most of that last day of brilliant sunshine, walking along a clifftop quite stunned by the beauty of it all though also quite aware that on a short, dark winter`s day it wouldn`t look so inviting - still wild and beautiful no doubt but less accessible!

Reluctant to leave on Saturday morning: will return!

Sunday 16.6.2019

A green and gentle June evening, warm sun, refreshing breeze, birds a-tweeting and carolling,scents of newly cut grass, blue and white sky. Quite perfect for walking and musing.

The general lushness of our woods just now was especially noticeable after three days away on the other side of the country. Mountains, moorland and the "cnocs and lochans" of Sutherland. It is the most extraordinary landscape, a geologists dream, described as
"a glacially-scoured lowland area which displays alternating roches moutonnées (cnoc: a small rock hill in Gaelic) and eroded hollows often containing small lakes (lochans)".
We`d thought to do some scrambling, possibly stopping at Stac Pollaidh but while the informative sign showed what it might look like on a good day

our view of it wasn`t quite so exciting.

Nevertheless we walked a little way up the midge-infested path, taking in a view or two as we emerged from the trees

but then scuttling back to the car and driving on.

So it was to be a low-level few days but none the worse for that: a beautifully situated campsite at Clachtoll*, a fascinating Broch to explore **,the long walk into Sandwood Bay *** (into the teeth of the freezing northerly wind which was a key feature of our stay),the discovery of the rather wonderful pies at Lochinver Larder **** and a visit to Highland Stoneware ***** which is a business with a sense of humour as well as some very collectable pottery.







* http://www.clachtollbeachcampsite.co.uk

** http://clachtoll.aocarchaeology.com

*** https://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/kinlochbervie/sandwoodbay/index.html

**** http://www.piesbypost.co.uk/lochlarder

***** https://www.highlandstoneware.com

And next week, gluttons for punishment, we`re due to get the tent out again. :)

Sunday 02.06.2019

Late Spring seems to have segued into early summer pretty seamlessly if this evening`s conditions were anything to go by. This morning`s rain eventually dispersed leaving a warm quite humid atmosphere heavy with scents.
Dramatic skies, a symphony of bird song and a gentle breeze stirring everything into the perfect summer`s evening. June appears to have arrived.