Summerweather

I cannot complain about the weather, the sun is shining and it’s pleasantly warm with just a nice breeze to keep the midges away…
You can see quite a few sailing boats, some canoes and a few surfers. I enjoyed peace and quietness at Loch Mor , the ideal panorama for a good read!


At long last the bluebells are appearing here and there, but I am missing the corncrake which was breeding near my house among the waist-high nettles and grass. I could never see the bird but her boundless ”creic-creic” was unmistakable…

Sheep

Although a little overcast in the morning the sun came out in the afternoon and it was another good day. Crofters were rounding up sheep today, their shouting and the sheep’s bleating was to be heard all afternoon as they were ferried across from the Island of Pabbay to be shorn and taken to the moors during the next days. I still remember the small boat that used to sail across many times. Nowadays the crofters use a bigger vessel, there are fewer able crofters but I suppose the same number of sheep on Pabbay.

Back in Lewis

Back in Lewis and back to sunshine!!!
Seemingly the sun was shining all week while I was away on the mainland. I started clipping my hedge on Saturday and have to water my garden daily as the sandy soil has dried up. There is still a cold easterly wind but it feels like summer at last. More flowers are showing up on the fields. There is a tinge of rusty red coming from long sorrel stalks, the bluebells are still very scarce – I suppose I have to be more patient .
There are more tourists around than previous years, more caravans on beaches where they were rarely found, quite a few people are walking on the road and you can meet them at places where you used to be by yourself…

Bow Fiddle Rock

It always pleases me to watch the sea, the never ending rhythm of the breaking of the waves which slowly over a long time alters the face of the rocks. A fine example of erosion is the famous Bow Fiddle Rock near Findochty.

Fordyce

Fordyce, once a“ kirktoun“ of a large parish and a focal point in a farming community holding markets and fairs is now a historic villages which celebrates 500 years of history by opening the picturesque private gardens to the Public on several Sundays every year . There is also a well-restored Castle in the center of the village and a historic Kirkyard worthwhile to visit.
But the Ale-house is closed long ago, so is the little Sweet-shop and the Post-Office which once used to sell also lemonade. The old joiner’s workshop was turned into a museum.
If you walk nowadays through the village on an ordinary weekday you will hardly see a living person…

Historic Sites

The East Coast of Scotland is steeped in history and rich in ancient sites.
Although the weather was poor I visited Elgin Cathedral, affectionately known as the “Lantern of the North”. One of Scotland’s most beautiful buildings is now a magnificent ruin, much of which dates back to the 13th century. Its many outstanding architectural features fascinating to admire include the country’s finest octagonal chapterhouse. The impressive building still dominates the flat and fertile Laich of Moray.

I also visited Spynie Palace, the residence of the bishops of Moray for five centuries until 1686. The gaunt ruin once on the edge of Spynie Loch represents one of the largest surviving medieval bishop’s houses in Scotland.
In Spynie stood the Cathedral until the see was transformed in 1224 to Elgin, a royal burgh since the 12th century and safer in those tumultuous times. The palace where the bishops continued to live is situated only 2 miles outside Elgin and was also used by the monarchs on their travels. On 1562 Mary Queen of Scots stayed here for two days in the course of journey through her kingdom 1562.
Nothing remains of the early palace. But the magnificent 15th century David’s Tower, 6 storeyed and thick walled, several wide-mouthed gun-holes and the remains of defensive walls can tell of difficult times.

East Coast Visit: Fishing villages

The beginning of the Glasgow Fair a week ago brought many visitors to Lewis while I departed for a week on the mainland. Although I left Stornoway in bright sunshine it was pouring in Inverness and the poor weather continued for most of the week…
I visited a few of the East-Coast fishing villages : Buckie, Cullen, Portknockie, Portsoy, Findochty. Most of the fishing vessels that where around when I visited some years ago are now replaced by yachts. In Sandend a small, beautiful village down the road where my friends live, a good many of the houses are holiday homes.
But it was lovely to hear Fred the fishmonger and his son speaking Doric to me when I purchased some locally smoked fish.

Festival

This week was a week of cultural extravaganza.
The Hebridean Celtic Festival in its 12th year draws about 16000 people to Stornoway each year and brings 1 Million Pounds into the local community.
This multi event of super shows in the big tent with a capacity of 5500, concerts in An Lanntair, the Islands art center, community events including venues in various parts of Lewis and Harris, ceilidhs in the local Pubs and a wide fringe programme features well known bands of Celtic background, talented young musicians and fabulous bands from as far away as Canada, Spain and Turkey.
On Saturday I went to An Lanntair for a concert featuring the Shetland fiddler Jenna Reid and the Quebecois band Genticorum. Once more the Scottish part was excellent but the Canadian band was just stunning and had the audience enthralled within seconds. For the encore both bands joined in playing spontaneously a couple of reels together which the audience and the artists enjoyed alike.
By the time I was waiting for my bus to take me back to Uig you could hear live-music by bands like Skerryvore coming out of most of the Pubs and the town was still very busy with revellers…

Weather...

Cool for this time of the year, drizzly damp, but at least this keeps the midges away. There were two reasonable good days this week with sunshine and blue skies in between...

Summer???

The meadows are yellow with buttercups and a few spotted orchids, but no red clover yet, no ragwort, meadow sweet or bluebells...

In my garden the weeds were up to my knees and it took me 3 days to clean my potato patch...