Nice to see that with the accounts of diminishing bee numbers that they seem to be thriving in the Highlands. Perhaps it is just that some of these places are a bit bleak, and where there is a nice walled garden with load of flowers, they take their opportunity where they can get it. The […]

R and I are on holiday this week – first of all up in the far north (staying near Dingwall), and then in Skye for a few days. We stayed at the Muckrack Country House hotel for one night to break the journey, and also so we could visit the Highland Wildlife park. We had […]

Sad reference there to an old advertisement for chocolate. Ignore if under the age of 40. We have many, many hazel trees in our garden, and when we first moved here I was enthused by the idea of gathering them and using them in cooking. Also I’m very fond of them just as a munchie. […]

I bought some spicy dried peas for myself at the weekend. As I didn’t eat them immediately, R purloined them and took them off to his office. I was in the kitchen and heard a loud strangled noise, which was vaguely reminiscent of the noise Tigger made in the story when he was trying to […]

According to R, 31st August is the last day of summer. I’m not too convinced of this as around here we have plenty of days in October which are nicer than July. But anyway, as it was a nice(ish) day today, I went for a swim, probably the last of the year in “Golum’s Pool”. […]

But stuff I don’t dare to touch this time. There are mushrooms everywhere now, but unfortunately I’m no expert on distinguishing the tasty from the indifferent and the fatal! I’m also told this is not something you want to “read up on and give it a go” – you really need an expert to go […]

The apples have all ripened. They could be a bit bigger but they are now being attacked by a large pack of Jays so I need to get them in. I’m leaving a few of the little red desert apples on the tree for J at the weekend. I have gone into jam production with […]

Over the last couple of days we have had some great sightings. Firstly, since the arrival of the fox, the badgers have been arriving earlier and earlier in an attempt to get the nuts first. This means they are here in the daylight, and the other day the female (I think) turned up with a […]

Saw these beauties on an oak tree in my garden today. I’ve not seen a lot of caterpillars around here – though there must be some as there are loads of butterflies. The only ones I have seen in the past are on the way up to the waterfall near Beinn Bheula, where there are […]

R and J and I went for a long walk along the Dalriada Heritage Trail near Lochgilphead. This starts at Carnasserie Castle, goes though Kilmartin, past a load of Neolithic cairns, crypts and stone circles, crosses a nature reserve and then Dunadd, the ancient hill fort which was the capital of Dalriada where the first […]