Blogs from Moray, Scotland, United Kingdom, Europe

This was the first, and only, morning in Inverness where I did not have to rush off to be to the train station. I relaxed and had the full Highland breakfast which was delicious. Alison is a great cook and hostess. Every morning there is fresh orange juice, tea or coffee with toast, homemade strawberry jam, orange marmalade, overnight oats, yoghurt, some sort of stewed fruits, granola, and a fruit salad. That is all on top of the cooked portion. The breakfast room overlooks her beautiful garden and, of course, Rupert is there to greet you every morning. He comes bounding up the stairs as soon as he hears a door open and escorts you down to your table. What is not to like about that! I packed so many stops into today. There were things ... read more

We’re off to Grantown on Spey in Moray with our first stop at Scone Palace (actually pronounce Scoon for reasons unknown) which is the home of the Earl of Mansfield and was the original location of the “stone of destiny”, on which numerous early Scottish Kings were crowned including Robert the Bruce. The Palace and grounds are beautifully maintained and contain many pieces of antique furniture from centuries ago. After a brief stop at Pitlochry to view the Salmon ladders at the power station, we rushed off to catch a sheep dog demonstration late in the afternoon. This was an amazing performance!! The trainer had 6 dogs each with their own set of commands and under full control of their master. Hearing what appeared to be the slightest of sounds, the dogs maneuvered the sheep with ... read more

At the end of June, G cut three teeth in a week and Mummy nearly had a meltdown with the lack of sleep. Like superheroes, Nanny and Grandad answered the call, immediately donned their anoraks (all superheroes wear anoraks in Scotland, apart from in the winter, when they prefer ski jackets) and flew to our aid! Hoorah! It also meant they were here for J's third birthday so they didn't take too much persuading! So yes, the wee man is three. Does that mean he's no longer a toddler? Still my baby though! The weather has been so unpredictable that at the last minute we booked a church hall and moved the party (including the bouncy castle) indoors. And of course that meant we had glorious sunshine outside! The party was, of course, Thomas the Tank ... read more

Yes, that's me, hitting my forties, entering my fifth decade, and pretty happy about it all told. :-) Twenties was all about career. Thirties was all over the place! Had a lot of fun! Lived and worked in India; backpacked solo through Latin America; worked with indigenous kids in Ecuador and tsunami survivors in Sri Lanka; trekked 100miles through the remote Himalayas; met the man of my dreams and married him on an Alaskan glacier; had two wonderful children, one of them in the campervan; now living in a nice house in a lovely place, keeping chickens, growing our own veg, making our own bread. Who'd've thought! Life has slowed down, but I feel very blessed and very content to be right here, right now. Things are starting to get pretty interesting as Daddy's new enterprise ... read more

Well actually we're in Thomshill, just a few miles from Elgin............ So continuing from the last blog which seemes like a lifetime ago - we've now spent about 9 days in England (Lancashire) and 10 days in Scotland so far. Scotland has had much better weather than England, it has been hot and sunny almost every day. But I digress! I have done a little (!) shopping in England already, well with Debenhams advertising a huge 50% off it would have been criminal not to pop in and see what Wallis and Principals had to offer. And then of course there's M&S and the amazing Per Una collections to browse through........... It's been wonderful just looking at all the vibrant colourful clothing here and the immense choice, such a change from the last few years shopping ... read more