Rustnstuff: 09/19

Monday, September 30, 2019

Abandoned - sheds and small cottages

Fiona and I did a trip from the cottage to Ullapool and then up the west coast. There was much rugged beauty of ancient stone and reflections of trees and mountains in still lochs.

Another haunting feature of the trip was the number of small sheds and cottages that seemed to have served their purpose and now were left to gradually disintegrate.

Whilst there is a sadness to this temporary occupation and then abandonment there; is also the beauty of these strong silent structures that have all held spirits in some way. There is also a beauty in the rust, peeling paint, greying timbers and mossy stone.

Friday, September 27, 2019

Brutal beauty

Fiona and I were told about an abandoned post-clearance village called Sletell. After checking out the sculpture The Unknown we decided to take a detour on our way home to see if we could find the remains of the village. We could not find it following the directions we were given - or at least what we heard. We were about to give up when we saw a couple of older guys talking and took the chance to ask directions - one said this fellow will show you - he is heading over that way. The second guy said follow me and I will show you the path. We rolled him for what seemed an age - we were no where near the location. Suddenly he pulled up and said park your car there and I will show you the start of the path. Sure enough 20m the path started uphill - he said it will take about 15 or so minutes to get there depends on how fast you walk - it took us 35 minutes.

It was totally worth it - such beauty.

Then why do I say brutal - well three families were expelled-evicted from their farms and relocated miles and miles away in this remote spot on small acreage and were basically told to become fisher folk. They had to build their own houses and there were no amenities. Such was the brutality of the clearances - legal but not moral surely.

One of the other beautiful aspects of the walk was that the guy visited some other folk near the trail so that he could ensure we made it back we think. But it also turned out that he now owns the land and was pleased that we recognised it for what it was in terms of its beauty and history.

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Cornucopia of fragments from the highlands

This post is a bit of a cornucopia - no real theme apart from the beauty around us.

Such a diversity of things that catch the eye.

Of course there is rust - rusty fragments from our visit to Dunnet Head.

Vistas that change dramatically with the weather - looking to the north sea from the cove headland.

Such beauty to uplift the spirit.

Monday, September 23, 2019

Trip to The Unknown

After a morning's work Fiona and I decided to make the most of a sunshine filled day in the Highlands and return to Borgie Glen to do a walk to the sculpture by Kenny Hunter called The Unknown - "an outcast in iron surveying the landscape".

The sculpture sits on a wee hill in a pine forest looking towards Mount Loyal. The work stands over 2m tall and being cast in solid iron it will stand for many years - raising all sorts of questions and comments.

This was the location where we discovered a wee glade filled with mosses, lichens and fungi - after a couple of weeks of wind and warmer weather many things had finished their cycle of growth - but it was still a glorious place to pause for a sandwich for lunch.