Rustnstuff

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.

Another feature of the walk was the abundance of heather and other flowers.

On our way home we sought out and walked to a clearance village - sad but beautiful - but that is for a later day.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Painting in the landscape and other matters

Creativity today took a few forms including: painting more of elderly neighbours barn roof; paving around the sewerage inspection pit; adding a little touch of art to the gravel; and finishing the painting of the shed and the new workshop/studio bench.

As you can case from the photos it was a glorious day to be outside working. I have done three sessions painting the barn roof with tar paint. What a setting to do it in - views of Armadale Bay and sheep in the croft next door.

What started out as doing drainage work around the sewage inspection pit resulted in Fiona and I gravelling the area over the drains and paving using the bricks that came out of the old redundant heaters that were originally in the cottage.

Scottish water replaced a leaking water connection and threw the old cover in the grass - we rescued it as we thought it was a wee art piece - cement and rust and all.

The work on the shed/workshop/studio is all but finished. Soon I will be working in there.

A big day in all - so a glass of wine is well deserved!!!!

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Micro bog at the cove

Whilst Fiona and I knew that the highlands blanket bog touches or maybe includes Armadale where our cottage is were were very excited this morning to discover this very alive little bog near the fishing huts at the cove which is at the end of the village. Most often our eyes are taken by the sea, the hills, the sky, the grasses and the wild flowers.

But this morning we went around the back of the fishing huts to check out a couple of rusty anchors and on the way discovered a little but very much alive bog - such amazing diversity of wee plants in about 50 square meters.