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A sunny day in Scotland? What to do but hit the beach?

But we decided to do a bit of exploring first.  So off we set, picnic in boot and Ipod complete with a whole new playlist befitting our day out. 

Our first destination was Mallaig, but we couldn't help but make a couple of stops off on the road to take in the scenery around the Road to the Isles.  We sauntered into Mallaig only to discover the Royal Scotsman train had sauntered in first.  What a beautiful train! I imagined myself, G&T in hand, standing on the viewing platform a la 'Murder on the Orient Express'.

As we took a nosey into the carriages, we spotted some seagull nests on the adjoining tracks - a perilous place to set up home! The chicks were scuffling for space, still fluffy and hungry. Amazing to see.

Mallaig was beautifully peaceful, and we explored the little shops, but we couldn't leave without tasting the famous fish and chips. Since we had the picnic we decided to share a fish supper and walk around the harbour.  Next time we'll be getting two. Being short has its disadvantages.

Next stop was Loch Morar - the deepest Loch in Scotland and apparently the home of Nessie's cousin Morag.  We passed a tiny village called Bracora and stopped at the giftshop there - fighting our way past sheep and chickens to get in the door!

And on to the famous Silver Sands of Morar.  Out came the picnic and the rug and the flask of tea.  Soon Billy was snoring as I wandered about the beach. The sand is beautiful - a pinky white and very very fine.  I can, with experience, say that the beaches of the Carribean and the Far East just do not compare.  Well, apart from the sunshine I guess. But not today as the sun shone and the view across the turqoise water took in Rum, Eigg and the peaks of Skye.

The beach at Morar has featured in many films but the most famous is Local Hero. The sands hug the coastline from Morar to Arisaig and we were keen to find the 'right bit' - Camusdarach Beach.  Which we did shortly afterwards and it was easy to see why the film makers chose it. Even on a sunny Saturday in June, the beach was pretty deserted, dotted with occasional shells and framed with colourful rock pools.  I think we found a wee bit of heaven.

We walked through the sand dunes and came upon (yes - this is true - only in the Highlands!!) the local agricultural fair.  It was fantastic. Never seen such a fine selection of sheep, home-made cakes and ducks(!).  Yes - a man was herding ducks with his sheep dog! 

It was tea time though, and with fine Highland steak in our bag from the butchers in Mallaig we headed back to Glenfinnan.  The only stop was to photograph the famous little church from Local Hero, which sits above the road overlooking Lochailort.

And speaking of Local Hero - we couldn't wait to put the DVD on in the cottage and do some scene spotting. It's now there for all to enjoy!

How exciting this week to see beautiful Glenfinnan featured on the Culture Show on BBC2.  The programme is not usually my bag, however I hung on through 40 minutes of heavy duty high brow stuff to watch Sue Perkins (the comedienne who won BBC's Maestro competition) visit the sights of the village and to talk Opera.


The feature was regarding the annual Loch Shiel Spring Festival (http://www.lochshielfestival.com), where musical events are held in unusual locations around the loch, and it was brilliant to see the beautiful church of St Mary and St Finan hosting a hoard of eager kids with angelic voices and very unusual head gear. The opera was Benjamin Britten's Noye's Fludde and looked pretty impressive.

Sue Perkins was bowled over by the stunning surroundings of Glenfinnan. I only wish she didn't start the feature by being a doom merchant about the Scottish weather. Now, I'm not saying that it never rains in Glenfinnan, but we genuinely seem to have a wee gentle micro-climate going on there.  Anyway while she was there the weather looked stunning and visitors to the cottage this week have had the sun loungers out!

And there he was.  Drew back the curtains and came face to face with our Peeping Tom.  Or should I say Mac - as we've christened him - appropriately Scottish, yet lagubrious at the same time.  And as he stood proudly (inpudently) in the garden, we were just in awe of him. He got bored checking us out after a while and sauntered off, but it did bring home all the recent press about how this harsh weather has affected the deer population in the Scottish Highlands.  Read more at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/edinburgh_and_east/8515375.stm


It was a bit of a weekend for wildlife, as I spotted an owl taking to the sky (they're so big!), and a buzzard idly sitting on a post, checking out the A82 for roadkill.

The big prize of course is spotting a golden eagle, and since Robren is bang in the middle of eagle country, I'm crossing my fingers it won't be long.  Apparently, one of the best places to see them is from Loch Shiel, and since the cruise boat leaves regularly from the bottom of our road (http://www.highlandcruises.co.uk) , I'll be first in the queue when the Spring arrives!

The weekend was rounded off nicely by a beautiful Italian meal at the Glenfinnan House Hotel - one of Duncan's themed nights through the winter.  Hope he lets us back in after I decided to have a wee go on the piano in the bar.  'I just need the sheet music, that's all' - don't think they believed me.  Will stick to the tambourine in future.

Now that will scare away the wildlife.

With beautifully clear roads (unlike most of the country) it was a dream getting to Glenfinnan this New Year.  The most spectacular landscape unfolded as we traversed Glencoe, crowds of deer down from the mountainsides waving us along. Passing under the wee rail bridge over the road to the isles, it was akin to climbing through the back of the wardrobe to Narnia.  No white witch awaited us, but the kilted Highlander at top of the monument looked a bit chilly.

As 2009 drew to a close, the sunset painted the mountains pink, and cast a rosy glow over our newly installed snowman.  As we wandered down to the hotel to say cheerio to the year with the neighbours, we couldn't quite believe the sky.  The moon was so full and bright you could see for miles.  Just as well, really, as the light fair helped with our 4am sledging competition - only after some cracking company, fantastic fiddling and rollicking recitations!

Feeling slightly 'tired and emotional', what were we to do the next day with the prospect of the traditional Glenfinnan New Year Dook? That's right, Billy - pull the duvet over your head. Shame on you.  After all, the ice was only a few inches thick on the loch...
 
But such mad traditions made us think about other Scottish New Year oddities.  Sadly, many of them seem to be gradually disappearing. It's been a while since Billy's been asked to stand outside the door on Hogmanay so the house can welcome a tall, dark, handsome man after the strike of midnight (though he still has the right profile!).  And what of the piece of coal and black bun? And the complexities about cleaning, opening and closing back and front doors, reading the ashes, replacing hearth rugs, first footing? And one that trips many up - when to cross arms during Auld Lang Syne! Read more at www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hogmanay

It's a wee minefield, but certainly one that gets us all starry eyed and nostalgic for the auld days.

Well, Happy New Year all, and 'lang may yer lum reek'!

A wee flurry of excitement this festive season on the Jacobite front when there was a bit of a kerfuffle over a portrait of our very own Bonnie Prince Charlie.

One of the bonniest portraits of the man in question (well I think so anyway - he looks a bit less, well, powdered...) was a pastel by an artist with the fantastic handle of Maurice Quentin de La Tour.

Turns out that after a long 'row', it has been decided that it's not BPC after all.  Rather it's his less well-known brother Henry.

And what have our illustrious art historians to say of the matter?

"None of these debates detract from the greatness of the portrait. As an image it still projects the glamour of the Stuart cause, it is simply that we must readjust to seeing Henry, always rather in the shadow of his brother, in this role, rather than Charles."

Bet they wished they'd kept the receipt though..

Read the full story at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/edinburgh_and_east/8413648.stm