Tag: historic houses

A very different kind of day out

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A couple of weeks ago I had a very interesting day, volunteering on an archaeological dig just a short walk from the campsite. The dig was organised by the National Trust for Scotland, along with the University of Glasgow. I saw the advert on Facebook and immediately signed up.

I have never done a dig before, but Ellen, my daughter, has been involved in a few through her work at the National Trust, and I thought it would be a very nice way of spending one of my days off.

The dig was at a site that has been excavated before, the previous ones being the basis for the recreation of the 17th century turf house that is now at the visitor centre.

We were quite lucky with the weather, although rain was forecast all day it was only light, though we did get very muddy!

Our dig took place over two days, and on my day there were about 10 volunteers and 8 staff. The introduction was really interesting, talking about all the small settlements up this valley, and what happened to the area in the late 1600s.

We were digging in the garden area of the previously excavated cottages. There were 10 trenches excavated, and there were a few interesting finds, mainly pottery fragments.  Sadly not in our trench, but we did find evidence of a fire, so that may have been another smaller dwelling as there were a lot of stones around the charcoal deposits.

This was our trench after we had been working on it for a while.

And this is how it ended up.

The finds box from the previous day had all been labelled, but this was found in the next trench to ours.

These two pictures are from the Glencoe Folk Museum’s Facebook Post about the dig and show the most exciting find, the top of a pottery bottle.

It is fascinating to think about the people who lived here looking up at this same view, watching the clouds change as I do now. The fact that they probably never moved far from where their homes were all their lives, such a contrast to my life.

It was brilliant meeting the other volunteers as well, I was working with a woman who moved to Scotland a few years ago from Somerset, and now works for Nature Scotland.  It was nice to spend time chatting about starting over and making new lives, and we both agreed that Scotland is magical!

It was really good to get to know more about the history of the area as well. Not much survives in terms of architecture. There are a few older cottages in Glencoe, such as the ones below, but most are modern buildings.  After the Highland Clearances the main centre of population here was Ballachulish, because of the slate mine.

A fascinating way to spend my day off and something I would love to do again if I get the chance.

We have had another really hot spell, thankfully there is cooler weather now, as we are really full again, which means lots of running around the campsite,  not good in 28 degrees! 

I am not sure yet of plans for next week, I would like to go further west, but that is weather dependent.  Meanwhile I am having a crafting day today after a little woodland walk by the River Coe to Invercoe yesterday.

Hope you are having fun whatever you are doing, take care and thanks for visiting.

Not a National Trust house!

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One of my lifetime ambitions is to visit every National Trust property,  making very good use of my membership, and discovering lots of gorgeous textiles along the way.

After staying at Kendal Cricket Club, having missed out on a couple the previous day due to bad weather, I was searching the map and was delighted to find one that I hadn’t previously pinned.

Off I set on a wonderfully sunny day, above Windermere to find Blackwell, the Arts and Crafts House, on arrival discovering that it wasn’t a Trust house at all, which is why it hadn’t come up on previous searches.

Situated above the lake, with stunning views, it was built as a holiday home for  Manchester industrialist, Edward Holt, in 1901, and designed by Mackay Hugh Baillie Scott. It has been beautifully restored by the Lakeland Arts Trust.

In its time it was also a girls’ school, but thankfully its fantastic architecture and interior has been preserved.

The Arts and Crafts movement has always been one of my first design loves, and this house, along with the work of Margaret McDonald Mackintosh, Charles Rennie Mackintosh and Evelyn de Morgan, whose work can be seen at the similarly stunning Whitwick Manor, is an amazing example of the work of these design geniuses.

As with many houses of the era most of the rooms are wood panelled, with painting, carving and textiles everywhere.

My favourite room, and one so very different to the others, was the white drawing room. The plaster flowers that accentuate every corner are just amazing. To me they are like something from a Tolkien vision of Elven architecture.

Even the books are beautiful, I would love to have a reading nook like this.

There were some more gorgeous books upstairs.

There of course lots of textiles, tapestry cushions, hangings etc, but my favourite was definitely this whitework bedspread. As usual no information on who made this, but respect to the many hours of the hands that did.

If you love this period, or just want to see a beautiful house in a gorgeous location I can heartily recommend it, at £12 entry it was a bargain, and they have a tea room!

The weather has been really beautiful for the last few days, so I am planning another walk today, for the past few weeks my days off have been a bit damp so very much enjoying the blue skies. My plants are also looking very lovely. 

Hope you are all enjoying life, and are not too hot if you are in one of the many areas with heatwaves. Take care and thanks for visiting. 

Some very different kinds of ironwork

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One of the reasons that I love living in Spain,  and visiting Spanish cities, is all the amazing ironwork on the balconies. All of our houses have some kind of protective grilles on the windows, and these and the gates are often quite ornate.

This is often a feature of the country houses I visit as well, with grand staircases and balconies, and I love all of the amazing artistry that can be created out of metal.  Having seen blacksmiths at many medieval events I am always in awe of their work.

One of my days on the way to Scotland, via  a visit to a friend in Wales, involved driving through Shropshire,  a county I need to spend more time in as it is so beautiful.  I drove from Ellen’s across to Attingham Park firstly, another Trust house that has been on my wishlist for a long time.

It is no coincidence that this area is famous for its metalwork, with the heritage centred around Ironbridge and its famous crossing by Thomas Telford, such a wealth of industrial heritage.

The owners of Attingham must have been well aware of the developments in industry only a few miles away. Though their house reflects the arts more than industry, the house, built in 1785, epitomises the era so well.

Thomas Telford, a Scot born in 1757, would have been at the peak of his career as an engineer.  It was in Shropshire that he made his name as an engineer, working on canals there.

It was a beautiful day for a visit, I was very lucky to have a sunny February day, and all the snowdrops were in bloom.

The interior of the house was beautiful,  with some stunning decoration. This blue and gold room was one of my favourites.

I loved the art gallery space though, built for entertaining with an impressive ironwork staircase to the upper floor, showcasing a wonderful window.

The servants’ quarters were also interesting, I really liked the interpretation via the dining table, showing wages and duties.

They also had the very best organisation of the linen cupboard. Look at these beautiful pieces all carefully folded, with ribboned lavender. 

I loved the recreations of the ornate desserts as well. The house had a dedicated chef just to make these.

My second stop was somewhere that I have had pinned on my map for a while. It is an open air gallery, based at the British Ironwork Centre, near Oswestry. 

They have the most incredible pieces, mostly made from recycled materials, showcasing ironwork as you have never seen it before.

The scale of some of the pieces is incredible, and the work that goes into them just amazing.  This gorilla is made from teaspoons.

I had seen the Knife Angel some years ago, when it was on display in Worcester.  Made from knives donated during a weapons amnesty, it has been toured to raise awareness of knife crime in the UK.

Most of the pieces have a message, there is a strong theme of environmental responsibility throughout the artworks, which makes it a fantastic place to visit.

Life here on the campsite continues to be very busy, we have been full for weeks, although it has been a little quieter this week. I have also had two visitors, so feeling very blessed that people will come all this way to see me, and the wonders of Scotland of course!

The weather has been very variable, from 24 degrees for my first visitor,  to 12 and raining for my second. We have still been out enjoying ourselves though, just needed our big coats!

I am also meeting some other friends this afternoon who are in the area, then will be making the most of the rest of my day off doing some weeding in my garden, if the rain holds off!

Hope you are having fun whatever you are doing, take care and

Moral dilemmas

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The world of heritage and history is full of dilemmas. What should be displayed, how should stories be told, and how do we deal with the past that doesn’t fit current sensibilities?

I have been to many museums that have tried to address these things, the Pitt-Rivers in Oxford being a particularly good example. Often they will adopt the approach of explaining why these things were popular or acceptable at the time.

Whilst we were in Salamanca we came across a small museum that presented us with small dilemma.  The museum was dedicated to bull fighting. Always a contentious subject, but a very large part of Spanish culture. Should we go?

In the end we did, I knew that it would be full of the most amazing embroidery, and I am not of the opinion that things should be ignored because they are difficult. I would never go and watch a bull fight, but was interested to know more.

The displays of matador costumes were stunning. Spain does embroidery and gold work for costumes, such as the Moors and Christians, and the Semana Santa festivals, to such a high standard. 

It is particularly impressive as these costumes would be seen from a distance, rather than close up. The level of detail is amazing.

It was also notable that most of them were really small. There were costumes dating back to the 1940s, and they reminded me a lot of the stature of horse racing jockeys.

It was a very unique experience.  As with visiting historic houses and their stags,  the mounted bull heads were sad to see,  but the overall interpretation was very good.

It did address some of the contention around bull fights, and was very interesting in terms of learning more about the history, and the particular role of bull fighting in Salamanca. 

We also visited a nearby palace owned by the Dukes of Alba. As palaces go it was very much a liveable family home, the sort of place you could imagine, or dream about being in. It had beautiful views over the city from the living quarters as well, and a lovely bell tower.

There was also the most gorgeous tiled bathroom, complete with fully tiled toilet!

Salamanca is definitely one of my favourite cities. It has such a quiet charm, with so much to see. I know there are many other stunning Spanish cities to visit, but this one comes highly recommended.

Mum and I will hopefully be doing another city break in December, all will be revealed nearer the time, as this is somewhere we have tried to go before, and failed!

I am now safely installed at my new site for the 2026 season at Glencoe. Have had a fantastic few days working with my new team, and am really looking forward to the campsite opening next week.

I have lots to share about my Scottish adventures so far, but this is a little taste of where I will be spending the summer.

Here is Lotte the caravan in her new home, and this is the view from the campsite. It has been beautiful weather so we having been having lunch on this bench.

You can understand why I am so happy, given that mountains are my favourite things!

Thanks for visiting, and see you soon.

Symmetry and shadows

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I love cloisters, to me they are one of the most impressive forms of architecture.  The pillars, the ceiling decorations, amazing stonework that looks effortless, but must have been so difficult to achieve.

I love the way the light hits the stone, the different perspectives you get as you walk around, and the contrast between sun and shadow.

We visited two beautiful cloisters on our second day in Salamanca. The first was in the convent attached to the church of San Estaban, itself an absolutely stunning building. 

The second was the Convent of the Duenas, virtually next door. Not only were the buildings themselves so incredible, the views they gave across to the nearby cathedral were also wonderful.

I spent a lot of time just framing shots, there are definitely some here that I will want to print off and frame in future.

The cathedral dominates the skyline of Salamanca, and it is the most incredible example of the stonemasons’ art. There are actually two cathedrals built next to each other, an older medieval one, and the later gothic building.

There is something else in the stone work that you have to search for here, an astronaut carved as part of the renovations in the late 1980s. We eventually found it on the fourth door we looked at! I love this little creature on the left as well.

Although the newer cathedral was beautiful, it was the older one that had the best piece of religious architecture.  Probably the most wonderful altar I have ever seen.

I couldn’t get any closer to take more detailed photos but this is an amazing piece of art.

We finished our trip with a visit to the Art Noveau house, once a private dwelling and now an art museum.  No interior photos of the exhibitions allowed, but here is the exterior and the beautiful restaurant. I do keep coming back to this period, as I do so love it.

Medieval will always be one of my favourites for its richness, but there is something so lovely about the lines and form in this period.

I have one more post about Salamanca to share with you, then I can show you some of the wonderful things I have seen since I got back to the UK. It was such an interesting city to visit, full of just so many beautiful places, and of course wonderful doors!

Until then, thanks as always for visiting.

Autumn highlights

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Three posts in one week, this must be a record! Although it may seem a bit strange to be posting about autumn when spring is here, there are a few more places that I wanted to write about from my travels in October. Then I can continue with more recent adventures.

I love autumn, as I have said before here, it always signifies new beginnings to me, being a teacher for so many years. Even now autumn is the beginning of a different life in Spain every year, so still feels like a start.

I love the autumn colours as well, and the quality of the light. I visited a beautiful house just outside of Bridlington while I was staying at Flamborough. Sewerby Hall is owned by the local council, and is free to visit. The hall wasn’t open when I was there, but they have a little zoo, and beautiful grounds.

It is also the best season to see squirrels and there were so many there! I am really hoping for more squirrels in my life this year. There have been some very cute rabbits at this caravan park which has been nice.

I also visited Beningbrough Hall on my way back down from North Yorkshire. I have been before, but that was a quick stop off during the Covid years, and only the grounds were open then.

The gardens look beautiful, they are very Japanese in style, but it was the wonderful autumn fruit and veg display in the shop are that really made an impression. Such gorgeous colours and textures!

The hall is another mainly empty property, now used for art exhibitions.

When in West Yorkshire I went back to visit my friend Sue, who has recently moved back from Scotland.  I have been to stay with her many times in her beautiful, but remote lodge in Argyll, but she has moved back to where she spent many happy years when her children were young, just over the hills from my old village of Marsden.

Even though it was dull, we had a really good walk around one of the many reservoirs in the area. I love walking around water, probably why I love Scotland so much, there is just something magical about all the reflections. 

As I was leaving Katy Kangoo at my sister’s for the winter, we thought it would be fun to have one last camping trip, to Wales. We booked the very last few days that the site was open, at the Wyeside Camping and Caravanning Club site at Rhyader in mid Wales.

The drive there was stunning, through Herefordshire, and we were really lucky with the weather. We did get a bit wet on the first day, but had a glorious couple of walks, with Ryan the dog of course, and lots of fun just playing games and catching up.

The site is right next to the River Wye, as the name suggests, and so while I pitched my tent on the grass next to my sister’s motorhome, Katy had her own pitch just across from there, so she didn’t sink in the mud!

It was interesting watching the staff close down the site, thinking about what my lovely colleagues would be doing in Scotland. This year I will be doing both opening and closing down, so am really excited for the start of the season and meeting my new team in a couple of weeks. 

I am going to be moving on from the static caravan tomorrow, I have a mix of camping and aires, and some historic visit activities planned.  The rest will be weather dependent, so I may be able to get a lot more crocheting done!

I have brought a large amount of wool with me, and am getting on really well with the granny square blanket.  I have also made myself a warm crochet hat, and matching knitted wrist warmers in uniform colours for work.

I do have WiFi at my next campsite as well, so fingers crossed will be able to keep the posting going. I have so many gorgeous things to show you from our recent city break in northern Spain. 

Until then have fun, and thanks for visiting. 

Writer’s block

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I have been doing a lot of writing over the last few months. As you may know I am currently working on two novels, part of a series that I have intended to write for many years.

There were originally going to be six books, however a couple of years ago I met someone who really inspired me to add another book to my list.

This partly explains why I have been working on two novels at once, as I needed to get all my thoughts down on paper, as they say, before I forgot them. Which I did on a wet day at a Norfolk campsite a couple of years ago. This second novel is partly based on my own recent experiences as well, so I needed to write them while it was fresh in my mind.

However, one of the main reasons that I haven’t finished book one, the one set at Hardwick Hall, the one I have been working on for nearly five years now, was a case of writer’s block.

The last person to live at Hardwick, before it was given to the National Trust, was Lady Evelyn Cavendish, born Evelyn Emily Mary Petty Fitzmaurice, second daughter of Lord Landsowne, Viceroy of India.

Evelyn married into the Cavendish family, heirs of Bess of Hardwick, owners of Chatsworth among many other properties, in 1892, when she wed Victor Cavendish.

As a teacher, and a lecturer I have written a lot over the years, even been published, my claim to fame is two chapters in textbooks, and a few journal articles. If you have been here for a while you may remember the doctoral years, when I wrote, (and rewrote!) 80,000 words.

But those were all factual pieces of writing, and writing fiction is very different.  Especially when it is based in fact. I was having real trouble with combining the life of someone who actually lived, with my fictional characters.

A research visit to Chatsworth a couple of years ago, where I was lucky enough to come across some notes written by Evelyn, really helped. I have still been struggling with how to present them in my writing though, to do justice to her as a person.

One of my overwhelming issues is that very little has been written about this her, although she was quite famous in her day. Much of what is out there, and this will probably not surprise you, is written about her in the context of her as a daughter, and a wife. An aristocratic woman, beautifully painted here by John Singer Sargent.

It is a familiar story, throughout history, particularly for someone born into an age where women were often referred to solely by their husband’s names, often not even having their first name used. 

There are letters, and diaries, but those are not readily available to me, partly to do with the 100 year rule, which prevents material being available to protect people still living, that the author may have referred to.

I have found some really useful sources though, and am working my way through them.

Published biographies, and autobiographies are helpful. I have been reading some by Deborah Cavendish, herself one of the very well known Mitford sisters, and pictured below on the left. She knew Granny Evie, as she was then known, during WW2.

The ‘Stags and Serpents’, book by John Pearson, from which the above photo comes,  has also been very helpful.

I am also currently reading a really interesting book, ‘Storming the Castle’, by Jill Downie,  written about the time that Evelyn and Victor spent in Canada from 1916.

Victor had been appointed Viceroy of Canada, which must have been really interesting for Evelyn, being the daughter of a former Viceroy. Especially with the contrast between the two countries. 

The book is very much an, ‘Upstairs Downstairs’, if you are old enough to remember that series, or in a contemporary context, ‘Bridgerton’, as it traces the lives of Evelyn, and her cook, Dora.

One of the great things about this book is its references to family life, albeit the family life of the Viceroy!

Most of the other things that have been written about Evelyn are her more formal roles, connected with royalty, as she was Mistress of the Robes to Queen Mary for  many years.

There is some reference to her other roles, during WW2 she was active in the Red Cross, and there is a wonderful photo in the Stags and Serpents book of her mending the tapestries at Hardwick. This is the period that my book is set, so is a very special one for me.

It has been really interesting for me, as a fledgling fiction writing, to reflect on the process of writing. How I feel about it, what I find difficult, and what comes more naturally to me. I have really enjoyed the process, even if at the moment there is no finished product!

I have also found it fascinating to read about other’s thoughts and processes. I have always been an avid reader, but now I am writing I find myself thinking so much more about how and why the writer structured their books that way.

I am sure that my long suffering English teacher would be very pleased to hear that, some 50 years after my very poor performance in my English Literature O level! I got a D in that one, but an A in Language 😉

My latest read was the very interesting, ‘The Secret Sewing Society’, a dual timeline story set in Ukraine, by Siobhan Curham.

I will definitely read more of her books, as her subjects are ones that I am really drawn to. She also has a Substack, where she writes about the process of writing, and how she gets ideas, which is really interesting.

So, hopefully I will make good progress with the last few chapters of novel one over the next few months. It would be lovely to be able to let people read it, and my very kind friends have said they will act as beta readers for me.

Whatever happens I have thoroughly enjoyed all bits of this new journey, even the getting stuck bits have been helpful, as they have made me think of other ways to work. After all, as was always mine and my sister’s family motto, ‘no-one ever said it was going to be easy!’

I shall leave you with that thought, it is a beautiful sunny day here in Scotland, so I am going to make the most of it and head for the hills. See you all soon!

Empty places

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Although I love visiting historic houses and castles full of textiles, and all of the possessions the owners have accumulated over the centuries, there is something really powerful about visiting those places that are ruined, either though the ravages of time, or single events that destroy the place.

I have visited a few of these in the last few years, and what strikes me about them is the ability to give a glimpse into how these places must have looked as they were being constructed. Bare walls, no roof, the stone or bricks the most important feature, without the distraction of tapestry hangings and wallpaper.

There is also the way that the light works in these buildings, often without windows and curtains to filter it, and the blinds to preserve the delicate fabrics from decay. There is a magical quality to the way the light illustrates the bare bones, the way that you see shadows, rather than wallpaper.

I recently visited somewhere that has been on my wishlist for a very long time. The birthplace of Mary Queen of Scots, Linlithgow Palace, is just one of the many places that I have yet to go to, on my quest to know more about this fascinating woman. If you have been here for a while you may know that I have visited many of the places that Mary stayed, either by plan, or suddenly finding myself there. I have been interested in Mary for so many years, sparked by seeing her needlework at Hardwick Hall.

My first novel, which I am hoping to complete sometime this year, is centred around Hardwick, and I have really enjoyed the research for this, including reading more about Mary and her stitching. A couple of years ago I bought this fascinating book, which delves into Mary’s relationship with textiles, both her clothes and her needlework.

This was a different type of visit, to the empty palace where it all begin. Before she became a young widow, an exiled queen, and ultimately a prisoner, stitching alongside her companion Bess of Hardwick, gradually losing hope that Elizabeth would meet with her and grant her freedom.

It was a particularly significant day to visit, although I didn’t know when I was planning the trip, but this notice was on display in the entrance of the palace.

Such a beautiful and atmospheric place to spend a morning, and I am exceptionally glad that I was able to get there on this trip, as in the gift shop I found this wonderful book.

We have often joked as a family that everywhere we went, Mary seemed to have stayed, or slept, and this is going to form a large part of my planning for other Scottish visits this year, as there are many I was not aware of.

A couple of weeks later I visited Seaton Delavel Hall, on my way back to Yorkshire to catch up with friends. The hall was destroyed by fire around 200 years ago, so what remains to visit is a scarred and empty building, with the most wonderful architectural details to see. I loved the stairwells, the way the light streamed into them, and the fact that you could see the melted railings in the upper floors, recreated to ensure that visitors could access them.

Even though it was a dull day, the light was beautiful, and so were the gardens, with their displays of blossoms in my favourite colours. A beautiful place, and I am so glad it is still cared for and accessible.

I am at the start of my last full week here, so that means lots of last meals out and events with friends. I am very lucky to have such a great social life here in Spain, and this week will be out virtually every night. My poker skills have been improving, I even won a tournament a couple of weeks ago, coming second out of eight people, so am very happy about that, and have enjoyed learning the game a lot. This week also means the all important task of sorting out my projects for the coming year, and deciding which crafting stash is coming with me, based on that.

I will have time for one more post before I leave, have just returned from a marvellous trip here in Spain but will leave that for a while as I need to finish the Scottish and Yorkshire adventures first. So will see you all here next week. Hope you all have a very happy week whatever you are doing, and thanks for visiting.

A pink palace with painted ceilings

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Technically Crathes is a castle, not a palace, however it reminded me so much of all the amazing painted ceilings that I have seen in palaces in Europe, that I definitely think it deserves palatial status. I was lucky enough to visit on a gloriously sunny day as well, which was brilliant as they also have gorgeous gardens and grounds.

This is such a beautiful part of Scotland, a lot quieter than others, but Deeside is just lovely, and the drive to Crathes was beautiful as well. I hope that I get to return sometime soon.

The painted ceilings are amazing, they are themed and there is very good interpretation to tell you about the symbolism, and also some very interesting, for me anyway, textile interpretation.

The Nine Nobles ceiling is self explanatory, representing kings and nobles from different times in history.

The Muses and Virtues ceiling was of particular interest to me, as at Hardwick Hall there are a number of hangings that Bess had commissioned with same themes, and they would have been created at around the same time.

There was a cushion on one of the seats that had used elements from the ceiling as its inspiration, clearly a modern one, and on enquiry at the main desk I found out that it had been stitched by some of the castle volunteers. Just beautiful, and what a great way to add to the furnishings in the castle.

The historic needlework was also in abundance, with a lot of crewel work.

It was very good to see some written interpretation about its date and conservation.

There were also some later dated things of interest, including these lovely Victorian crazy patchwork nursery chairs. I love imagining the gowns that these bits of fabric were offcuts from.

The main living area also had some interesting soft furnishings, and this beautiful manuscript inspired lamp.

I mentioned in the last post that I was getting very inspired by all of the needlepoint I have seen this summer. I didn’t find a suitable kit, but I did remember that I used to have some great needlepoint books and managed to find this one on Amazon. This is Needlepoint Cats, by Julie Hasler, and I have a copy waiting for me in the UK!

I am almost certain that I used to own this book, but due to having small children never got around to making anything from it. I am planning a cushion for the caravan as a summer season project, but will have a hard time choosing as there are so many lovely designs. I am aiming to have specific UK and Spain projects, to stop me having to transfer stash and tools from one country to another all the time!

I have completed the very busy week of Christmas trips and dos, and done all of my Christmas gift making, will post about that after Christmas for obvious reasons! I am now working on a couple of projects just for me, versions of cross stitched ornaments that I have given others in the past, to fill up my tiny tree here, and a kit which has been languishing in my stash for more than 10 years.

I started it yesterday, and immediately remembered the joys of stitching on dark fabric, luckily I have a good spotlight, as we lose the light here about 4pm. However today is the start of lighter and brighter days, not that it is bad in Spain compared to the UK, but I am looking forward to my very long summer evenings in Scotland.

I hope that you are all having a good pre-Christmas week if you celebrate, and have a lovely time ahead. I will see you all on the other side, hopefully there will be time for a last post before 2026! Take care and thanks for visiting.

Castles old and new

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Google informs me that Scotland has over 2,000 castles, of which 1,500 are still standing, or there are significant remains. Therefore I was never going to do more than scratch the surface on my quest to visit more of them after I left Speyside. I had naively thought that at least I could do most of the ones in the area around the Tarland campsite, there is actually a castle trail in the area as there are so many, but only managed a few in the week I was there. Lots to do when I go back!

Scottish castles are really unique, as many of them have a very distinctive architectural style, and lots are pink, or greyish pink in hue. They really do have a Disney castle feel, and none more so than the beautiful Craigievar Castle Sadly this was one of the ones that I didn’t get a chance to see inside, as most of them only allow guided tours, and by the time I got there, all were booked up for theafternoon before I had to head to the campsite.

It was a beautiful day for a wander though, and the grounds and surrounding area is just stunning. Not that there are many parts of Scotland that aren’t, except perhaps the motorways around Glasgow, which confused me a lot!

After leaving Tarland I headed back to the coast, to Stonehaven. I mentioned in a previous post that it had been too windy to walk along the coast to Slains Castle, but this was an absolutely gorgeous day, perfect for a walk along the coastal path to see the dramatic ruins of Dunnottar.

I am collecting photos that I particularly love to be printed onto canvas eventually, and I think this will have to be added to that collection. Such an amazing landscape, and I was so lucky to see it in such beautiful weather.

As well as the castles there are so many beautiful baronial houses, and after leaving the Grampian Aire I went to Leith Hall Dating from the mid 1600s, it has been extensively remodelled and is now mainly Georgian inside. Again I had an excellent guided tour of the house, memorable for several curiosities as well as the wealth of textile treasure.

If you visit any heritage house you will come across taxidermy, a favourite pastime of the Victorian collectors, but Leith has a very special display, of boxing squirrels!

This has to rate as the most unusual piece of taxidermy that I have ever seen. No clear idea of the provenance, but I can only assume they were specially commissioned.

Sometimes there are just little things that really catch your eye as well, not only for their beauty, but imagining how they were acquired, and the recipient using them. I like to imagine that this beautiful desk set was a very special gift, and that happy hours were spent here writing letters and journals.

Another really interesting find was this gift of a photo montage of all of the tenants of the estate, given to General Leith Hay in 1902. A fascinating piece of social history, and one that is great for anyone tracing family history in the area, as many of these people wouldn’t have necessarily have had other photos taken of themselves.

One of the members of the Leith Hay family was a very keen needlewoman, and one of the corridors was lined with needlepoint pictures, all from kits popular in Victorian times. There musty have been at least twenty of these, along with all the fire screens and chairs. I know I have marvelled at this before, but how many hours of work does this represent!

I have been thinking about doing some needlepoint again, not that I need another crafting project ! However I used to love it, so am on the hunt for a nice kit that I can do for the caravan.

Someone was clearly a keen collector of embroidery as well, as there was this display case. Sorry for the poor picture, but there is a Georgian waistcoat, as well as shoes and bags.

There were also some beautiful bedspreads, in crochet and lace work.

I have been spending some time here working on my crochet skills, and have successfully made my first hat! After so many years of struggling crochet seems to have just clicked in my brain, which I am very happy about. Pictures of that and other recent makes soon. I have also been doing some writing, so feel like I’ve had a very productive week.

It is a balmy 23 degrees this weekend, and I am looking forward to another lovely week of social activities. We have a packed programme of coach trips to visit Christmas lights, and Christmas celebrations starting this Friday, and I had better finish making the Christmas gifts as there are only 18 days to go! My poker skills are coming along nicely as well, I won 9 hands last night and came 4th out of 8 players, so very happy with that.

Until next time, take care, have fun and thanks for visiting.