Mindful of today’s long drive from Stirlingshire to West Yorkshire, yesterday saw a particularly leisurely day here at my Loch Lomond lodge. My daylight hours spent writing, drawing, hot-tubbing and arbitrarily mulling over whether sloths are dangerous to humans…… According to my unreliable source (village idiot Hamish Troke) the answer to the latter is no….
Tag: Scotland
The Oak Tree
An hour sitting in a hot tub’s eddying waters was yesterday morning’s staycation dainty, as my Loch Lomond break continued unbound. The balmy bath’s overhead covering negating the fact my meteorological companion was a steady Stirlingshire drizzle. This roof keeping the temperate water from being tainted by it’s unfiltered cloud sourced cousin. I’d afforded myself…
Flight of Fancy
Being a seaplane there were no shouts of “Chocks away!” as the flight prepared to embark on its south westerly route. There was, though, multiple flicking of cockpit switches and manoeuvring of levers before the Cessna’s propellors fired into life as my airborne sojourn commenced in earnest. Scene – Late Sunday morning, solars rays at…
Lady of the Lake
I’m sitting in a lodge with stunning views of Great Britain’s largest lake (by surface area) while I gird today’s literary loins. My accommodation’s proximity to Loch Lomond, along with it’s luxurious design and decor making this just about the apt choice I could’ve made as a location for a serene break. The view from…
The First Leg
The first leg of my Scottish break commences at midday when the Strachmobile heads north-west for a one-night stop in Dumfries, Scotland. My destination a market town laying fifteen miles within Scots territory as the crow flies. That being said, as I’m travelling by car not on the back of a giant corvus, it’ll be…
Irn Bruhaha
Scotland’s devolved government has today eased COVID lockdown restrictions in the Caledonian nation. From today, the land of my roots will allow pub/restaurant visits, sojourns to the barber/hairdressers and use of the exclamation “Hoots!” in public places. The latter, though, only if the word’s recipient is a minimum two metres away. Consequently, as I write,…
Toasting The Bard of Argyll
25th January 2020 – Today sees Scots around the world marking the birthday of 18th century Caledonian poet and lyricist Rabbie (Robert) Burns. Incorporated within these global Burns Night celebrations revellers will feast on haggis, neeps and tatties; along with partaking in a wee dram to toast the national poet of Scotland. In some cases,…
Fanciful Notions
It’s week on from leaving the clan Strachan gathering in Aberdeenshire. Seven days of existential reflection; sporadic hours where the romantic in me manifested notions of moving to that area of Scotland on a long term basis. That dominions aesthetic beauty and my middle-age desire for peace and tranquility a catalyst for ill thought out…
Clachnaben!!
Yesterday afternoon, I arrived back in West Yorkshire following an excellent week at a Strachan clan gathering in Aberdeenshire. The five hours it took to drive home from my overnight stop in Dumbarton diminishing energy levels, but not my high spirits borne from seven days of mixing with my tribe. On returning into chez Strachan…