It's almost 9pm and I have just arrived home from my trip to the Highlands. I went back to Strathpeffer, which is a place where I have stayed many times. It has changed considerably over the years but that happens everywhere. I took my mother with me because she has never been so far north in the Highlands and she really wanted to see Loch Ness. So off we went, making a lunch stop at Gretna Green, then continuing on the long trip north, ready for a traditional Highland holiday.
Strathpeffer is a small Highland village north of Inverness, once famous in the Victorian era for being a spa town where people would come to take the waters for their health in the Pump Room. Sadly, much of this history has been stripped away in recent years as the town tries to appeal to modern visitors with a sweet little street café and a cosy wine bar in the town square. The Pump Room Museum has closed down and the history of the place is no longer used as a selling point, which is such a shame. Still, it remains a very pretty town, with some lovely architecture, a impressive water fountain and lots of Victorian accents.
I was also surprised to see that they have built a new bandstand, when the original one is perfectly fine - they've just removed the steps to force people to use the new one! I will always prefer the original bandstand and I have some very happy memories of that one, not least of which is my old friend Roy leading his pipes and drums band out to play for me back in 2001. I bet he wouldn't like the new band stand either. My Highlander, Alexander and I spent a lot of time on the old bandstand, which is where we really got to know one another and shared our secrets together. We found a depth of understanding in one another that we simply didn't have with anyone else and I think that is why we were so drawn to each other. It certainly wasn't love at first sight though - more of an enemies to lovers romance!
Strathpeffer is a town that holds a very special place in my heart and it always will. It wasn't quite the same now that Alexander is gone. I felt his absence keenly all week, especially at the Pictish Eagle Stone which is where we walked every night, where he gave me his mother's ring and we handfasted over the ancient marriage stone, with the Eagle and the ancestors as witnesses.
However, it was nice to be able to show my mother around the town, just as Alex had shown me around all those years ago. She loved the wood carved trees, especially the three Norns, which are my favourites, along with Sgathach who has sadly lost her sword in a storm. The Giant has also lost an arm too, and Skuld has lost her scissors, but fortunately the Brahan Seer looks no worse for wear because he is in a more sheltered spot. It was lovely to see them again and to introduce them to my mum like old friends, because that is what they are to me. Landmarks so familiar they've become almost sentient. They almost make up for the lost pond with the island in the middle where I learnt to row a boat with my soldier. Almost, but not quite. That pond was sadly filled in some years ago and the wood carvings were created from the surrounding trees.
We also made the trek up to the Pictish Eagle Stone, which wore us both out! My mum is nearly 74, recovering from a knee injury and I have chronic fatigue so it was quite tiring at the end of an already very long day. That's the thing about the Highlands - everywhere is a bit of a trek, up hill and down dale, but its always worth it. There are some wonderful views in the Highlands and every way you turn is a vista, but it does require comfortable walking shoes and a dollop of determination to hike the hills and see all the beauty that the Highlands has to offer.
We were extremely lucky with the weather. The heatwaves that we have been suffering in England all summer long were left far behind, but the Highlands was full of bright blue skies and lovely sunshine, with a fresh breeze that kept us nice and cool. It didn't rain at all. It was the perfect weather, with no midges in sight. Usually I go to Scotland in mid-autumn or early winter. I have never been to the Highlands in late summer before, so it was great to see all the purple heather in full bloom, making the hills look ethereal and abundantly wild. We also went out to see Blackwater Falls, which is a lovely waterfall that froths cream and brown due to the peat and looks like a cappuccino. There were a couple of Londoners who thought it was pollution - no, its the peat from the river beds that makes the water coffee coloured. I haven't been there since Alex took me years ago, so it was a bit emotional, but nice to see it again. I could feel his spirit with me, watching over me, which was a great comfort and meant that I didn't feel too sad about the loss of him.
Of course, we didn't just stay in Strathpeffer all the time. We went to Inverness to do some shopping and I picked up a couple of books about Scottish witches from the Victorian Market. We went for a walk by the River Ness, with Inverness Castle up above, which was lovely. Inverness is a pretty place, with some gorgeous buildings, nice little cafes and quaint gift shops. Sadly my favourite bookshop, Leaky's, seems to have closed and is now a trendy coffee shop. It was a wonderful used bookstore, situated in an old church and the till was in the pulpit! You could pick up some real gems from that bookstore, so its a shame its not there anymore. (Or maybe I was at the wrong church, as there are so many in Inverness!) Why does progress often feel so degenerative?
We had a wonderful day trip out to the Isle of Skye. Again, this is somewhere that my mother had never been. I have only been once myself and it rained buckets all day. This time, it was ice-cream weather all the way, so that's exactly what we did. We went down to sit on the harbour wall to enjoy Isle of Skye Clotted Cream ice-creams and watch the boats come in and out of the harbour.
I love these little island communities of the Highlands and Islands, with their rows of pastel painted shops and houses that look so pretty. Its the same on the Isle of Mull, and both Portree and Tobermory have a similar vibe. It's like walking through a storybook or a fairytale, surrounded by buildings coloured pink, baby blue, cream and mint. They're so adorable and I would love to live in a place like this.
These pastel buildings housed some fabulous shops with a maritime theme and I bought some dainty mermaids to hang on my bathroom wall. They're meant to be towel hooks, but I will use them as decoration because they're too pretty to cover up with a towel. I also bought a book of Sea Folklore which I'm looking forward to reading. I was very lucky to stumble upon a Jessica Galbreath Autumn Fairy wall plaque that I just had to bring home with me. Wall plaques from this artist were discontinued a while ago, so it was like finding treasure to see it there in the shop window, as if it had been waiting for me! It will go perfectly in my living room.
In addition to the Isle of Skye, we went to see Eileen Donan Castle which is one of my favourite castles in Scotland. I love how the bridge is a modern addition, and originally the castle would have stood alone and remote upon the island in the loch, only accessible by boat. What a peaceful life - I could live like that! I always feel a sense of homecoming when I am swanning around ancient Scottish castles.
On our final day we returned to the west coast of Scotland and spent the day at Ullapool, where we had the best seaside fish and chips, sitting on a bench and watching the tide. It was beautiful weather, the sea was warm enough for a paddle and a splash around and the boat trips were in full swing. I didn't go on a boat on this occasion, I just spent quiet time by the sea, pottering round the shops and eating more ice-cream. Luckily the Ullapool bookshop is still thriving and I spent a good while in there browsing and coming out with a book on Robert the Bruce that I've never seen before, so that was a good find.
All in all we had a really good trip. My mum loved it, having seen so many places she's never visited before and of course, she got to see Loch Ness which was her main goal, so she came home a very happy bunny. For me, it was a nostalgic visit with lots of happy memories and beloved spirits all around me. I had a lovely time and I am thinking about where in Scotland I might want to go next. In the meantime, I now need to start working on my next book project, so I need to get my headspace back into working mode now that the autumn season is underway. Its a good thing I love me job and I never get the back to work blues after a holiday. I am rather tired from all the Highland hill walking though! I've posted lots of photos up on my Twitter of all the places mentioned here, so head over there if you'd like to see them.
Serene Blessings
Marie x
No comments:
Post a Comment