heavy weather

We had a big storm recently, it affected most of Scotland and we lost electricity at one stage, the sea was very rough and quite spectacular and there were some very nice rainbows too, but the wind was so strong and the rain so hard that we couldn't begrudge the little field mouse who found shelter in our utility room.

Exquisite Light

The Return of the Wizard

Filmed at Sinclair's bay, Caithness, music recorded in Caithness and Hertfordshire.

The Castle of Mey.

Kids on the ramparts.















It is a a very turret bumptious castle.














A view from the walled gardens where the Queen Mum grew her herbs.













This lovely lane leads down to the enclosures where they keep all manner of farm related animals.













A view from the gardens.













The Castle of Mey is the Queen Mother's former holiday home, and before she purchased it, was the seat of the Sinclairs of Mey. During the 2nd world war it was used as a residence for officers.

After the war the Queen Mother bought it as Barrogill castle and then renamed it as the Castle of Mey, it's former name when under Sinclair occupation. She tarted the place up a bit in the style of the times, the early 1950s, and never really refurbished it since then so the interior (which we were unable to photograph) is a time capsule of 1950s design. It looks like a great den for parties, bijou affairs out of the glare of the nation.

We enjoyed our visit, despite having only a passive interest in Royalty, and some disdain for privilege, we could appreciate the human aspects and infusions that create a special ambience, a sense of an urge and a need to get away from it all as far away as possible from all that hullabaloo down south, sentiments we can well appreciate.

Camster Cairns

By the long cairn.














The round cairn.















Perhaps the cairns were built by small people?

















There is a gift shop and various fast food restaurants inside.


















The drive to Camster Cairns is very pleasant, up a gentle dale on a long straight, quiet road. It is a road through more than 5000 years of dwelling, a desire trail north through the bog and forest to the fertile plains around the lochs of Watten and Toftingall. As with most ancient structures, there are theories and notions about the use and origin of the structures and they tend towards the common conjecture that the buildings were for religious, ritual and/or burial purpose. We tend towards balancing such theories with reasonable alternatives, in this case the structures were very good places for storage and shelter, and we believe that was their primary useage, perhaps as some form of wayside shelter, much like a motorway service station.