Walks, excursions and holidays
Just under a month ago, I left Edinburgh and got back on the road to doing some more permaculture-related volunteering. Pitnacree is just off the A9 towards Aberfeldy, and I’m staying with Jacqui and family at the Herbalist’s Garden.
I’ve been in Edinburgh for about 4 weeks, staying with friends and helping with some DIY. I’m writing this on the train back to Glasgow. It’s 11:45am and there’s a guy drinking a can of Tennant’s opposite; Monday mornings can be tough for some.
Returned from Scoraig to Glasgow on Friday 23rd to spend Christmas with my family, here in Bishopbriggs.
Not written anything for a while… what have I been up to? Working mainly on the new house, I’ve helped with putting flooring in, cladding the walls, putting in windows, and various other bit and pieces. This was how the bungalow looked when I arrived – I should really have another picture of how it looks now too, shouldn’t I?
Yesterday I left Rubha Phoil on Skye to travel to Scoraig in Wester Ross, to work and stay with Hugh Piggott. Having arranged to meet up with Hugh in Inverness, I was planning to hitch. Luckily Sandy managed to get me a lift with one of her friends all the way to Inverness, which was very convenient.
Now returning to the remainder of my time on Skye at Rubha Phoil. Over the 11 days I spent at the Ru I also coppiced some willow and broom, primarily to allow more light into a herb-growing area. New shoots from the coppiced willow will be woven into a living fence and archway. I visited the Ardvasar community polytunnel and admired the courgettes, some of which must have been around 5 inches in diameter and about a foot long. I also learnt some plumbing and generally helped-out around the place. I had a day off to visit the point of Sleat – great views of Eigg and Rhum.
Did a variety of things today: sawed-up some firewood, wove some willow shoots into a living fence, wheel-barrowed hay for mulching, and helped tidy a big shed. Also managed to severely embarrass myself by mistaking a scrap metal dealer’s car for a wreck that he’d come to pick up…
Two fantastic things:
(1) Hitch-hiking
I left Tiree yesterday morning at 10am, hoping to hitch all the way to Mallaig before the departure of the last ferry to Armadale (at 5:45pm). A tallish order. Well, I made it, with 5 minutes to spare! Things weren’t looking good at Fort William, standing in the rain at 4:20pm with 46 miles still to go.
Left Glasgow last Friday (30th September) evening and caught the train to Oban. Stayed in Oban overnight at the cheap ‘n’ cheerful Jerry Inglis Hostel, with a 6am start the following day to catch the ferry to Tiree.