Hebridean Life

Thanks for all your recent comments, kind folks. Justi- I'm going to post something in About Me today, thanks for your interest! Yesterday we were buffeted by winds gusting up to 65mph all day. By about 4pm I had to give up writing for the day, as my concentration was shot by the relentless... Sign in to see full entry.

Living on a remote island means we use mail order a lot. This week should be like Christmas. I’m waiting for a halogen oven and accessories- all part of the economy drive. Mr Mac is waiting for a case of wine from the Sunday Times wine club. Mr Mac is also waiting for a book of photographs and... Sign in to see full entry.

I must turn my desk to the wall. The temptation to idle away hours staring out at the island sea and sky-scapes is too great. But this afternoon, it was the cattle which caught my attention. There are six, four mums and two calves, in the next door field. They have already amazed me by headbutting a... Sign in to see full entry.

Today on the island on the edge: wind speed 25 to 37 mph, direction WNW; temperature 6 ° C; visibility 1km. We have entered the season of what I call apocalyptic skies. As I write, the fields as far as the eye can see are bright with sunshine, but the sea and sky are grey, indigo and gold with... Sign in to see full entry.

A few days ago I wrote about a touching incident with a couple of pheasants, which struck a chord with many fellow bloggers. Mr Mac reminded me of an even more touching incident involving squirrels which he witnessed on a rural road near Glasgow a few years ago. Driving along, he spotted a squirrel... Sign in to see full entry.

The Golden Spurtle porridge-making championships recently took place in the Scottish Highlands, but I have my own Golden Spurtle to award- to Mr Mac. ( A spurtle is a piece of wood designed to stir porridge with.) Mr Mac is not renown for his culinary skills, it has to be said. He makes a lovely... Sign in to see full entry.

I have cracked it. I can now make bread leavened only from the air. I know sourdough bread has been on the go since pre-history, but it’s still an amazing thrill to create a perfectly leavened loaf, sans industrial yeast. Mind you, it can take a good few days. I’ve developed this method in my usual... Sign in to see full entry.

I’d always thought of pheasants as being pretty thick. Someone once told me they have a brain the size of a pea. But yesterday something happened to show me pheasants in a whole new light. We often see a couple of cock pheasants strolling round the house. They seem inseparable. Perhaps they are gay.... Sign in to see full entry.

By choosing our beach carefully yesterday we were able to dodge a huge crescent-shaped trough of low pressure which mushroomed from the horizon, over the Monach Islands and swirled north-eastwards. Indeed we managed to walk in the sun. The beach was thickly strewn with seaweed wrenched from the... Sign in to see full entry.

I couldn’t sleep last night, so I got up and went outside. It was calm, and clear. The advantage of living on a relatively flat island is that the sky is huge, and with no light pollution, you can imagine the stars. If you try to take them all in, your head spins, you feel faint, and so, so small.... Sign in to see full entry.