A wise decision

No, I´m not going to Scotland this summer either, for different reasons. So I can at first dream a little of Scotland...

...and then be happy of what I´ve got at home...

...and the plans of our family vacations in Arjeplog.

 2013

 2009

Scotland 2014 Hello again, Edinburgh!

(3.6.2014) I felt glad when I came to Edinburgh this time: I knew where to go and Edinburgh felt a little like home after flying from Vasa to Stockholm, Arlanda and then to Edinburgh. I stayed at Motel One Edinburgh-Royal, very nice.

 I met the Duke of Wellington on his horse near the bus station in Edinburgh.

 In 1859 Arthur Conan Doyle was born near this pub. French refugees fled from Picardy in France due  to the edict of Nantes, which declared protestantism illegal. They settled here and gave their new home the name of their province in France and so Picardy place got its name.

Sherlock Holmes stalking in Picardy Place.

 The Scottish landscape is always near, even in the centre of Edinburgh.

I love our red timber houses in Finland. How can I admire these brown stone houses in Scotland? They are so beautiful!

Scotland 2014 From Edinburgh to Luing

  As an early-bird I was at the bus station St Andrew Square early Wednesday morning, waiting for the bus to Oban.

Two important words in Scotland on 18 September: Yes and No. The question in the referendum is "Should Scotland be an independent country?" 

 I like travelling by bus and by train. You can sit in peace and quiet, watching the landscape, reading a book, talking to other passengers and someone else takes the responsibility for the traffic. The trip between  Edinburgh and Oban took us through beautiful landscapes and nice villages.

These bare mountains are similar to those of Arjeplog, which I love so much. Arjeplog is the place for our family holidays nearly every year in northern Sweden. Unfortunately not this year, and I certainly miss it.

A touch of the sea - soon in Oban.

Oban Bay

I didn´t expect so much of Oban - I like countryside more than cities. But Oban was a nice town, as a crescent around Oban Bay.

And what does a teacher do on her holidays?
Of course she chooses to travel by the schoolbus with the high school pupils. But that was only nice. The pupils wore school uniforms, which is quite strange for our Finnish students. Those, who didn´t wear the uniform, wore at least the right colour of their school: Orange ties and black and white clothes. I did not take any photographs, that would have been rude. Many of these pupils had a very long school day: schoolbus, ferry, postbus.

And now at last on the isle of Luing, at the ferry place at Cuan Sound.

 

You can see Blackmill Bay, where I stayed, on the western coast of Luing.

And now I´ve come to Blackmill Bay, my home for a couple of days.

Scotland 2014 Exploring Luing

The postbus took me around the island. The houses in Toberonochy seemed to be in perfect harmony with the landscape. The new windows on the roofs were just fine, I understand that modern people want more light in their houses than in old days. Here I met the old gentleman, who liked to discuss the local birds. It concerned him why the geese nowadays don´t move away - they should move north to breed, but now they often stay here. I was so sorry when the postman had delivered the post of the day and we had to leave...

The roof was - of course - made of local slate. Beautiful, but they must be very heavy. The slate quarries are now silent.

My lunch - yoghurt eaten with shortbread - on a bench in Cullipool  in silent rain was maybe not the most luxurious meal I´ve had, but it was special and the view was quite nice!

The thrift Armeria maritima likes living on the sea shore. The name Armeria is believed to come from the celtic language: ar = from and mor = sea. Latin names often tell you a lot about plants! The following day I came back to Cullypool, this time in lovely sunshine.

Scotland 2014 Walking on the beautiful, beautiful island of Luing

For me, the oystercatchers were exotic neighbours.

I left Blackmill Bay after breakfast for a day of walking. I was a little worried, I must admit: Would my operated foot cooperate?

I walked along the little road in the pastures among cows and sheep. Luckily, I´m used to cows, as a farmers´s wife. I can imagine that you have even more respect for the animals if you aren´t used to them.

 Sheep and cows grazing together.

On Luing they are proud of the red Luing Breed, which has been bred for its environment, doesn´t need grain but is fed on grass products.

 

I think that this little forest shows us how Luing - and the rest of Scotland - would be without human impact. 

Only an old stone wall? No: This is Kilchattan Church, probably from the 12th century. This church was the parish church for the islands of Luing, Torsa and Shuna and some neighbour islands. In late 17th century it was ruined.

 The traditional slate is also found on Kilchattan Kirkyard.
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... and this is the new Kilchattan Church. Not in the middle of nowhere, but in the middle of the island...

Walking alone means that it can be difficult to be in the photo yourself... Thank you Lachie McLachlan and Hubert Duncan for this bench with the great  view over the sea and the way to Cullipool.

I have the greatest respect for bulls, so I was quite happy that this one was in his pasture and I was outside...

Sometimes I thought that our Scandinavian mountains and the Scottish mountains are very similar, but the yellow flags and the fox gloves showed me the opposite. These flowers we have to grow in our gardens.

Cullypool

This gate didn´t mean "Stop", but it meant "Close the gates behind you". And I can promise you, I never leave a gate open. I have chased cows too often for that at home.

The blackfaces were curious.

"This is MY pasture and MY path! Who are you?"

 This cow didn´t want to let me go. I had to ask politely and tell her that I wanted to walk along the path.

 

At last she moved away and I could continue my walk.

 I do hope that the sheep and the cows can appreciate their beautiful home. 

A very nice end of the day: An evening with the local school.
 No photos of  children on my blog without permission, that´s why the football may represent the lovely evening!

Thank you Julia - I saw your house and bed & breakfast and decided that I would like to stay in such a beautiful, peaceful place. That´s how I found Luing!