Tales From The North

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At this late and magical hour, I decided to go out for a walk - something I used to do quite often when the moon was full and shining bright.  I would go out without a lantern, my eyes easily adjusting to see the way ahead and much more besides. There was a rustling in the bushes as I wa…

Hello to all of you who are listening This is a special short episode, different from the others, for this Christmas Day. I hope everyone is having a lovely time, whether with family and friends, or if you’re self-isolating, or wherever you are. For those of you who, like me, were unable to ge…

Before the windstorms recently, we had the good sense (or the tree surgeon had the good sense!) to come and cut the tops of some of the trees near the bungalow here.  They were growing too close to the electricity wires. So the guys came in with their visor jackets and chainsaws, and gra…

It’s early.  A pigeon coos loudly outside my open window, bringing me to some level of consciousness.  As I struggle to open my sleepy eyes, I nestle under the warm covers and my mind slowly wanders from dream to practical thoughts about the day ahead.  I remember that…

Yesterday afternoon, at around 3:00, just before sunset, a friend and I made a spur-of-the-moment decision to drive up to the most northerly point on the UK mainland, Dunnet Head. It was such a beautiful, crisp, bright day, it seemed a shame not to get out somewhere before dark. Many are under the…

If ever one needed to clear one’s head, the northeast of Scotland is a good place to come.  The wind will clear the cobwebs in no time! This week I went down to Inverness to get an MOT (annual roadworthiness certificate) on the car as some things needed looking at and fixing.  It meant s…

It’s morning.  I wake up slowly to the pitter patter of rain against the windows and slate rooftop and eventually make my way down the hall to the kitchen for a cup of coffee.  As I wait for the kettle to boil I notice that the rain has eased up and there is a small shaft of light coming …

Late morning’s pale blue sky is painted with sweeps of bright white cloud.  Or as Vermeer said, white is never really white if you look hard enough.  There are faint signs of yellow, magenta, blue, and violet that come through. It’s a clear day.  A sile…

It’s the end of October and the weather is turning.  I stepped out and felt the blustery autumn wind on my face, still warm for this time of year, the rain was beginning to fall lightly on my cheeks. I walked down past the castle to the beach.  The tide was out and the water was crashing …