Grandson decided to make a shop. He kept careful accounts of his takings. His shop was situated in the kitchen doorway, which was slightly inconvenient, but his parents didn't seem to mind.
We went away for the weekend with our walking group to Lagganlia, near Kingussie. The countryside is quite hilly, but we trudged uncomplainingly... well, fairly uncomplainingly... up and down the slopes.
The heather was nearly in full bloom.
We did occasionally pause to admire the views
or eat blaeberries, the Scottish wild blueberry. That's not blood on my hand; it's blaeberry juice.
Ever upwards. Well, and downwards.
George, our minor celebrity / plant expert, told us the name of this toadstool. I think it was Fly Agaric.
He also told us the names of these native heathers. One is Calluna Vulgaris and the other is Erica Something.
This cow was particularly friendly. (I don't know why Blogger won't allow me to enlarge the photos today.)
On the second day, the walk was even hillier and somewhat muddy. The more limber of our group climbed down to these rocks beside a waterfall. I decided that I valued my ankles.
We came to this rock near Newtonmore, which claims to be the centre of Scotland. This is very much debated (Scotland has many, many islands, which make the calculation difficult). However, it seemed worthy of a picture.
More heather.
Shortly after this photo, when we were all congratulating ourselves on the lovely weather we'd had - not too hot, not too much wind, no rain - it began to POUR. So for the last half hour we didn't take so many photos but just plodded on, dripping, along/up/down paths turned to mud. Then we got back into our cars and in about two minutes, drove out of the deluge into dry roads and sunshine. Scottish weather at its most varied.
It was a lovely weekend: good exercise, good company, lots of laughs and quite a lot of food.
This is what I'd have liked to do in the smokies! Lovely pictures, gorgeous heather. The sight of heather always makes me long for home....Ankles, I agree, are well worth preserving.
ReplyDeleteSuch beautiful scenery for a hike and the heather is lovely, too. Thank you for visiting my blog and leaving a comment. I see that you are a retired teacher, and I am, too.
ReplyDeleteMy best friend lives (and teaches) in Edinburgh, well Musselburgh actually. I have been to visit several times but it has been five years since the last time. Now we meet up in London instead.
Anyway, it's nice to meet you!
Beautiful heather! And who knew that a toadstool could be so lovely! :)
ReplyDelete{Sigh} It all sounds so perfect. I'll never forget the sight of the mountains in the Highlands in the fall when the heather is in bloom -- purple mountains! In my next life, I'm going to live YOUR life! ;-D
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ReplyDeleteWe once had to climb up a hillside somewhere in Devon to collect a precious 200 grams of bilberries as the magic ingredient in some home made port, when Tom was in his wine making phase. It was OK, the port, didn't really taste quite right with Stilton. Many of the men in my family have gone through a wine making phase, my bro-in-law remarked when Tom was waxing intense about it, 'well yes, I did that, made wine out of tomatoes and elderberries and parsnips and stuff, but in the end you have to ask yourself why it is the French just use grapes...'
ReplyDeleteI think the bilberries (which I think are the same as your blaeberries) would have been better with a good spoonful of clotted cream, or ice cream, or just eaten on the hoof, as you did.
That rock that might or might not be at the centre of Scotland is certainly a very handsome rock.
In Wales we have wimberries which I think might be a corruption of Whin and that is gorse.
ReplyDeleteI used to make a shop when I was about N's age.
Lovely! I am so looking forward to seeing things like this!!! Just another week!
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