Gruinard House Garden on a very damp day..!

There are a lot of photographs here, but it is such a delightful garden, I didn't want to leave any thing out and even when it's very soggy and wet and dripping it still looks scrumptious. The garden is situated at the mouth of the river Gruinard. There is a bridge in the garden that crosses the river. An abundance of wild life on the far shore looking back to the house and beyond to the Summer Isles, not looking very summery today. I came away at the end of the afternoon clutching my one purchase in a pot (won't be long before my garden looks like Gruinard House garden then!) and sat with my friend Mary on the beach enjoying the quiet and loveliness of it all. There are so many things here that are unexpected and Gruinard House Garden is one of them, even more so because most of the work has been done by one slightly middle aged lady who must have a strong constitution and not mind gardening on a slope, not mind the wind nor the rain and midges sometimes in the summer, nor the sheer hard work involved in making such loveliness look natural and whimsical and somehow just created by chance!

To  end on a sunny note. This was the front lawn of Gruinard House Garden when we were there two years ago....it can be sunny and warm sometimes!

Have we missed Spring...?

I have been neglectful of my blog. There are reasons and none of them important! I wonder if spring has arrived  yet? We have some lovely days that are warm and sunny then not so lovely days when it is cold and even snowing in the hills. Everything is slow to get growing. Everyone says that spring has been late in coming this year. I think we may have missed it altogether.

We are building a sort of drystone wall. More of that later, in the meantime I'm still unearthing items that have been buried in the garden over the years. An old iron, still with its wooden handle until I prized it out from under a pile of rubble where it simply disintegrated. I've joined an on-line drawing group. I have to draw something everyday in May....I can't wait for June!  There is a list to download telling me what to draw next. I'm finding it completely stressful and absorbing at the same time. Cleaning and cooking and shopping and blogging,  has become secondary while I rise to meet the drawing challenge!

Last week we went to visit Castle of Mey in Caithness. It was well worth it. Summer residence for the late Queen Mother. I couldn't take photos inside the castle, you must come and visit yourselves. On the way up we stopped at John O'Groats. I don't have the skill to make John O'Groats look attractive. It's a little like Lands End, rather bleak.  Starting and finishing points where everybody wants to go but nobody  wants to stay. 

After the castle our drive home was wonderful. This video (if it works) gives you a glimpse of the road we drove on. Truly a stunningly beautiful and remote landscape. For me there is nowhere lovelier than here....

Our Street

I love the street we live in. It doesn't have a name like most other streets. It's just single track, hugging the steep sides of the loch. Small hamlets sit at its edges and at this time of year, when the sun shines, it sings with colour. We should walk a little every day, but sometimes we don't. This morning after a brief flurry of snow we trotted along our street soaking up the sun and the colours and the views. Some houses are very bright. One has the brightest red roof I've ever seen, another, in the process of being built, resembles a bus shelter. There is a variety here that I like. For the most part houses are traditional in build with white walls and slate or corrugated roofs. From across the loch Ben Dearg this morning is covered in snow, much more than when we were up there a week or two ago. My little lettuces are not happy with the cold. I've let them stay in the shed to shelter from the drop in temperature at night. The rhubarb though is hardy and happily carries on doing its rhubarb thing.    

Mostly Green

The weather has been warm and sunny, but there is talk of snow again on the hills! I bought some lettuce plants to go out in the flower borders but brought them indoors again today as it's going to get colder. The rhubarb is good though and appears not to mind the drop in temperature.

This isn't our garden by the way! I went last week with friends to Dundonnell House Garden. It's always worth a visit. This time I was taken with the newness of green and the lichen and the new paths being built.

Saddle Height....

The aim of the walk was to reach the saddle of Beinn Dearg. We decided against the summit as we haven't done much walking this year and need to be a bit fitter to tackle the 1084 metres to the top  It may be not the highest peak but we started at sea level with the temperature a balmy 18 degrees in the sun and met the snow line and drop in temperature on the way up to the ridge. It's quite a trek.  Here is one we did earlier. This time there was more snow and snow melt which made crossing the burns more hazardous! It was a beautiful day and though cold and windy in places it was just the best feeling to be out in the big wide open spaces that I love so much. And of course the coming home to pjs, slippers, a glass of wine and feet up wasn't bad either!