under another sun

Lorraine and I up after a decent night's sleep in a comfy bed, in good time for breakfast in the Draumossie Hotel -- where we forked down a Scottish breakfast (with tasty circles of haggis)  and then returned to the room, to squeeze into our , and then a bit more work on the 'secret project'. Lorraine also framed up a heart celebrating their wedding date she had cross stitched. Then we squeezed into our wedding clothes (I always put on weight in Scotland) and went below, where there were lots of men in kilts and so on. Into the function room, which looked simple and elegant. Ron standing at the front, and Carolyn proceeded by a piper and led down the aisle by her brother John. There is something about the sound of the bagpipes that I find inexplicably moving. It's well known that bagpipes are essentially noisy tartan octopuses but the sound brings tears to my eyes in a good way. Carolyn looked exceedingly elegant in a wonderful dress. And Ron kilted, bright eyed and che...

Up and off to Inverness station and this time a train ride north, up to Argday station. Another lovely journey through beautiful countryside. A really warm day. Carolyn at the station to meet us, and drive us across a bridge up to Bonar Bridge. She and Ron have a lovely house with an incredible view towards mountains and over the Kyle of Sutherland, flowing into the Dornoch Firth.  Really nice to see Carolyn, and she was soon leading Lorraine around her steep garden, and the site of an old church which is part of her lands. I sat with Ron before he took me on a tour. I liked him immediately, and he's had fascinating life. Born in Newcastle, and marrying a woman from North Uist and moving there, learning Gallic, and making a living from fishing, collecting seaweed, then working in mink extermination, as this invasive species had invaded, and was decimating the local bird population, as the local birds on the treeless island are all ground nesters. He also did welding and became a pi...