Friday 14 June 2013

Tower construction speeded up

Some of the stone walls were cleaned of old plaster and replastered using a lime Harling method which was used 150 years ago. Here are three pictures of the three phase process.



Most of the rest of the pictures that follow are of the stair Tower  we planned to bind the existing buildings together. Starting with Week 1.



Week 2
Week 3

Week 4
Week 5
Week 6
Week 7
We used the large slate flagstones in the tower entrance. Building Contractor boss, Russell Anderson, who usually so busy organising his large workforce and running around buying all the building materials needed. Here is an unusual picture of Russell (on the right) helping grout the slates.

Week 8
Week 9

Now for the Gardeners - Paula has left this garden wall full of plants.
An Albino Pheasant - it sits in grass like the normal pheasant, but doesn't know it is so obvious. We think it is sitting on eggs now.
We have some nice old Horse Chestnut trees . They are in flower now.
I know I have shown this Rhododendron last season, but felt that the picture did not show it's size so I have asked Paula to stand in it!
We are lucky to have a little wood. This area rings out in Summer with bird song. Lovely.
Laburnum in flower

Walking on the hillside behind us (Ben Aigen) one gets glimpses of the wide and beautiful Spey Valley looking North towards the sea (about 20 miles away)
We went to a great Rococo musical evening at Foulis Castle which is near Evanton - about 20 miles North of Inverness. A goodly trip for one evening, but we did enjoy it!