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!

A Sermon at -3 degrees Centigrade

We are pleased to see so many Snowdrop and Daffodil bulbs coming up all over the garden. They have been quietly doing their own thing over the last few decades.

Paula gardening in Winter in the front of the house blissfully unaware of being photographed.

The Living Room is close to completion. The Library is through the far door.

This is the view of the first floor passage with the main bedroom beyond

The building team cast this little plaque commemorating the renovation

The tower foundation has been dug and the foundation has been cast. Note the first floor plank joining the two buildings - one must not look down!

I bet you thought that sheep are stupid. Here is a picture taken from my mobile just before it got dark. These sheep clearly devise different formations for their own amusement! Okay, there might be another reason.

The tree pictures above were taken about 20 miles from us. There was no snow around us so it was s surprise to run into such a change. The area is quite barren and higher up, but still it is amazing. The lower picture of a small loch (lake) shows that this area has not really melted yet.

These two pictures were taken at WorldHorseWelfare, the International horse welfare organisation that Paula supports. She is hoping to rehome a horse from them. They have 3 farms around Britain and rescue horses in distress. Established in 1929, originally as International League for the Protection of Horses. The Cart Horse Society in Elsies River, Cape Town is part of their reach.

These pictures of the seals were taken at Portgordon on the North East coast. The town cherishes the seals.

I 

I attend St Margaret's Episcopal Church in the next town, Aberlour. It's a lovely stone built Church. Whilst it is heated in Winter, but I guess that the temperature can plunge a little, hence my comment about listening to a Sermon at -3 degrees Centigrade. My view is that if the Scots can do it, then I can do it!

Haggis, tatties, neeps and trifle

Things are a little quite these days as we continue to decorate the first past of our house and the builders work away on the second phase. Winter creates it's own rythm here, but the days are getting longer and the countryside looks so beautiful wrapped in snow. (Just in case you don't know - tatties are potatoes and neeps are turnips - standard fare here).

View of the Living Room in progress

Upstairs passage with Main Bedroom ahead

View of Ben Rinnes from our road 

Dogs love the snow!

Two views of the 18th Century Fiddichside Inn, close to us, alongside the Fiddich river just before the river joins the Spey. The upper picture was taken in Autumn

Morayshire landscape in Winter

Aberdeenshire Landscape in Winter

Loch Insh looking toward the Cairngorm mountains

Loch Alvie near Grantown upon Spey

Aberdeen - the granite City

Marischal College - now offices in Aberdeen

Aberdeen harbour impinges into the centre of the City (like Cape Town)

Union Street, Aberdeen

Something quite different - Findhorn Bay on the North East coast which boasts an Eco Village, hippies and people with an alternative way of life - much loved for seaside holidays

Take care!