Lacemaking and other activities.

I certainly slept like a log in my wee room under the roof, with its window looking out to the side of the house towards the old field system of  a once thriving Doune beyond the headland.  The area was cleared of its occupants in the early 1850s to make way for the sheep and deer that would be more profitable to the land owner.  Many of them settled in North America.  All around there are remains of blackhouses dotted around the hillside, and the old turf covered stone field walls can still be seen clearly though overgrown by heather and bracken now.  From further up the hill you can see the area that was cultivated, now just a large mossy bogland.  Without the bracken at chest height, as it will be in the summer, you can see far more of the ruins.  It was so much easier to explore at this time of year as the bracken fronds were only just starting to unfurl.

 

Looking over the Sound of Sleat and the Cuillins on our way round for breakfast in the dining room.

 

Anyway, breakfast – a choice of cereals, fruit, yoghurt, and fruit juice was followed by the basic bacon, egg (scrambled, fried, poached), sausage, tomato, mushrooms,  with a variety of  tasty accompaniments that changed daily.  There was toasted homemade bread, sometimes croissants, sometimes oatcakes…..with delicious jams and honey….. coffee, tea,  homemade flavoured teas – the most popular being the freshly made orange and ginger infusion……

So, breakfast eaten, we got out our lace pillows, bobbins, threads and pins… and got to work, all working on our own individual pieces of lace in the different styles we each favour!

Joan and Sheila.

A piece of lace Joan made some years ago.  She was working the same pattern this week.

 

 

Norma getting started on a design for her Christmas cards.

On the right is a section of Margaret’s lace

My lace begun!

I started this in February at Kitty’s course and haven’t done any more till now.  I did manage to make progress throughout the week though!

Before we knew it, it was time for morning tea!  Here we are joined by Liz, Kelly, Matt and Jane.  Then as Margaret says, it was back down the Lace Mine to work until lunch time. 

Home made bread rolls, and cake – more tea….

That afternoon I decided to go on my expedition over the headland to find the swathe of primroses I had seen from the boat the day before..  Norma came with me as we made our way through the boggy ground over to the far side of Doune Head and down towards the shore.  No wonder you could spot them from the sea.  There were dozens of them, and I hope you won’t get fed up with seeing so many photos of them!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I just adore these little spring beauties, and it’s nothing to do with the fact that my birthday is on Primrose Day!  That’s just a huge coincidence!

There were other wild flowers too but none in such profusion, except perhaps the celandines.

Celandines,

 

 

 

 

Red campions, cuckoo flowers, bluebells (wild hyacinths in Scotland)

 

Wood sorrel – the glossy green leaves don’t belong with the flower.  The folded up leaf between the bud and the left flower is the real one!

 

 

and this low-lying flower is called lousewort.  Plants with wort in their name were traditionally said to be medicinal, and their appearance related to the ailment they were said to cure.  Hmmmm!

Dinner that night included a main course of poached salmon and scallop sauce.  Just beautiful!  and the potatoes weren’t just ordinary boiled potatoes, but were dressed with toasted oatmeal!

The sky began to darken and gradually the sun went down. 

 

 

It was the end of our first full day back at Doune.

Talk again soon.