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After a long day, it was so nice to take a break and enjoy an evening walk / run with our pups. Last night we headed over to the Lecht Mine again … Hugo and Henry had a blast, so many different things to sniff and explore. I really love our adventures together … :)   
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Sunsets over Findhorn beach (Scotland) are some of my fondest memories. So beautiful they take my breath away … :) Phew … Just managed to move and cover our topsoil before the rain came down. I was a little nervous for my pick up … but my son handled the digger well and my truck performed beautifully. Job done … Now it’s time to see how much wood we have for the boxes and check out our muck heap and compost. Things are getting serious now … :)   You know you’re a homesteader, when you receive 3 tons of topsoil for your birthday and it’s the best gift EVER !!! I am beyond excited & grateful to my wonderful husband for his kind thoughtfulness, as this means we can finally move ahead with our greenhouse. We’re planning to put in some tall raised beds and hope to grow crops year round … I can’t wait to get started … Thank You so much. On a different note … Our apples are almost ready and the elderberries are catching up fast. I really love this time of year and can’t wait to start baking with these yummy fruits … apple & elderberry crumble comes to mind, with custard of course (I’ll share the recipe). :)     It’s so easy for us to get sucked into work, that we sometimes forget to stop and do nothing … relax and enjoy. We’re trying to make time to do just that … not always easy, but so, so important. Today we headed off to Nethy Bridge and had a beautiful stroll by the river and through the dell woods. It’s an easy walk approx 2 miles long, just perfect for a lazy Sunday morning. With the sound of the running river and the smell of the pine needles in the woods, I think it’s one of my favourites. We finished off our walk, with a quick stop at the wonderful ‘Nethy House’ cafe. Their coffee and cakes are truly yummy and it’s definitely worth a visit if you’re in the area. Anyway, hope your Sunday is a happy one too … :)            Planning an Autumn / Winter break … in Scotland ??? As the summer season starts to wind down, we just wanted to say a big “Thank You” to all of our lovely guests, that have stayed at our wee cottage. We’ve been so touched and humbled by your kind words and really appreciate all the positive feedback we’ve received. It’s been a real pleasure to meet you, and we’d love to welcome you back in the future. With that in mind I’m excited to share, that we’ve decided to keep ‘Ellesmere Cottage’ open all year, for skiing and winter breaks. From the 1st December the cottage will be decorated for Christmas and will remain open for the whole of the festive period, including Hogmanay. A warm welcome awaits ... :)  Since the pandemic, we’re not popping out as much as we used to … So I’m trying to find some fun, new ideas for family nights in … This one was a great success :) If the weather holds out, I’m hoping to do some camp fire cooking next week with hot dogs and s’mores … yum.   Eek … the evenings are getting shorter again and my thoughts are definitely on our winter prep. Need to make sure we have enough wood chopped, the chimney needs swept and the oil tank will need filling. Not to mention making sure my pantry and freezer are up to date and stocked. Phew … there never seems to be enough time. But … we’re not giving up on summer just yet !!! We’re making sure to take advantage of the beautiful weather whenever we can. So this week we headed off to Culbin Forest, where there are two beautifully way-marked trails to follow … we decided to walk the ‘Hill 99 Trail’. The paths are wide, well maintained and largely on the flat … which would make it a great choice for family cycling. There are a couple of short steep inclines, but easy to tackle and not to challenging. The route is about 3.5 miles long and winds through the pine covered sand dunes and past wildlife ponds. At the halfway point you reach a viewing tower, with stunning treetop views across the forest and Moray Firth below. It took us about 2 hrs to complete, but we did spend some time just enjoying the views. For a quiet wander or family adventure, I’d highly recommend this trail … our boys loved it and I’m sure we’ll back back with our bikes ... :)        With the chores complete, it was time to have some fun … So we head off on a spur of the Speyside Way above Glenlivet. It’s a lovely walk that climbs steadily into the hills, with spectacular views across Blairfindy Moor and the surrounding countryside. If you look closely, you can just see the Glenlivet Distillery nestled gently into the landscape below. This beautiful path is well maintained and we were lucky enough to have a gentle breeze to help us on our way. For anyone wanting a longer walk, this route will take you all the way to Tomintoul, via Carn Daimh (the highest point of the spur at 570m). Anyway, after a short break to catch our breath we headed back down to enjoy a well earned cup of tea … it really was a lovely end to the day ... :)       |
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