Heelan' Homestead Ltd - Blog

Scandinavian Gnomes … Hand Sewn Cards.

1/8/2022

As I haven’t stitched any cards in a while, I thought I’d have a go at something a little different … and this is what I came up with … 😃
I love Scandinavian style gnomes, and I’m so happy with how these little guys turned out. I think I’m going to make a few more, each with it’s own unique character … 🪡🧵

Anyway, I’m off to make some butter with my boys this afternoon … one of the benefits of homeschooling.
It should be fun, and I’ll pop a post up tomorrow to share our results. Fingers crossed … wish us luck.🤞🍀

Growing Oranges In Scotland … :)

18/7/2022

We thought we’d have a go at growing some oranges in Scotland.
So we popped a tree in our Polycrub … and fingers crossed, so far it’s doing great …
It’s covered in the most gorgeous orange blossoms and the smell is absolutely amazing.
If all goes well, we’ll be adding some lemon and lime trees next year …🤞
#oranges #scotland #homesteading

The River Livet Scotland - Summer 2022 :)

14/7/2022

Just a quick snapshot of the River Livet, and the beautiful Old Bridge of Livet. It’s definitely one of my favourite places to just sit and listen to the river flow … 😌
It’s located about a mile from the Glenlivet Distillery, which makes it very easy to combine a visit to both if you’re in the area. It has a small parking area and wee bench to enjoy the view. ⛰🌲

Wildfires …

13/7/2022

Yikes … smoke on the horizon. Definitely not a view I want to see out of the window. Thankfully our wonderful fire brigade are on the scene … Lots of fire engines and even a helicopter.
So grateful to all the firefighters for all their hard work, and for keeping us safe.

Yesterday, the Scottish Fire Service announced that the risk of wildfires in eastern areas of Scotland had been raised to “very high”. So please be careful out there … 🙏

Sometimes You Just Need A Nap … :)

30/6/2022

When it’s raining hard outside and you’ve found a comfy spot in your favourite chair.
This boy definitely has a plan, and I think it’s a good one … 🐶👍☔️

Our Holiday Let Cottage Is Booking Up Fast … :)

23/6/2022

We had to pop to the post office this afternoon.
With the sunshine pouring down, I took a few moments to enjoy the beautiful view over the River Avon at Ballindalloch … so pretty I had to share.
I hope you’re all having a good day and finding some of those special moments along the way … 🙏

On a different note, I just wanted to let you know, that our wee holiday let cottage is booking up fast. But … we do have a couple of free weeks available if you’d like to take a look …
For more information on the cottage, activities and availability, please follow the tab at the top of the page.

Anyway time to go, as we’re picking rhubarb tonight … bye for now. 👋

Home Grown Garlic … :)

22/6/2022

It was still light enough at 11pm last night, to harvest our beautiful little crop of garlic. After a wee bit of prep, it’s now safely tucked away in our freezer.
It smelt so good, and was the perfect way for us to celebrate the summer solstice. ☀️😃
Think I’ll be making some garlic bread today … yum 😋

Our First Crop Of Strawberries :)

10/6/2022

Happiness is a bowl of strawberries …
Such a treat to sit outside in the sunshine and eat our first wee crop of strawberries. So sweet and juicy, absolutely delicious … really makes all the hard work worth while. 😋
We tried something different with our strawberries this year and it’s been working really well.
We popped them into some old dustbins and decided to grow them in the Polycrub.
We’re getting tons of fruit, have had no problems with pests, and the plants are putting out some really healthy runners for next year.
Definitely a great success and so easy, very happy … 😃 🍓

A Beautiful Walk In The Woods - Grantown on Spey.

5/6/2022

Just a wee wander around the woods at Grantown on Spey.
It was such a lovely walk, with the birds singing and the sun cascading through the leaves above.
Not soul in sight … so relaxing, and great to be outside again after a long cold winter.
I think it really makes you appreciate summer so much more … 😃☀️
Anyway, hope you’re all having a pleasant Sunday and are enjoying the Queens Platinum Jubilee weekend.
Our plan for the day is to make up some raised beds for the Polycrub (very excited about that) and pick some rhubarb … which has gone absolutely crazy this year. No complaints though, as I see lots of delicious bakes in our future… 😋

A Visitor In The Garden … :)

1/6/2022

I love living this rural life, you never know what you’ll see out of the window … 😊 This beautiful wee bird spent just as much time watching us this morning … Happy Tuesday. 😊👋