Wednesday 20 May 2015

Scotland The Brave & Beautiful

Thought I'd say hello.  Off to Scotland this Saturday for a week - can't wait! I am proud of my connection with Scotland and it is the one reason I always said I'd keep my maiden name of Henderson. I am proud of our heritage - we have our own tartan and clan and everything!  My ancestors had their roots in the clan Gunn and somewhere along the line we became mingled with the clan Henderson and my forebears hail from that amalgamation.   I am not clear how it came about. Maybe when I have more time I will look into it a little more deeply.   The two tartans are very similar, I know that.  The first time I went to Scotland with Steve was when we went to a gorgeous little village buried deep in the mountains - Braemar.  Some time later, around ten or twelve years ago - we did a tour of the Western Isles .  As we crossed the border from England,that first time,  I can quite distinctly remember saying to Steve "I have returned to the land of my forefathers..."

Have you ever been to the Western Isles?  The land is alternately lush and barren and the houses are dotted about  everywhere,  all facing different directions.  When we arrived at our hotel, a small boy jumped onto our coach and introduced himself as John.  One of our fellow passengers asked John "Are there any shops?"  John replied seriously "Loads.  We've got the paper shop over there and the supermarket that way."   The hotel was smack bang in the middle of nowhere!  Oh but I have so very many stories about Scotland - where we have been, some of the characters we have met.  One things was for sure - we could not have been made more welcome than we were - and that was repeated when we went to the Shetlands more recently.  It is truly a mysterious, beauteous and magical country and I absolutely love it.

Don't expect to get much done in the way of writing whilst we are away- I will take my travel journal and doubtlessly get some poetry done - it has that effect on me every time.  But my question is - can I stand to leave The Epic behind now I am back in full flow with it?  Answers on a postcard please ....

No comments:

Post a Comment