Waiting for Your Return 
Customary Argyll Weather 
Three Sisters, Glen Coe
Over the last year or two, I’ve been working on a series of images from the Scottish landscape – here are the first three.
Author: admin
This week I was asked to update the Adventures in Preservation Volunteers (or jammers) on our projects for 2021, so on Friday at 5pm I livestreamed from the bridge and then took my viewers on a short walk to the castle to give them a flavour of what the project would consist next year.
The details are that we will be welcoming jammers for a fortnight in May and September – the details are available here.
Refurbishing Dunans Bridge …
The repairs to the bridge are wonderful progress toward the full refurbishment of this Telford-designed A-listed structure. It seems amazing to me that these are the first thorough-going repairs to the bridge since the 19th Century when the stanchions were reinforced with concrete. It just shows how durable Mr Telford’s design is.
Of course, the plan had been to refurbish the bridge in one season through funds acquired from Historic Scotland and the Heritage Lottery Fund. Our efforts were stymied by our inability to engage with our neighbours on the management plan our team had designed. With a deed of servitude over the bridge, our neighbours agreement to the plan was critical to the granting of funds of £750,000. As it is we have managed a programme, funded privately by the ScottishLaird project, which has achieved a great deal, but in a piece-meal fashion.
Our Jammers have been a Revelation!
Having said all that, working on the structure in this episodic manner has been a blast – not only because I have developed skills I never thought I’d need (rope-work, lime mortar mixing and scaffolding), but we have been introduced to some of the loveliest heritage fanatics – sorry, jammers – one could ever hope to meet (Brian, Lindy, Richard and Holly, I am looking at you!!).
With help from volunteers from SPAB and Historic Scotland during weekends either side of each sessions, we think we may even get a shot at repointing the ‘softer’ north face of the bridge (sounds like North Face of the Eiger doesn’t it?). This will then leave the main arch and the bottoms of the stanchions for 2022 – although whether we will have to engage a professional team for this as well, we are not sure. However we progress though, we wouldn’t have managed to get so far with the bridge without our volunteers!
… and the Castle!
But of course for 2021, the bridge isn’t the only story, and in the livestream I showed our jammers (and some Lairds and Ladies) into the main turret of the castle. This 4m circular tower was designed to be capped by a huge candle-snuffer conical slate roof, and the project for next year will be to repair the apertures, consolidate the doorways and, perhaps, work on the circular parapet at the top of the tower. I am hopeful that by the time the jammers get to it, we will have floors and temporary stairs all the way up the inside of the turret! Should make for a really memorable project!
Both Eland and Nigel are lined up to come back – and looking forward to meeting lots of new faces (and some familiar ones too!) And we are also back at the very popular HomeFarm Cottages with all of our preferred apartments.
I’ll be running the excursions again (because I really enjoyed them last time) and Anne and Sadie will be on hand to make sure you are all fed and I don’t eat more than my fair share.
For more details on the ScottishLaird project please click here.
For more details on Adventures in Preservation, please click here.
Racism should have no place in our society. Othering is a pernicious and vile practice – one which affects communities across Scotland. Gossip, innuendo and rumour all contribute to conduct which results in bullying, discrimination and disempowerment. It may not be full-blown racism, it might be sexism, or homophobia, or sectarianism – whatever it is, we are better than this and the campaign to deal with Dunoon’s ‘Jim Crow Rock’ is proof-positive that change is being demanded.
Thoughts on Encountering Dunoon’s ‘Jim Crow’ for the First Time At first it seems it is Crow, That sharp-faced Corvid – Yellow-eyed, black-billed, Black-footed and Wing-tipped In iridescent black-blue – Perhaps hooded in sombre Grey – seen against a scudding Winter sky - a darkling flag Tumbling low over the waves to- Ward a deep copse roost. But no – This ‘crow’ is anchored Upon the foreshore, stilted Mid-step, painted by the Unkind brush of local Tradition, shaping an Other With a vile cartoon graffito Of red lips and white tooth Strip – it is an indecent dis- Memberment of that Which we all share.
Deirdre’s story is a sad and epic tale of love, betrayal and heartache – as well as death, blood and vengeance. Only in Cowal, among its gentle lochs and hills did the great Irish beauty find a measure of happiness.
Deirdre of the Sorrows Draped over his shoulder The cloud crept toward dawn And masked the soft-edged sigils Of drought dulled heather. Her scent curled about his Tonsure of Rowan and Alder, As he opened his chest In a supple twist of his hips – He revealed the long loch Of his cavernous belly, And the glittering breadth Of his seaward ardour. Only then did she weep, Effacing herself, Until all that remained Was a shiver of mist in the air.
As web developer and visual designer I’ve been working on ZippedyZoom.club which is part of TWTC’s response to Covid-19 – providing both a portal for kids to access fun activities and awesome stories, and a place for creative practitioners of all sorts to keep working. With funding for an initial 12-week run, we’re focussed on delivering content beyond that endpoint. Have a look here.
This poem was written with a particular story in mind, one I heard from a volunteer I work with in our community’s response the lockdown. We’ve been lucky so far in ColGlen I think, but it staggers me how stupid some folks can be, particularly those who think ‘they know better’ than the full weight of scientific consensus.
Tinfoil At dusk I stood at his gate, His sanitizer in my hand, A greeting stuttering On my lips as he crossed The head of my shadow And entered Covid range. I stepped away into the lane My hands warding against him, And my penumbra pursuing His steps, until a bramble Bit my neck.”You are sweet” He said, “but this we do not need.” Later, collar soaked in water, Hands washed to Dion, tongue Whetted with Jarl, I explained The fear this gentle man provoked – With his jaunts South, his weekend guests, The tinfoil hat of his credulity.
It only takes a knee to comfort a child, To receive a knighthood, To listen to a god - to be inspired; Just a knee for grouting around tiles, To ask a girl if she will, To loosen bolts and change tyres; Perhaps two for French cricket, To warm a lamb as its fed, To chase mice, all smooth and sleekit. It only takes a knee placed very precisely To stop a man’s breath, To fully express centuries of othering.
Including a tour of the cleared castle and news on the ongoing works for the restoration.
After several requests, and given that we are nearing the festive season, I thought I would finally try my hand at developing a cross-stitch pattern! The results can be found here and below is a gif of the unrestricted palette version (you’ll need 95 colours!!).
Rough and ready take of overflying Dunans, showing the cleared castle and practicing for detailed aerial survey! Unfortunately the quality is also rough and ready, but you’ll still get a feel for the height and shape of the castle as well as the plan of the interior!