WEDNESDAY 30TH JANUARY - tibet

Medicine men go wild.

The doctors were in Tibet and it was extraordinary scenery.

Medicine men go wild was on the television last night so I turned the old box on and watched. It was a fascinating programme about two young British doctors who travelled to Asia to explore how peoples pain threshold seems to be much higher than softie westerners with their reliance on pain killers. It was necessary to close your eyes sometimes while these two doctors put themselves through what appeared to be excruciatingly painful procedures e.g. needles (i.e.knitting needle type objects) through their cheeks right through both cheeks and also allowing their tongue to be pierced by aforementioned needle.
This is fabulous and educational television.

THURSDAY 24TH JANUARY - lunch

Yesterday I met up with my Book Group.
We enjoyed a pot luck lunch,
discussed The Kite Runner : Khaled Hosseini and enjoyed each others company.
Good times like this should be treasured.

TUESDAY 22ND JANUARY - cow

The Highland cow.

This is the most timid beast you will meet. They have the scariest horns but approach them on foot and when you are about 5 metres from them they run in the opposite direction so give them space and enjoy being near them in the peaceful situation where they live. We encountered many of these guys when we were up north I think they are great.

THURSDAY 17TH JANUARY - dogs

EXTRAORDINARY HAPPENINGS.

Dog teams gather ahead of races

Siberian huskies, Greenland and Canadian Eskimo Dogs will feature.
Mushers have arrived in Aviemore for the town's annual dog sled rally.
About 200 teams from all over the country will do practice runs on Friday ahead of two days of competition. The event finishes next Tuesday.
Organised by the Siberian Husky Club of Great Britain, the rally is run on tracks around Loch Morlich.
Competitors include schoolchildren and veterans who will mush teams of two and eight dogs running at up to 20mph over four-mile track.
The dogs include Siberian huskies, Alaskan Malamutes, Samoyeds, Greenland Dogs and Canadian Eskimo Dogs.
Last year, due to the lack of snow, teams used three-wheeled rigs instead of sleds.

FRIDAY 11TH JANUARY -isle of mull

I had such a good trip to Scotland that I thought I would share few snippetsfrom The Isle of Mull!

On the way.

Loch Lubnaig - always visit the bakery in Callander and stop 8 miles up the road to consume whatever we have bought. This has become an obligatory stop on every trip to Scotland which happen very often.

Tobermory - "capital" of Mull.

The Gribben - spectacular basalt cliffs see the tiny road below.

Empty. It was blissfully so.



Evening clouds across Loch Scridain.

It was as ever fantastically beautiful in every way imaginable. We have been visiting for as long as I can remember and it just gets better each time.

WEDNESDAY 9TH JANUARY - the castle

Glengorm castle, Isle of Mull, Scotland.

We stayed at The Lodge not in the castle but on the estate. We have been before and it was as gorgeous as ever. It is remote and wildlife is just everywhere, red deer, buzzards, hares, rabbits, barn and tawny owls too many to list. It was a perfect place to spend Christmas, away from the world!

www.glengorm.co.uk

TUESDAY 8TH DECEMBER - I'm back!

HAPPY NEW YEAR and all the best for 2008!

Hello I'm back!

Two weeks in the Highlands, one on the Isle of Mull and one on the mainland north of Oban. Fantastic time more to follow.