Mum and C in Ardclach
C and I took a couple of days off work and headed to Inverness for the weekend to see the family. Friday evening was spent with both sets of parents. C’s folks were stopping in Inverness on their way from Thurso to the north of England where they’re holidaying, so we all had a meal round at my parents’ house and talked for hours.
My dad is currently marking biology exam papers, so we decided to leave him in peace and took mum out a drive to Nairn and Forres on Saturday morning. She wanted to go to the Logie Steading Visitor Centre and since she mentioned that there was a Cafe on site with a good selection of cakes on offer, C agreed that this was a good plan!
C and friend at Logie Steadings
Actually the place ticked all the boxes; C was happy with the cafe, mum was happy because there was a clothes shop, and there was a large secondhand bookshop to keep me entertained too! After we’d eaten, mum suggested we go to the nearby cemetery where her great grandfather was supposed to be buried. I think mum had been there years ago, but we still managed to get thoroughly lost, and somehow ended up in Grantown-on-Spey before turning back and eventually finding the place.
James McDonald – my great great grandfather apparently
The graveyard was in the middle of nowhere in a beautiful and very secluded spot in Ardclach. Most of the gravestones had quite lengthy obituaries printed on them praising the person’s character etc. The headstone of a former minister of the church stood in stark contrast to these. All it said was, ‘Here lies Rev Alexander MacDonald. He preached Christ’. Fantastic.
On the way home we stopped off at Dulsie Bridge. When I was in school a few of the guys used to skip class and head here to chill out. I, of course only heard about this on the grapevine and never, ever, ever did it myself!
C at Dulsie Bridge
The rest of the weekend is a bit of a blur. We read, slept, went to Smithton FC, read some more, met up with my cousin for the first time in about 10 years, and then slept and read. Oh, and we ate lots too!
Right, that’s it. I have studying to do for exams and this is me just procrastinating.
Andy
Some more PHOTOS
OK, that’s it. I think this is the year of our Scottish holiday. Sometime in the autumn…… Your photos are fantastic. Now to program the weather to be just like that, sigh.
I have always thought that Ardclach was one of the most beautiful and tranquil spots in the area.
Great to see the 3 of you as usual!
dcm