Just a short blog about our HelpX experience in the Highlands of Scotland. I’ll try and make it photo-based but can’t make any promises.

Drumcroy Lodges

The main work on our six week HelpX experience here in Scotlands has been to “turn-round” six self catering lodges ready for the next guests. If I do say so myself, four weeks in, we have become quite adept. We are lucky enough to be living on site in one of the vacant lodges for a few weeks. Only minutes after each lodge has been vacated, sheets are stripped and bagged ready for the laundry, towels are on a hot wash and Jon is on the kitchen deep clean whilst I tackle the ensuite and bathroom. Most lodges are left clean and tidy and so far we haven’t come across any dodgy items left behind or bathrooms where double marigolds are required! (Drumcroy Lodges)

The owners, Tina and Norman, felt confident enough to head off to Stornoway for 5 days and leave us to go solo on the turn rounds and be a point of contact for any problems. Quite a compliment really and apart from a bit of help needed with a locked halogen hob, a faulty immersion and Jon needing to charm a tired and grumbly Dutch lady all went well. I will add that it, in my opinion, was verging on flirting but whatever it was it seemed to do the trick. Hopefully the review is OK and she doesn’t criticise  the lodges and an overly attentive silver-haired guy.

Here is a flavour of life at Drumcroy…….

Glen Lyon

On our first few days off we had headed further afield but decided to see some more local places. Tina had told us about Glen Lyon being very picturesque (with a great tea shop). How could we resist?

Weem Forest Walk & Castle Menzies

Another of our local jaunts was to Weem which is just over the River Tay from Aberfeldy. We completed a short walk through the woods to St David’s Well and the Hermits cave.

Weem is probably most famous for being the location of Castle Menzies a large mansion that was originally the home of the Chiefs of the Menzies Clan for over 500 years. It has long and turbulent history but probably most famous for housing Bonnie Prince Charlies in 1746 as he fled Government forces. Weirdly, four days later they hosted the commander of the Government forces as he pursued the Prince.

The Weem Forest Walk took us up to St David’s Well which is a small spring under an overhanging rock face. Formerly know as St Cuthbert’s Well, it was renamed after the son of one of the 15th century laird’s of Castle Menzies. He wanted to get away from it all and lived as a hermit in the cave adjacent to the well for extended periods of time. Folklore tells that once, long ago, dragons lived in the woods. Now, to encounter one of those would make a good blog post!

Wedding Preparations

We are maintaining the countdown to our son and daughter-in-law-to-be’s wedding in July. Excited phone calls detailing dress fittings, suit and tie choices, seating plans, flower choices are bouncing back and forwards. It is hard to believe, while we are exploring a hermit’s cave, or polishing a kitchen sink that we will be joining family and friends in just a few short weeks to help with the final preparations and watch them exchange vows. Hopefully the transformation from JWalkers to wedding guests will be miraculous. You may not recognise us in that post!

21/6 – 4/6/2017