Yip! Those purple hills did it!!! I had to paint them and today was the day. I tried to capture the essence of the hills and the stark green of the paddocks beneath. I love the movement. But then I had to get out of my studio while a harp tutorial was in progress. SoContinue reading "The Hills of Heather"

So I started the day with a little watercolour of the Cassey falls that we saw yesterday up by a town called Bonar Bridge, near a town called Dornoch. A quiet pool after the Cassey falls. A rather tall Hugh Miller We went for a walk through some bush and found Hugh, then wandered intoContinue reading "Grave stones of Cromarty"

A bit of a road trip today. Sorry, left my sketch book at the house, so no sketches done. We met up with some friends of friends and had a lovely Scottish welcome into their home. A little trip down the road to these falls. Cassley falls. Ken, Pam and new friend Lt. Col. ColinContinue reading "Near Bonar Bridge"

I know I should be working but… Wendy was here so we walked around talking to the locals. We went to visit the house where Hugh Miller was born in 1802. The best thing about Hugh Miller was he left school at 14 cos he had an argument with his teacher. Hugh was insisting theContinue reading "Another lazy day in Cromarty"

It was a beautiful sunny day and we welcomed Wendy ( our neighbour at Waihi beach) to Cromarty. Started the day with coffee at the Slaughter House. It was lovely to show Wendy my creative space at the Stables and drive out to the south Suter and watch the sea coming in to the CromartyContinue reading "Lazy day in Cromarty"

The Cromarty Arts Trust own 3 buildings in Cromarty. The first is Ardyne house where we have our ensuite accomodation, the second is the Old Brewery where they hold concerts etc and the third is the Stables which have been converted to allow artists their own working space and a huge gallery space above forContinue reading "The Stables"

I was wrong. The Jacobites weren’t fighting the English. They were fighting the Government. Poor ole Bonnie Prince Charlie lost this fight in Culloden along with many Jacobite soldiers who lost their lives. Just looks like a paddock back home but isn’t. Although it was a nice day to walk around in a paddock itContinue reading "Culloden"

What a gorgeous hot sunny day it was today. Fingers crossed it’s going to stay that way. I know, we are in Scotland!! We felt that the day helped us feel good about Inverness, really positive towards it. This second hand bookshop in Inverness was overflowing with people and books. Can you see the woodContinue reading "Inverness"

A suburb of Glasgow, Giffnock has great accommodation at the Orchard Park hotel. Orchard Park hotel Giffnock. Inside was this gorgeous oak staircase. Very glamorous. Today we headed to Inverness. We stopped at Perth on the way and spent time sitting in the park, with an ice cream ( mine was vegan) from this funnyContinue reading "Giffnock"

For those of you who are not friends or family I shall let you know I was born into the Clan of Dunlop. Quite a prolific group in Hawera but over here there is a town as well. Dunlop This is the tiny post office in tiny Dunlop where I posted a letter to PamelaContinue reading "Dunlop"