‘What on earth is she doing’ my readers might say, writing about Christmas and New Year when everyone has forgotten about it, and just want to think about summer. Who, but the credit card companies, want to remind you about Christmas!
A very festive sitting room
So much happened however, that I must just bring you up to speed, and of course there’s our connection with Madonna!
Now that I have your attention, I’ll gloss over the Christmas bit. Of course we had loads of snow, but then again I think everyone did this year. The girls (our daughters Clare and Faye) flew up Christmas Eve, and we had a lovely relaxed Christmas day with loads of presents, log fire, turkey, and just the odd glass of wine.
Us outside Dornoch Cathedral
Ditto Boxing Day, without the presents, but with the addition of a wonderful visit to Dornoch, scene of thee famous christening (Madonna’s son Rocco) and a walk along the beach there. I have never visited Dornoch before, but it’s a great little town full of charm, and a great shop called ‘The Jail’ which it was originally before it started selling lovely Scottish crafts and clothing. Having spent more than a pound or two there, we walked Hamish the Boxer on the marvellous beach until the sun set very prettily with a fabulous red sky, and we returned home to a log fire and sustenance of the wet and dry variety.
Dornoch Castle and
Clare & I on Dornoch's beautiful beach
Next day, our family foursome would expand by 2 boyfriends, my brother-in-law, sister-in-law, niece, nephew and Isla the Boxer. All were arriving at different times and various modes of transport. Dan, Clare’s boyfriend was flying into Aberdeen, and she was to drive over, some three hours away from us, to pick him up at 4pm. The in-laws were driving up and due in about 7pm. Paul, Faye’s boyfriend was flying into Inverness from Luton for about 8pm.
It was all going swimmingly; the in-laws had literally just arrived in the drive, when the phone went. It was Clare to say she had had an accident, hitting black ice on the way back from Aberdeen, had spun 360º and flipped over. They were OK, the car wasn’t, and could someone slap 2 and a half hours to pick them up, and by the way what’s for dinner they were starving! Well after the initial shock, we galvanised into action. My sister-in-law, children and Isla were dumped rather unceremoniously in the drive, along with the luggage. Blankets, hot tea, and chocolate were mustered, and Rod and my brother-in-law Robert tore off into the night. In the middle of this Paul trying for the sympathy vote phoned, he was stuck at Luton airport, which couldn’t cope with the snow, and could passengers hang around for a bit to see if conditions improved, so we could go ahead and start dinner without him!
Last picture of the doomed new car!
It was all going a bit pear shaped, and we had been so organised. Best laid plans and all that. Dinner was finally eaten at 11pm, where would we be without leftover turkey and mashed potatoes. Clare and Dan were a bit shocked but otherwise fine. She had cleared the car out before they had towed it away, the only thing to appear missing, and probably the most important, was her credit card wallet. Rather than cancel them all she, Dan, and Rod decided to arm themselves with shovels, drive back, and search for them next day.
A crisp winter's morning
They set out early next morning, and believe or not, even though there had been fresh snow, she found them in a muddy water filled ditch. Ecstatic, the trio jigged and whooped about by the edge of the road, passing motorists must have thought them quite mad. I for one never thought they would find them in six inches of snow and over quite a wide accident area, and I don’t really think they did either!
Home again, we had to organise a car for the rest of the holiday, and to take ourselves and Hamish home. We had been told the car would take at least 4 weeks to repair, as the garage was very busy with other poor victims of the snow and ice. Which is where Madonna comes in.
We wanted to hire another Range Rover, for driving on the ice packed roads, and for the room we and Hamish needed The company concerned said we were lucky, as some were now available, having being hired to Skibo Castle the previous week for the Madonna wedding and christening entourage. So I wonder, who has been sitting in our car? Madonna herself, or maybe Sting, we’ll never know.
Paul eventually made it 2 days later, after many false starts and promises, all in all he spent nearly 30 hours over two days waiting for his flight to depart. Amazing all the little airports scattered around the Highlands and Islands coped, but Luton failed miserably.
The holiday resumed normality, The girls had been given a clay trap for Christmas, both ardent Clay pigeon competitors, we had bought them the trap to use on our land. Lessons were given to the lads and my nephew Rory, even my sister-in-law Joanne had a go. ‘Friendly’ rivalry gave the edge to the lads, with hot soup to warm the hands and keep the fingers supple.
The other competition was over whose turn was it to feed the sheep. Howard and his wife Angie (my housekeeper) keep sheep on our land; it helps us keep the grass down. They had gone home to Yorkshire for Christmas and New Year, and we were in charge of feeding the ‘hogs’, this years lambs and ‘tups’ the other girls. They had been separated, as the ram was in visiting the ‘tups’ the ‘hogs’ being too young for that kind of carry on. Supplementary feed was needed because of the snow. Rod loved playing farmer, feeding the girls, and counting them every night to make sure they were all there. One had a bad foot, and had to have an injection, so we had to give her special care, and the odd treat! However a weather eye always had to be kept on the ram, who didn’t welcome interruptions when he was busy with the ladies!
The boys were ‘treated’ to quad bike riding with the girls taking it in turn to drive. I shall never forget the look of sheer terror on their faces as they shot off down the road, a white-knuckle ride of a different kind! Neither had visited the cottage before, and they were to get the full tour of the local vicinity, whether they were ready for it or not.
How could they not enjoy a ride around this landscape
New Years Eve arrived, Inverness had lots of things going on, two firework displays, the switching on of a ‘river of lights’ where many of the lights lining the River Ness in town were to be illuminated. A funfair and parade was also organised to keep the children amused. Our ‘youngsters’ went off early to join in the fun, us oldies were to join them later. We would then all have dinner out before going back to the cottage for champagne and ‘the bells’ at midnight. Our neighbour Davey, he of the leaning shovel, had also invited us in after the ‘bells’ to toast in the New Year.
Dinner was quite riotous, a lot of wine was consumed, and a merry crowd headed back home, the drivers could now join in and we had a great impromptu party. Auld Lang Syne, and champagne later, we were off to Daveys. More toasting followed, although a few of us seeing the error of our ways, switched to lemonade. Finally at 3.30am we were all toasted out and went home.
It was the sound of water running that woke me, a thaw had set in, and I could hear water running. Panic stricken I went downstairs, where I met Robert who had heard it too. It wasn’t in the house fortunately, but was coming from the steading. Rod, disturbed by all the commotion, was by now surfacing, and feeling very sorry for himself, unfortunately he had not seen the merits of lemonade. The thought of having to deal with gushing water and a broken pipe clearly not holding much appeal.
New Year's Burst pipe emergancy!
At that moment the phone rang. It was Davey, and he didn’t have any water, again! You must remember the shovel leaning episode, when ‘Mick the Dig’ severed the pipe behind the steading, which was Daveys water supply. This time thankfully, it wasn’t anything to do with us. Some of the pipes in the steading which had obviously frozen, had now burst when the thaw set in, which in turn had stopped Daveys’ water supply, whose house is below ours. Hangovers aren’t conducive to scrabbling around in the bitter cold trying to mend pipes, and Rod and Davey had beauties! Fortunately Davey had some bits of pipe in his shed, and with Rod using a disused tap from elsewhere, they both managed to fix the leak. Just as well, as there certainly wouldn’t be any chance of getting a plumber on New Years Day! This was definitely not the weather for shovel leaning, so they both came in to dry off, warm up, and take aspirins. Life in Abriachan is never dull!
Clare and Hamish on the beach
We took ourselves off with the dogs for a walk on the beach, our last day before our guests departed. Rod and I would be left to take down the tree and decorations, and generally be miserable, as we always are when it’s time to go home. We hadn’t done half the things we wanted to, circumstances prevailing, but I think everyone enjoyed themselves. Dan had chopped up next year’s supply of logs, and the sheep had been returned intact to Howard’s tender care. Davey had his water, and we girls let the boys win the clay pigeon shooting so they wouldn’t sulk (I’ll be in trouble when they read this.) We are never happier than when we are in the Highlands, no matter what the weather or the little hiccups, there’s still no place like it.
The pace of life is so different. People still have time for each other. You don’t even have to lock your doors, and how many places can you say that about?
