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Global Correspondent Report
Report from
Callander, Central Scotland - Autumn
September and
October in Scotland are marked by a big turn in the light, the
colouring of tree leaves and colder weather. There is nothing
better than making a trip further north before winter really
starts. I managed to get to Durness and Cape Wrath at the end of
September, the furthest north west you can get on the Scottish
mainland. Durness, a small, remote village of 300 or so
inhabitants, was holding its first Northern Lights John Lennon
festival. Lennon spent many holidays in a seaside house here as
a boy.
There is a great coastal cave called Smoo Cave, and a new high
standard village hall on top of the cliff, and the festival
included poetry, music and several events connected with Lennon
and the Beatles. The Quarrymen and their original band were
playing, and Julia Baird, Lennon's sister, was there to
publicise her new book.
cliff path by Smoo
Cave.
the roof echoes poetry.
pebble graffiti.
I had been aware of
Durness and Cape wrath over the summer, as a friend, Julian
Daizan Skinner, a Buddhist monk, walked from the Isle of Wight
to Durness this summer. He came through Callander, and we put
him in touch with Loch Criospal Bookshop at Durness, from where
he made his final step of the journey to Cape Wrath. I stayed an
extra day after the festival to go to Cape Wrath with a group
from the bookshop, including poet Michael Horovitz, with whom I
had corresponded on the internet but whom I hadn't met before.
To reach the lighthouse and viewpoint, you have to go by small
boat to the peninsula and then across twelve miles of isolation
in a minibus, on a road unconnected to any other roads. The
lighthouse is unmanned, and maintained by helicopter, and the
whole area of land is a firing range controlled by the Ministry
of Defence. But there are buildings and a shelter room at the
lighthouse, and Diazan had spoken of meeting a man who lived
there with six spaniels. This guy, and his dogs, were there when
we visited. It was a day of perfect weather and visibility. The
headlands and high cliffs stretch south and west for about a
hundred miles each way from the abrupt corner, from which you
could just see the islands of Lewis to the west and Orkney to
the north east.
poets together
where the cliff turns a corner
we face the north pole.
I returned well
satisfied with my trip to the far north, and ready to do various
garden jobs before the winter. It is time to bring frost
sensitive plants into shelter. I had Cannas in large pots which
made the garden look "like Mexico," as well as good shows of
hardy plants continuing into autumn such as passion flowers,
some roses and water plants. Waterlilies and sweet peas are
among those that seem to know the equinox has passed, and give
up flowering. It is time to rush in the last bulbs for next
year, bring pots in under shelter and to make arrangements to
protect other features from hard frosts.
tear up sweet pea
stems,
rediscover crocuses,
move the Mexicans.
The garden ponds are
adorned with glass floating balls that have to come in, bright
lobelias and floating water hyacinths that have to be safe from
frost—if
they are to survive, they need to go in buckets of water in a
cupboard. The goldfish should be OK all winter. They will stop
feeding and go into semi-hibernation, while we will have to melt
holes in any ice on the pond to allow oxygen to reach them.
flashing red-gold
darts
fish lie in colder water
to wait for the spring.
It is also the
season for preparing for the winter's work, and for many
including myself, this has meant revising my computer
facilities. Among a crowd of returning university students and
others, I went to the big computer store and chose a new
computer with all the works. It arrived today, along with a
technician, and I feel like a kid at christmas. The floor is
covered with boxes and bags, I am tired and excited and I want
to play with my toys. There is a scanner and a camera I haven't
got to grips with yet, but with my next report there will be my
own photographs of the garden and countryside.
the cats climb
inside
empty computer boxes
I write to my friends.
Sally Evans
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