planet vegan scotland - posts tagged 'Scotland'

raised beds

Tue, 24 Aug 2010 09:10:04 GMT

We have 3 new ones for next season, hopefully one more to come Planning to give over the whole allotment bit at the bottom of the garden to potatoes next year, with the chives, rhubarb and some other bits (maybe leeks? nasturtiums?) for biodiversity.

the four big beds, all made of reclaimed wood and old tiles from the roof

It’s been really noticable this year that the more food we grow, the smaller are our shopping bills, also much more work, but it’s very joyful

So now, my baby bed in detail…

just created

It’s in “the hot place”, a sunbathing area of near tropical climes, the place of the toolbox of lettuce (actually mixed salad leaves this year) with house walls to the North and East, shelter from trees and shrubs all round and refelective light walls too – I think I could probably lay cookies out to bake there on a hot day!

All the beds are layered up thus:

a layer of kitchen compost, should be thicker really but wanted to get this one going

seaweed from the beach, mainly kelp

4 growbags chucked in the top

Having learned the propensity of lettuce to survive even the fiercest winters I have planted winter density seeds in there and also garlic round the edges. There may be something unsightly done with bubble wrap and wire as it gets colder.

and randomly:

blackcurrant and apple pie

oatly less artistically arranged this time… we highly recommend growing blackcurrants – the abundance! the easy jam making! the easy freezing! the gorgeous smoothies… and pies…

and a mother sheep feeding lambs behind barbed wire:

beautiful horns she has

wild garlic

new designs in shop

how does your garden grow?

sea

Mon, 23 Aug 2010 07:35:39 GMT

cliffs and blue sky

more cliffs

rocks and water

beach

rocks and deeper water

limpets

various sea vegetables

planting log, sitting, eating, stones and sea

Peregrines

bored, Norse and Google Earth

a different loch and wood :)

Mon, 16 Aug 2010 10:28:59 GMT

loch and tree reflections

Had a lovely day out with friends at Millbuies Country Park

beautiful paths

Iona's pretty foot!

damsel fly

and another

paddling in a stream

little trout

beautiful old tree

Oddly, I took the photo of the butterfly on a buddliea plant in the post below while waiting to meet up with our friends at a garden centre. They later bought that plant!

Halloween 2008

girls go up the mountain

techfest

Medieval Madness

Mon, 09 Aug 2010 09:05:31 GMT

at the forge, casting pewter

A Medieval event at Archaeolink with the Historic Saltire Society. The Smith was full of information, showing us the melting down of various rocks to extract and mix the metals.

belt buckle, ready so fast

medieval blind date!

reenactment of the siege of Aberdeen Castle

weaponry

back further in time - Roman marching camp and a somewhat androgynous wicker person

Celtic Bog Goddess

jolly

Berrybrae stone circle

skoool and sooup :)

Dunnydeer stone circle

Sun, 08 Aug 2010 20:03:31 GMT

looking through

only the recumbent and flankers left

under a beech hedge

autumn sun

autumn

images from a cycling afternoon

Wed, 04 Aug 2010 15:11:07 GMT

field edge

apple - found five on that previously blossoming tree

Cairnbulg Castle on zoom

people walking into my charming rabbit/railwayline composition

honeysuckle at the side of railway

cake, Kroner and garden

Tap o' Noth and Dunnydeer

mesolithic

if the mountain defeats us…

Thu, 08 Jul 2010 06:22:39 GMT

Mither Tap against sun

but it didn’t, so we did not have to brave the mines of Moria, 3 times up and down Bennachie accomplished and quite a bit of money raised for the trees :) My legs hurt today!

at the bottom of the Mither Tap path

top of first climb up steep Mither tap path

down the Donview way

caterpillar

back up on top and heading down Rowan

These new signs help to avoid confusion, there are even paths at the bottom linking different carparks so you can go down different ways without reclimbing if you wish

no such plan for us - back up Rowan

This was the toughest climb being our third, even though it is the easiest path and most gentle slope.

resting on way up - some of the shoes did not make it (5 years old, ethical wares, much walking done)

reaching top 3rd time

steep final descent

down down down

treat picnic at bottom

rose cupcakes

sunset

rhubarb, tweets and elderflowers

swan lake

sea, river, Balvenie, vikings

Fri, 02 Jul 2010 10:10:05 GMT

dunes

Had a wonderful afternoon with friends, sea swimming and boogie boarding – walking over dunes beforehand. Then another busy day yesterday at a home ed group viking re-enactment workshop (associated with the Dufftown Heritage Festival this weekend), also visiting Balvenie Castle and Banff Museum (which is exactly as I remember it as a child, slightly disturbing).

had picnic by the river Deveron in Huntly

Balvenie Castle door

looking down to hall

window

club with spikes

bits and pieces

battling vikings

Saw some of the lovely t-shirts made by one of the families in the group beautifully modelled – they have home ed, breast feeding, Pictish and Celtic designs (Charlotte has a Celtic one).

there be magic in them there woods

Tolquhon and Mystic Wood

the snow queen and a caste system

Tap o’ Noth and Dunnydeer

Thu, 17 Jun 2010 07:37:04 GMT

OS thing at top, Pictish fort walls visible

Practice triple climb of other hills! Tap O’ Noth first, then Dunnydeer twice.

a tough climb this one

up we go

then on Dunnydeer, Tap o' Noth in misty distance

down the other side of dunnydeer, before going back up and home

beautiful hill

trees for life

Sat, 12 Jun 2010 08:52:18 GMT

Four of us girls (Charlotte, me and Lucy and Eleanor from moonrabbits) are doing a sponsored climb to raise money for trees for life, the wonderful charity that is replanting the Caledonian Forest. We intend climbing Bennachie 3 times in one day, taking all three routes to the Mither Tap in about a months time. Trees for life is not a member of just giving or any such online fundraiser but please feel free to donate directly on link above if you wish For every £5 raised a tree will be planted.

A favourite of our kids years ago, the lorax speaks for the trees. Richard St. Barbe Baker “the man of the trees“ who inspired Trees for Life, was sometimes fondly known as the lorax

(lorax on amazon) Buy UK or Buy US

A nice tree filled place we cycled round recently, thanks to a neighbour telling us the best way to get in there:

rhododendron way into the woods

more rhoddies

a little loch

Peregrines

Wed, 09 Jun 2010 09:14:48 GMT

Peregrine Wildwatch Centre

Wonderful place this, great home ed group event there

quarry face where the nest is

red squirrel

female peregrine in tree - she was making a lot of noise!

fast

building a hide

impression of a caterpillar called Bob

best friends

a few more pics in our home education set on flickr

and a short video of the squirrels below, much topical talking in background…

I want to ride my bicycle

Tue, 01 Jun 2010 08:06:31 GMT

I want to ride it where I might There’s been lots of sunny days, there’s been lots of bike rides in various directions.

I love my purple bike - my first ever bicycle

I rather like these old railway bridges too

We were on The Buchan Way here, an old railway line.

found lots of apples trees on the line

the scent was astounding

bridges are good resting points on the normal road too

back home in the garden:

there will be a pop soon!

coastal pics and pink meadow

Thu, 27 May 2010 08:29:04 GMT

Shipwreck!

washing lines - spot Nemo

what a wonderful airing the laundry must get!

melon, meadow, Lion

Loudon Wood, feet and newts

Sun, 11 Apr 2010 19:22:28 GMT

feet of sleeping Lion

After many years of searching in vain, we finally found Loudon Wood stone circle. The length of time was contributed to by a council sign pointing into completely different, unconnected bit of wood – ignore that and use google maps instead if wanting to visit! Beautiful place.

path to circle

first glimpse

recumbent and flankers

flanker and white tree

through the tree

carved lines

stones

cloud formation as we leave

Davie put on music down by the pond as he set up some solar lights we were given and it did seem to attract lots of newts over to investigate

newts

newt rising to surface

fox in the snow

Sat, 20 Feb 2010 08:08:44 GMT

Lots more has fallen – we are ankle deep again…

just as I was taking photos this fox came and had a good look into the garden. We do see them quite often here, but not usually when holding a camera

then, while eating my porridge by the window this morning I noticed I had an onlooker!

planet vegan scotland - posts tagged 'Scotland'

raised beds

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sea

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a different loch and wood :)

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Medieval Madness

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Dunnydeer stone circle

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images from a cycling afternoon

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if the mountain defeats us…

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sea, river, Balvenie, vikings

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Tap o’ Noth and Dunnydeer

trees for life

Peregrines

I want to ride my bicycle

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Loudon Wood, feet and newts

fox in the snow