insignificant ramblings of a 50-something woman
-
Is HS2 coming to Aberdeen?
We received a funny letter yesterday, addressed to The Occupier and with our full address in Aberdeen on the front. Inside was a notice about impending archaeology works in our local area in preparation for HS2. HS2 is a new high speed train being built in England to connect London with the north. You can…
-
Eating stinging nettles
Spring is here and the nettles are growing again so I decided it was time to make a meal out of them. Most people know that stinging nettles are pesky green plants that irritate the skin when you touch them. What you probably don’t know is that they’re a nutritious source of iron, calcium, potassium,…
-
Pedal on Parliament 2018, Aberdeen
It was the Aberdeen Pedal on Parliament today. The Pedal on Parliament is a demonstration for safe cycling infrastructure throughout Scotland. The main event was in Edinburgh on Saturday but there were two smaller events, one in Aberdeen and the other in Inverness. It’s the fourth year running for Aberdeen and we had 80-100 people…
-
Aberdeen City Council to report on the bike path for Union St petition
Yesterday I got to speak at the Operational Delivery Committee at the Aberdeen City Council to argue the case for a bike path for Union Street. This is following on from the petition I submitted in February. It was initially meant to be discussed by the Petition’s Committee in March but this meeting was cancelled.…
-
Rewarding excellence
I’m excited to announce that I have a new job! This week I started working for an Australian company that makes software for managing awards programs. It’s called Award Force. Humans are extraordinary creatures. We are always pushing the boundaries of knowledge and innovation and an important part of this is recognising achievement and excellence.…
-
Pedal on Parliament 2018
It’s just over two weeks until Pedal on Parliament in Aberdeen. If you want a more cycle-friendly Scotland then join us as we cycle, walk, scooter, and march to The Town House on Broad St. Starting from Rubislaw Terrace Gardens on Albyn Place at 11am or Hazelhead Park at 10:45am. Come in fancy dress, decorate…
-
My son told me off for being sexist
My 11-year-old son told me off for being sexist this week. We were watching TV and one of the characters threw something poorly and I said, “That’s a girly throw”. I know, I know, I’m ashamed to admit I said that but at the same time I’m proud to say my son told me off…
-
Wallpapering again
I thought I’d never do it again but this week I felt inspired to remove some wallpaper in our kitchen that was starting to peel off. It’s time-consuming to remove old wallpaper and then stressful applying the new stuff because the glue ends up everywhere and the paper invariably tears and then there’s the anxious…
-
Kishorn and Courthill House
All good holidays must come to an end and that end, for us, is today. Yesterday we spent a quiet day pottering around Kishorn and sitting in front of the fire. I even did some crochet. Here’s a photo I took of Loch Kishorn a couple of days ago when I got up early and…
-
Diabaig, Scotland
I must be a sucker for punishment because we went for another scary drive today. This time we took the road from Torridon to Lower Diabaig. Like the Bealach na Bà it’s also steep, narrow, and with hair-pin bends but marginally less scary and without the snow. It starts off with a drive around the…
-
The Applecross Pensinsula
Yesterday we drove over The Bealach na Bà which was terrifying. It’s like driving into the jaws of a giant mythical creature. The towering cliffs that rise on either side and seem to engulf you as you get higher are the beast’s teeth. I’ve taken a screenshot of the route on Google Maps. It’s only 11…
-
The Bealach na Bà
I summoned the courage to drive the Bealach na Bà today and it was a hair-raising and buttock-clenching experience. The road rises to 626m in just 5 miles with an almost 20% gradient in parts and is the steepest ascent of any road in the UK. It’s a two-way, single-track road with several hair-pin bends. If…
-
Lochcarron Weavers and Strome Castle
Yesterday was rainy and so we had a lazy day and pottered around Loch Carron. We spent an hour in the Lochcarron Weavers Shop. They have over 500 tartans and lots of knitted garments. This is my kind of shop! Daniel spoke to one of the shop assistants at length about Martin tartan. They don’t…
-
Torridon, Scotland
I didn’t think we could top our day yesterday, in terms of scenery and entertainment but we did. This time we went north to Torridon, a remote village in the Western Highlands. Much of the road there was single track and we saw very few other vehicles. It’s hard to believe we are on the…
-
The Fairy Pools, Isle of Skye
We visited the The Fairy Pools on the Isle of Skye today, as well as a couple of other places. I’ll let my photos tell the story. Loch Carron: Balmacara, heading towards Kyle of Lochalsh and the bridge to the Isle of Skye. The last time I visited the Isle of Skye was a little…
-
The West Coast of Scotland
We’re on the West Coast of Scotland. It has been more than 20 years since I’ve been over this way. It’s only about 4 hours from Aberdeen which isn’t far, but it is too far to come for just a weekend which is what most of our trips are. Fortunately we all have a full…
-
McPiggy and the meaning of life
Aberdeen Climate Action recently had a competition to design a mascot. Children completed entries at Climate Week North East earlier this month and the runner-up is my favourite. Meet McPiggy who eats plastic and poops paper. Designed and illustrated by the 8-year-old Ashton. I thought of McPiggy this morning when I read about a true…
-
Highland dancing and trees
Elizabeth had her Highland Dance exam today and it went very well. Here she is before the exam. Her kilt was too long so I got some braces and hitched it up. That did the trick and meant that I didn’t have to attempt hem surgery which would have been a huge undertaking with all…
-
We’re all quoting Shakespeare, every day, without realising
I’m reading Bill Bryson’s book on Shakespeare which is typical Bill Bryson and full of fascinating facts put together in an entertaining way. What is amazing for me is how much influence Shakespeare has had on the English language. I did not know this but around 10% of all quotes in circulation today are from…
-
Pedal on Parliament Aberdeen 2018
When: Sunday 29th April at 11am Where: Starting at Rubislaw Terrace Gardens and cycling along Albyn Street, then Union Street and finishing up at The Town House on Broad Street. Pedal on Parliament is an annual event to promote bike-friendly cities in Scotland. The Scottish government wants to increase rates of cycling but money has…
rachel.blog 