Bonny Scotland!

I'm back from Bonny Scotland after a wonderful holiday ~ only 5 days but truly memorable!
This was the furthest north I have ever been ~ and I'm wondering what took me so long!
Over 40 people were there to join Ja for his 18th birthday party ~ me, E and J in B&B, nearly 30 in a large house in Nigg and the rest in the wonderful wonderful wonderful Poyntzfield House.. Wow! This house was unbelieveable and impossible to adequately describe! Look it up on the web and the photos just don't do it justice ~ it's much much nicer than that ~ I urge everyone to go and see for themselves!!
Poyntzfield House ~ the main section with the wings form three sides of the courtyard. You can just see the top of the tower ~ accessible from the top floor ~ windows on all eight sides so you get a wonderful panorama of the surrounding countryside.

Close up of the tower












This is the little window in the middle of the top floor. It looks quite big here but is only just the size for a small child to crawl into ~ which of course they all liked to do! the photo shows how very thick the walls are.















Day One:
Arrived after a 13hour journey that passed all too quickly. Fr and Al had come by the evening before I left with my birthday present: a poppy mug and set of coasters (my fave flower) and lots of foodie bits for the journey up ~ which was really great as I didn't have to waste time going into service stations etc for sustenance. Fabulous scenery especially through the Lake District and along the shores of Lochs Lomond, Lochy and Ness and then over the Beauly Firth to the Black Isle. Quite staggeringly beautiful. Checked into my little B&B and then headed over to Poyntzfield where St, Ri and the Pies were staying along with Ki and her little brood of three. All the children were playing in the courtyard ~ it's a really fabulous and safe place for children ~ and then they all took me for an excited tour of the house. Settled with a long-awaited coffee and enjoying a chat when Jpie ran into something and split open the cut on his chin ~ so a quick trip to Inverness A&E for him, St and me! (He was ok and they just glued him up a bit!). Then a bit more chat and 'home' to the B&B and a long sleeeeep.


Kitchen at Poyntzfield with children snacking





Kitchen: desirable dresser and farmhouse table

Poyntzfield: trampolining in the garden: Th, Jpie, Ki, Cpie and Rich









and Jpie getting in on the act!






Dine in Style here!


The 'boys' lavatory




and the 'girls' lavatory



Stella and Rich's bedroom ~ wooden beams, wooden floor, double aspect and shutters!!!







Corner of the Main Staircase

Day Two
This was the day I went to Pitcaln House, which was where almost everyone else was staying. This is a very large house down a long and impressive drive-way between trees and bushes and with views over the Firth. Heaps and heaps of people were staying so one could never be at a loss for company ~ and David did ALL the cooking for them!! He made a super roastie lunch with all the trimmings and then pudding as well. Despite the fact that there were close to 40 people we were all able to sit down together in the dining room ~ so you can imagine how large it is!!


F'ster on the swing at Pitcaln













Day Three

My birthday!! St, Ri , the Pies and I went to Cawdor Castle which is a castle well worth seeing. We toured the garden first as it looked like rain ~ beautiful formal gardens, a wild garden and even a nature trail.

In the garden: Cpie, Stella, Jpie, Rich and Kpie
Kpie and Jpie
The castle was very interesting with lots of witty and whimsical commentary cards all over the place. Very cosy!! and almost, but not quite, as impressive as Poyntzfield!! We had a picnic in the grounds which was a treat ~ and a bit of a nostalgia trip for me as we often celebrated my birthday with a picnic when the girls were little. We went back to Poyntzfield for tea and lots of people from Pitcaln nipped in too. I was quite tired that night so didn't stay late ~ just long enough for a glass of wine and a general lol about in the drawing room. Arrived back at the B&B to find a half bottle of sparkling wine and a tiny birthday cake with one candle from the B&B people! How kind is that? (Quick plug: Newton Croft Bed and Breakfast at Conon Bridge on the Black Isle ~ lovely place!)

Day Four
Ja's 18th Birthday!! Brilliant Day! Ja looked very grown up indeed and was a lovely host.
Here he is with Stef:
The sun shone and we all had the most stupendous time. Even more people had turned up by this time: from Hertfordshire (mostly), Yorkshire, Leicestershire, Ireland, Warwickshire and Portugal. David did all the barbecueing ~ the man's a wonder!! ~ and everyone else just sort of chipped in when needed. We sat around eating, drinking, chatting and laughing mainly. All the young-ish people played a game of rounders and the children (and a fair proportion of adults) had goes on the tyre-swing. Ja's grandma, Ann, had her birthday that day too so a double celebration. It was a lovely 'family' affair and ages ranged from 2 months (RP) to 70 with absolutely every age in between. Marvellous!!

The Birthday Boy and his little sis!

Day Five
The journey home . . . was somewhat more eventful than the journey up!! But I'll leave that story for another time . . . .