LOOK AT THE ESTATE OF MoO

 After considerable heart searching and prevarication, we decided to go ahead with the October walk. It was our walk and it just so happened it coincided with a fair number of people unable to go and the impending arrival of Storm Ashley! The former wasn't an issue, but the latter threatened torrential rain and winds of 40 to 60 miles and hour! Not exactly conducive to a pleasant walk for some old dinosaurs.

Rather than commit to the whole walk, we felt we could break it into stages and bail out as conditions dictated. Thus we gathered a little earlier than arranged at the car park at the back of the local care home in Muir of Ord. The choice of starting point was wholly coincidental as we don't need it. Yet!

Once the rain eased off and everyone had arrived, we got out of the cars, admired the autumn colours and questioned our sanity.

Undaunted, we set off, heading towards the local skate park and not just because it offered a bit of shelter. 

Luckily, Skater Shaz was really stoked to be able to shred some tricks in a session at this spot. She's the kind of skate rat that can be a bit hesh if she pulls a gnarly move. If you are in the know, you might recognise her stance is a goofy, rather than a regular and she's not doing it as a fakie or a switch, but she could be heading for a slam or even a sack or wipeout.

If you understood any of that, you're a bit if a cool dude, or you read up on skater lingo.

Having been suitably entertained, we carried on out of the shelter and into the rain, crossing by the side of the Black Isle Showground.

The Black Isle Show hasn't always been held here. The very first Show was held in Fortrose in October 1836. From then on, the Show was held at the farms of various members of the Black Isle Farmers' Society. The showground at Muir of Ord was bought in 1955, with the first show being held here in 1957.

We walked along the farm road to a wee Church. This was the former parish church of Kilchrist or Tarradale. The church was thought to have been burnt in 1603 and  was re-roofed about 200 years later. It is no longer used as a church, but as a mausoleum for the MacKenzies of Ord. The graveyard is still in use, but there is not a lot of space left.

There is a Commonwealth Grave within the yard. This belongs to Roderick Mackenzie, who served with the Royal Armoured Corps and he died in April 1945 aged just 19. I have been unable to find out any further information, but he was serving with a training regiment at the time, so he may have just enlisted.

We did have a bit of a look to find his grave, but to no avail. It was also a bit damp in the long grass.

The building itself is very plain and simple.

Apparently, I look fairly dashing with my new walking stick. At least that's what I think!

There is a fair amount of prehistoric and later agricultural activity and settlement hereabouts, so a place of worship might be expected here as well.

The church sits next to a farm steading, to the rear of which is this dilapidated building. The windows look to have been robbed from another building lending the whole structure a feeling of almost lost grandeur. Apparently, it was latterly used as a hen house.

In the building opposite is an old Rapid Hammer Mill. These were used to grind grain into a coarse flour to be fed to cattle.

Leaving the farm behind, we were striding out along farm tracks in a bit of inclement weather.

While we were walking in the dreich, rainy weather, Susan and Robin were in Türkiye. Most people seem to do that for a Brazilian butt lift or a hair transplant. I thought I knew what a Brazilian was and I didn't think you needed a hair transplant for that. In any event, it turns out that they were there for something else altogether. Susan texted us to say that she had had a baby on their walk! A miracle at her age, and a bit more permanent than a Brazilian, I should think. Here is said baby with, I assume, the donor.

At the entrance to Bellevue House, we debated whether to go on. The next stage of the walk was pretty exposed to the elements. We met a lady who was out walking and seemed to be local. She advised that we could cut the walk a bit shorter, so we decided this was a plan.

The lady did not take a sweetie for her help, but Agnes took a whole Cadbury Flake and then proceeded to mimic the old advert.

It wasn't exactly how I remember it, but my memory may be failing a bit.

Bellvue House, on the other hand, does have a pretty good view.

We were going down the bank to some old farm buildings. You can just make out the Beauly Firth through the gloom. It is a bit odd finding the sea so close to Muir of Ord.

Here are the farm buildings we were heading for - built about 130 years ago. A nice little ventilation arrangement on the top of the roof.

There might have been a bit of light in the sky, but it was a long way from where we were heading!

Some nice coos. And what noise do coos make? MoO, is the answer. What is MoO short for Muir of Ord? Serendipity or what?

They were specially behind bars, in case Pam had joined us!

Next to the coos, was the ruin of a nice little farm cottage.

You can see the remains of the wattle and plaster internal walls just under the chimney breast.

It wasn't raining by the time we started to head back up the hill rather than walk out over the most exposed part of the walk towards the sea.

The sky was not exactly sparkling blue, though.

We were soon  back near the showground and the weather was showing signs of improvement.

Indeed, the sun was beginning to break through in patches.

By the time we got to a particularly photogenic tree, it was getting warmer and brighter by the minute. Of course, we were not to far form the cars, so doing the full walk was a non-starter.

After a while everybody was looking at the camera and we got a nice group photo.

As you would expect, the organisers had a contingency plan and, rather than go back to the cars, we headed for the walk around the Lily Loch.

If the leaves are not in colour, the berries certainly are.

Sandra started singing Under the Boardwalk when we got to this bit. Given how slippy it actually was, she might have ended up there.

Maureen and Sandra helped each other across, so that nobody found themselves under the boardwalk, down by the sea!

By now the sun was slanting through the trees and the day had a completely different complexion to it.

Even the Lily Loch seemed a much more pleasant place then it might have been on the pouring rain.

We did spend an inordinate amount of time at this spot talking about alligators and crocodiles, their differences, what they might like to eat, how the actually catch prey and how Amos Moses hunted alligators with only one hand - at least according to the Sensational Alex Harvey Band. The original Amos Moses song was written by Jerry Reed in 1970 and Amos could kill alligators with just one hand, which was just as well, 'cos that's all he had left. He lost the other hand when his father used him for alligator bait, by tying a rope round his waist and throwing him in the swamp! I feel it unlikely that there is any truth in the song, but if you've watched Deliverance, you might think it possible.

From the Lily Loch without lilies, it was back to the cars and off to the Estate of Ord for tea and buns. At least, that was the plan, but Pam was not there to help Hugh sort out his clothes and shoes.

We did not have too far a journey, although the driveway to the hotel is fairly long as befits a fine house such as a 380 year old one like this. Well, actually it isn't all quite that old despite the date stone from 1637 on the central chimney. The original house was built for John Mackenzie in 1602. His descendant, Thomas Mackenzie, 7th of Ord, enlarged and remodelled the house in 1810. Later the same man would be instrumental in the building of the Glen Ord Distillery, nearby. The 8th Mackenzie, Alexander, was buried in 1899 at the family mausoleum at the little Kilchrist chapel that we visited earlier in the day.

The house fell out of the hands of the Mackenzie's following a number of deaths in the family. The next owner was a Lieutenant Colonel Campbell in 1946. He and his wife were involved in many charitable causes and he was a champion of worker's rights. Bizarrely, they advertised in 1947 for 2 children aged 8 and 6 to move to Ord House and be educated along with the family's own children! Who knew that you could respond to a newspaper advert and have your children taken off your hands? I assume there was some sort of vetting on both sides, but you never know.

The house was a hotel, which closed in 2019, but was bought over by the present owners and re-opened after major refurbishment this year. We can all testify that it has been very tastefully reworked and we had a fabulous welcome from the owner George, who was an Australian outback sheep farmer a few years ago.

The tea and cakes were also wonderful - I really enjoyed the chef's fruit cake!

After tea, George suggested we have a look around the gardens, which we gladly did.

They have ambitious plans to restore the gardens.

Lots of old fruit trees.

A nice spot to sit in the now blazing sunshine!

It was so bright that Dave had to shield his eyes from the sun. Either that, or he was holding his head in despair as I read out the hotel's Christmas Menu. As they live almost next door, Agnes had gone home and got Richie to join us for coffee. Just in case anyone was wondering who this interloper was.

Much as we might have wanted to stay, it really was time to get home. I suspect we will be back sometime in the future, what a nice place it is.

Although the sun was out at Estate of Ord, the rain really was never far away and there was a fair amount of it on the way home. But sunshine and rain make rainbows.

A truncated walk, but good fun despite the rain. We may do the full walk some other time, especially if we can go back for tea and buns.

DID RANDOLPH LEAP TO FIND A HORN?

 I was unable to go on the September walk along the Findhorn and around Logie and Randolph's Leap, due to an injured foot. That was a great pity for a couple of reasons. Firstly it looked like a really nice walk. Secondly, Sharon took the photos and I have to guess what it is that is being captured. At least I did for the first photo.

This was of the Jacobite soldier's grave near Keppernach. The story goes that the poor Jacobite survived the battle of Culloden in 1746 and left the field badly wounded. However, he succumbed to his wounds and died at this spot, where he was then buried. At least that is what I have always believed. However, the stone which marks the spot, does not appear in the historical record and I can find nothing to corroborate the story. Nonetheless, people still leave flowers at the site, so I like to think it must be true. Certainly, the stone bears an inscription to that effect, as you can see from Sharon's photo snapped out of the car window.

They soon got to Randolph's Leap and, on seeing the canoes, thought that this would be a walk with a real difference!

It was a small group of walkers and they all fitted into Jimmy and Jacque's car. All they had to do was open the boot and let them out.

There was no holding them back as they leapt through the gate to go down and see where Randolph leapt.

I'd be surprised if any of them were carrying fish disease with them.

It didn't take long for them to get to the precipitous edge above the river. Holding hands might be best to avoid any accidents! Of course, Strictly speaking, there is a worse danger - they might start dancing!

Jimmy was the only man there and he seems to have been mothered by the ladies from the start. It is a slightly disturbing thought!

You might wonder why anyone would want to imprison a stone. I certainly did. However, the stone had done nothing wrong. It records the height of the great flood here in 1829. The summer had been long and hot (whatever that might be), and then it rained for three days at the beginning of August, raising the level of the Findhorn by 50 feet. The devastation was immense and the circumstance so notable that it was recorded by this stone. Quite why the stone was then jailed is anyone's guess.

Clearly, the river was not that high when Randolph leapt, otherwise he would have had to swim rather than leap. Here is the spot.

A picturesque place, but it hides a dark secret.

Yes....Randolph didn't leap. At least he never leapt here. Randolph, or at least his soldiers, chased at least one Comyn soldier and he, or they, leapt. This all happened in the 14th Century, so the details are a little sketchy. 

Randolph was the Earl of Moray and he lived at Darnaway. Sir Alexander Cumming (Comyn) lived on this side of the river, but he was the Ranger of Darnaway Forest, which earned him a bob or two. He fell out with Randolph, which was a mistake, because his uncle was the KIng - Robert the Bruce. Cumming lost his job. His son, Alastair, decided to take a thousand men and attack Randolph at Darnaway. They were ambushed and fled back to the river. Alastair and three followers leapt the river and escaped. History is, of course, written by the victors. Randolph later took the Comyn Castle and was granted the surrounding lands by his uncle.

Someone (Franklin Pierce Adams), an American newspaper humourist and columnist once wrote that "Nothing is more responsible for the good old days than a bad memory". Perhaps that might be why people still think Randolph leapt when he didn't. 

It may be picturesque, but it is also a bit precipitous. 

Remember what I said about holding hands for safety.

They forgot.

First there were 5.

Then there were 4!

Then there were 3!

What can be going on.

Aha! take a look at Maureen's walking pole. Surely, she hasn't, has she?

The writing is on the wall.

No sign of the missing Dinosaurs!

Nor here!

Could they be here?

Not yet, anyway.

Oh! There they are. Maureen isn't evil at all. I knew it couldn't be true.

Now, is Jimmy taking a selfie, or is he just getting a better angle for his photo up the river.

Certainly the views of the river are very picturesque.

It is just as good in the other direction. Whether it is, as Jimmy asserts, the most beautiful river in Scotland is open to discussion. A quick search on the internet would suggest that a number of other rivers could claim that accolade. The real problem is, we haven't been to all the rivers in Scotland, so, a definitive answer doesn't exist for us. Anyway, how could you measure that? To quote from a New Zealand study " riverscape assessment must address complex interactions between empirical data, sensory perception and cognition and socio-economic contingencies". Well, we're not going to do that just now.

Suffice to say that it certainly must be up there.

The path became a little more tricky here.

Luckily, Jacque found something to hang onto.

Soon, they were striding out through the woods.

Indeed, they were positively skipping along.

They even went up the steep bits as if they were going up the escalator in Markies for the sales.

Another flood marker.

Agnes tested to see if it was still wet.

The path was a bit more precipitous here, but the intrepid crew were undaunted.

Positively Himalayan here.

Jimmy, the joint group leader for the day has either received an important call, or he is lost!

In fact, he was neither engaged nor lost. He was checking whether it was time for a sweetie. Of course, it was and here is the definitely not evil Maureen, brightening up everyone's day with a sugary delight. I have to say, the saintly Maureen was thoughtful enough to make sure that I got my share of treats later. 

 

Agnes had a good look before making her choice.

Jimmy is already chewing on his, but is he also hiding another one or two in his pocket?

Liz certainly enjoyed hers.

Then, onto a bridge photo. 

This is the bridge over the River Divie, which joins the Findhorn, just a short distance away. It was built in 1783 and is over 7 metres clear height above the river, which might explain why it is still here despite the 1829 floods.

This in itself is worthy of note. The floods, known as the Muckle Spate, caused huge damage across the North-East of Scotland. At least 6 people lost their lives, 22 bridges were swept away and 60 houses were destroyed. At least 600 people were made homeless.

On a lighter note, the butler from Relugas House, near the bridge, is said to have caught a salmon 50 feet above the normal river level - in his umbrella!

Once they had crossed the Divie, it was back off the road and onto the path.

Jimmy scratches his head in wonderment that the ladies were still finding something to talk about. It was driving him bonkers.

Sorry, conkers.

You can't safely eat conkers. They could make you very ill. Nor should domestic pets eat them, although horses can.

Bizarrely, conkers contain a chemical that can be used to treat haemorrhoids, which might be handy, because eating them can cause all sorts of digestive problems. 

Whilst you cannot eat conkers, you can eat lunch. This looks like a very nice spot to do just such a thing.

I'm sure Sandra and Dave had a very nice spot for their sardine lunch in Corfu.

Part of the lunchtime entertainment involved Liz playing the matador to Agnes's toro.

Despite going in different directions, they eventually emerge from the woods into the fields. 

Well, not exactly into the fields, but next to them.

Despite not having any horns, these are Longhorn cows. Well, bulls actually. Quite why they don't have their characteristic long horns, I don't know. They don't naturally shed their horns, like deer. They are exhibiting characteristic finching, as you can see.

What do you mean, you've never heard of finching before???

It is the white line running along the spine and it occurs in a wide range of breeds of cattle. Go back and look at the picture.

The next picture shows some Autumn Crocus, or as it is sometimes called Meadow Saffron . They might not be able to chase you like a bull, but they are highly toxic and certainly are not the source of saffron. Having said that, the chemicals in the plant are used to treat gout.

Looking across to Logie House. The original house here was built in 1663 by John Cumming, the first Laird of Logie. That house was U shaped and the U was filled in by extension in 1861.

Sir Alexander Grant bought the estate and house in 1924. He and his successors made a number of alterations to the building.

SIr Alexander Grant was a very interesting chap. He was born in Forres in 1st October 1864 and his father was a railway guard. As I type this he would have been exactly 160 years old yesterday!

He was supposed to have been a lawyer, but instead became apprenticed to the baker in Forres. He eventually joined McVitie's bakery in Edinburgh and there he developed the recipe for McVitie's digestives, one of which I ate with a cup of tea this afternoon! He eventually rose through the bakery and ultimately came to own it following the death of Mr McVitie in 1910. The company was hugely successful and supplied iron ration biscuits for during  World War I.

With commercial success comes wealth. Grant was very rich and very well connected. He was very friendly with Ramsay MacDonald, the first Labour Prime Minister. Unlike current and recent prime ministers, MacDonald had no private income and had to take the bus to and from Number 10. Grant gave him a Daimler to help out with that. He also gave him £40000 of McVitie shares to pay for the upkeep of the car. And we worry about Keir Starmer's Specsavers and Matalan bill.

It wasn't just politicians that Grant gave money to. He was an enormous benefactor to causes in Moray and Nairn, and he also helped to fund the establishment of the National Library of Scotland, with a further £100000 being given to build the library itself.

He supported retired grocers, donated to many causes in Forres and Nairn, the University of Edinburgh and the National War Memorial in Edinburgh. He indirectly supported every person in the country by waiving the interest on £100000 of war stock that McVitie's had invested in during the First World War. Putting off the interest for 5 years was estimated to have saved the government £25000 - worth over £3.5 million today.

For all these charitable works, and perhaps for the Daimler, he was made a Baronet in 1924, following which he bought Logie. All founded on biscuits!

Not far on there is a fairly impressive barbecue. Certainly Agnes seems impressed. I don't believe she had ever seen one so big.

The barbecue was not alone. It belonged to a very swish looking fishing hut, which Liz looked like she wanted to break into.

That would have been illegal, so she didn't. Jimmy had a good look too, but I expect he was admiring the woodwork.

All that fishing and barbecuing has made them hungry, so they charged off to Logie Steading for tea and buns. 

The Steading buildings were built for Sir Alexander Grant and originally included the steading buildings and garages for his cars.

They ignore the signs and decide to stay.

They are even serenaded whilst they tuck in.

And, tuck in they did!

These strawberry tarts were enormous!

After that feast, they rolled on home.

It looked like I missed a really good walk, ably organised by Jimmy and Jacque. Well done to them and especially well done to Jimmy for keeping the girls entertained.