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.