walk

A walk, there and back, along the disused railway from Elgin to Lossiemouth.

scotland

Scotland highlights. Photographs by my sister Clare.

Our first days wander along the 5 miles of beach from Burghead to Findhorn, worm casts, clear sea, tracing the waters edge with bare feet.

Finding washed up Jellyfish on our return journey and throwing them back into the sea.

Scoffing my first knickerbocker glory since childhood in the Bog Cotton cafe, Cannich. 

Stopping in our tracks on hearing an odd sound in the sky while walking around Loch Affric. Turns out it was a Snipe, a feather in its tail creating this strange noise. 

Shrieking as a young Golden Retriever bounded over a rock and stuck its head in my rucksack, lured by a cheese sandwich. 

Wailing seals off the beach at Lossiemouth.

The breathtaking prettiness of Rosemarkie.

Seeing Moray Firth dolphins for the first time at Chanonry Point. Their fins and tails popping up in the water, the sound of their blowhole out breaths.

A strip of pink sky and wonder at the 11pm light on the drive back from Findhorn where I danced to the drums of Kakatsitsi.

Understanding gloaming for the first time, midsummer nights of twilight and dusk.

 Burghead on our arrival

 Loch Affric

 Rosemarkie

 Towards Fortrose

Burghead at 11pm

scotland

Last month I visited the places my father and his family came from: Elgin, Bernie, Lossiemouth and Burghead. These villages and towns are by the Moray Firth, along the North East coast of Scotland. The Moray Firth delineates the outermost edges of habitat for dolphins to survive (but not thrive) and the Aurora Borealis has been seen from this coast, it is a beautiful place. If you drew a straight line east from Elgin you would arrive at the southern tip of Norway, somewhere I was lucky enough to visit last year and the echo of Scotland was apparent in the landscape (and visa versa). I feel a strong connection to these lands and have a sense of home and belonging when I'm there. This trip was about creating space to be in, look at and experience by walking around and about. This time I was drawn to historic religious buildings and the particular vernacular of this region, structure, history, solid things that will outlive me.

I've visited this region of Scotland since I was a toddler, the agricultural landscape is in my blood somehow, the towns, the lanes, the skies, the deep rich soil, the scattered farms, the distilleries. To be there helps me in my understanding and communication with those who have gone before, my flesh and blood. Though it may sound romantic it's not particularly, I can understand that it was a hard life for them eking out their livings in these places and surviving two world wars. The other side of the coin is that they must have also experienced beauty in their lives and lived the spirit of these landscapes. They would have felt its power and their own power too.

Looking up from Elgin Cemetery

Elgin Cemetery - in memory of their children

Elgin Cathedral

Elgin Cathedral

Elgin Cathedral

Cathedral tombstone

Spynie Palace

 View towards Lossiemouth from Spynie

 Elgin

 Elgin

 Burghead

 Cooper Park, Elgin

   Pluscarden Abbey

dad

A days walking ritual from Elgin to Lossiemouth and back in forgiveness and in honour of my father Robert Logan.