scotland

 Burghead

 Roseisle

 Roseisle

 Burghead

 Findhorn

Findhorn Foundation

father

I've just returned from a fleeting visit to Elgin, Moray, a wonderful part of Scotland. Almost 6 years ago I met my cousin Shelia at my cousin Krysia's funeral in Elgin, and yesterday I visited Shelia's home and the hours flew as we chatted and discovered a shared interest in family history. Out came a tin of old photographs and amongst them were these of my father as a young man before WWII. I've seen the first one before, a dapper chap who earned his nickname 'the cock of the North' but the other two are new to me and it gladdened my heart to see my dad as a smiling teenager, tanned and strong, surrounded by friends and his brother Alexander, Shelia's father. 

These photos date from the 1930's and show the young people potato picking.

burghead

My grandfather, John Logan was born and raised in Burghead, Morayshire and my sister and I are renting a fisherman's cottage there for a week from tomorrow. It sounds impossibly romantic, but the online pictures of the cottage show swirling 70's carpets and dodgy decor - just how I like it! Not knowing my grandparents has bought the seeker and feeler out in me, piecing together stories with an intuitive mix of research and guesswork. What will I learn about John? What will I feel in the coming week? As much as I like questioning I enjoy the unknowing too, being comfortable with uncertainty.