will be Croft 3, Isle of Rum 🙂
This morning Ady and I both woke early after the best nights sleep we’ve had in ages – all that low lying tension has gone. I know there are challenges ahead but this feeling of right-ness and peace is so very lovely 🙂
We had breakfast and headed out to look at the croft land and make the decision about which one to go for. It has rained on and off all day, showers, mostly light but with a few heavy spells. It is very mild though and has been pretty still wind-wise. We’ve been told this has been the wettest winter in years and certainly everywhere is pretty boggy, not quite Kessingland but close 😉
We walked along the bottom edge of both crofts. The access track is pretty decent right the way to the bottom corner of croft 2 which is the bigger croft and the one we had asked for on our application. We had chosen it for being bigger and nearer thinking on our first visit that there was little between them really. Several people said to us yesterday that they’d have chosen Croft 3 though so we needed to make a more informed decision.
We walked up the side of croft 3 and Davies and Scarlett imediately started to get excited and start planning – there is woodland running alongside one side of it and various clumps of rocks, gorse etc on it. The drainage is far better on Croft 3 and it is criss crossed with small streams as a result ending with a decent size waterfall and stream down the land. The waterfall is both gorgeous and sounds lovely but most excitingly will probably sort out hydropower for us aswell as providing our water. More research and learning to do there then :). We sat on the land on a big rock looking out across the panoramic views – mountains, sea, the castle and village down below us.
In the interests of balance we then walked all the way back down again, along and then up and down Croft 2. By then we had all already made up our minds but were being very considered about pros and cons with Davies particularly doing a fine job of listing each ones positive points. I was really impressed with his reasoning and his recall of some of our hosts from the last year and some cautionary words about them. We decided that actually 8 acres will be more than sufficient and we’ll take views and waterfalls and charm of land over larger with better access. We summed it up with the reasoning that it’s a bit bloody late to start making sensible decisions at this late stage given all the choices and moves that led us to be standing in the rain on a remote Scottish island deciding which chunk of waterlogged, undeveloped land we’d most like to call home 🙂 I don’t remember the last time I’ve felt so excited! It was fab to see the kids all passionate and fired up too, dashing around exclaiming over waterfalls and places to build a hide, calling us over to see the latest treasure on the land. It was fab.
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That decided we walked back down the other side of the shelter belt of trees, crossed the bridge over the river and back to the village. We walked past a guy in a landrover with trailer and he stopped and leant out hailing us with ‘are yous the Goddards?’ he is in the process of leaving – has a 16 year old son who has been HE for a few years before starting at the mainland school at 15 but is now in sixth form and so can’t get boarding and can be away for a month if the weather is bad so they are moving back to be with him. He said he loves it here and maybe will be back one day and told the kids about a spot in the river that warms right up in the summer and is perfect for swimming in – cue more smiles 🙂
We were ready for lunch by then so headed back to the castle and ate before donning waterproofs and heading back out again. We walked all along to the harbour and around that side, considered the nature trail to the otter hide but the rain was very set in and we are conscious of needing to pack everything in the morning to head to Eigg so wet clothes being an issue, along with not wanting Scarlett to have a relapse from hours out in the rain. It was about 430pm by then anyway so a quick walk round the village hall and look at the photos up on the notice board of village residents at various parties and celebrations and we went back to the castle for baths and drying off.
I nipped back out to the shop for some dinner supplies when it opened at 5pm and we’ve had a fairly low key evening. Dinner, chatting with the builders and the chef here and some catching up with blogging, conscious of the lack of signal for such things over on Eigg.
I’m knackered now, lots and lots of walking today and aware of going ‘back to work’ on Monday on Eigg and being up earlyish tomorrow to pack and get the ferry. It feels odd to be leaving here again knowing it is now going to be home but we’re looking forward to seeing Neil, Sue and Struan, I think I’m going to get loads out of the crofting course and we’ll be seeing friends again after that. Now we actually know what we need to be investing energy into it feels good to have a proper purpose and be able to be proactive rather than sitting around waiting for decisions to be made for us.
So happy for you all. Just brilliant. All of it. Xx
Comment by Michelle — 18 February 2012 @ 12:25 am
I’m really happy for you all as well. Bet you didn’t even imagine this being the outcome of your year. 8 acres!!
Can’t wait to be able to come and visit, either!
Comment by Sarah — 19 February 2012 @ 10:22 pm