rainbows in curved air (or curves in rainbowed air)

Arran, not Iran

A September Weekend turns into an Indian summer: God smiles on the righteous. Lets hope that no mad US president decides on a nuke strike, while we are on this island.

Happy Highlanders meet us off the ferry @ Brodick in the sunshine. We were staying with them in their ’Log Cabin Home in the Sky’.

I had left my car in Ardrossan, so it was pleasant to be a passenger as we toured the Island listening to Alt. Country. Not as rugged an island as Mull, where we had our break last year, but it was very much like one huge working farm. The island’s dairy products reflect this & the milder, Gulf Stream weather, accounts for their farming success & the number of palm trees around are beautiful. I thought I really was back in Iran again.

Day 2 was even better & divided into 2 very distinct tours. Part 1 was a walk out to the standing stones on Machrie Moor. I am an avid fan of Julian Cope’s (cannot cope) book on the standing stones of Britain, that has a huge section on Scotland & I bought a Reference copy for one of the libraries, I used to work in. Sadly it has gone out of print. I am also reading his book on Krautrock at the moment. Anyway, nothing prepared us for the totally awesome & gobsmackable experience of these stones on Machrie Moor. The little roadside sign & the lack of a proper car park did not indicate how superb this site was, although to be honest either I am getting older or the distances were incredibly inaccurate!

From the first set of standing stones, we could see another & from the next set, we could see another & from the next set, we could see another & from the next set, we could see another & from the next set, we could see another

Etc : 6 sets. As we approached the last set, amid much snickering about telling my wife, who stayed in the car, that I had done a Billy Connolly, we hit bogland & for the first time in years, I got my feet really soaked, they were to stay this way all day, squelch, squelch, squelch.

Next up was a visit to Brodick Castle. I am not that interested in the insides of the castle, but the gardens were like those of Eden. Here was a glimpse of Paradise.

I will never forget the feeling of being in the walled garden among more butterflies & bees than you could ever dream of, wonderful, unreal & heavenly bliss.