Menootanaboot; Monday Meanderings

Picking up the tale of the visitors to the Hutch...

As the weather had not really lifted but did show signs of at least not pouring rain, it was decided that a visit to Auchindrain would suit the visitors fine. What is more, Bertie would be welcome (on-leash). I've been there before (it's a fave place to take visitors) so I opted to let my company explore the village themselves and stayed with the car. At first...

Shortly, the call of nature took me to the 'wee room'. As I came out again, I got chatting with a lady with a name badge on. Kathy Townsley, it transpired, is the recently appointed manager, having taken over from a fellow who had sadly let things fall apart. The village is run by a private interest group.

Kathy also said she'd raised her tent for the summer season in the lower end of the village. She is of the traveller people (the Scottish Traveller tradition is a little different than you'd expect). A warm and engaging conversationalist, she invited me to visit with her. Permission granted to share this with you, as she is also an advocate of her people, wishing to communicate the culture. (There is a newspaper for the group which helps with insight.) I learned something of the tent tradition, such as the use of hazel branches framework and the long use of canvas, but that skins were likely used before this. That there needed to be a cleared space outside the door for laying the story fire and that every night there would be gatherings to relate the tales of this culture; some of these may be as many as a thousand years old or more. The whole history and the educational process is through the spoken word. (Something like the Sanskrit traditions and those of aboriginal traditions around the world.)

It was really warm and really dry in there... which could not be said about the outside.

Not that it was particularly cold, but dankness brings the chill. It was, one might say, a dreich day. (**ahem** You'll be getting the picture of the prevailing climate by now!)

Anyway, I was not long finished visiting with Kathy, when my own travellers returned from their walk around the village and we loaded into Ren again, heading back into Inverary in search of some lunch. This proved to be not quite as straightforward as I had hoped, but we did eventually settle on a very small cafeteria facing the water which had a tiny enclosed al-fresco seating area. As the rain had stopped drizzling and it was even getting to be a little warm, I dried off the seats and tables with some tissue and we had a delightful half hour admiring the view, nodding to passers-by (who all saw Bertie before us!) No photos from me of this as I was too  busy enjoying the made-to-order cheese and cucumber multigrain roll with cheesy 'crisps' which was delicious - and followed by a locally made (well, West coast, Isle of Arran) ice cream that truly was something special.

We split up for half an hour after this to each follow our own viewing of the town before heading back to the Hutch via the 'scenic route' along some sheep-track roads.