Ferry View Campsite

The Selkie - A Caithness Mermaid?

Tue, 29 Mar 2022 18:14:38 GMT

The tale of the Selkie

Caithness has an affinity with the sea. With many small fishing harbours and ports, it is no wonder that many of the legends and superstitions of the county have links to the sea.

One particular legend is linked to a old church and graveyard just outside Castletown. The Old Olrig Church, believed to be dedicated originally to St. Trothians, can be dated to at least 1633, a date carved into the north west gable along with the initials of the then minister David Bruce.

Within the churchyard is the Selkie's Grave, it can be difficult to find nestled to the rear of the churchyard, past the pirates graves with their skull and crossbones, the Selkies Grave can normally be spotted with shells collected from the local beach and placed on top. For those who persevere, they will find a small hollow atop the Selkies Grave which, according to the legend, never dries out. For the brave, it is said that if you place your foot in the hollow and make a wish, it will come true.

And now to the Selkie herself.

It is told that one day a fisherman found a baby girl, swaddled in sealskin on the beach. The fisherman took the baby home and he & his wife raised the girl as their own.

The fisherman and his wife attended the church with their daughter and, as she grew, she was banished from the church as a child as she said she could see the devil lurking in the rafters of the church. This would have been mortifying for her adopted parents as the church was the centre of the small communities within Caithness.

The young girls life, unfortunately, did not improve. As a young woman, she died in childbirth given birth to her first child and was buried in the graveyard here.

There are many stories and legends regarding the Selkies. The most common revolves around the idea that, when in human form, the Selkies are stunningly attractive. Normally a man will steal or hide the seal skin of a female Selkie and thus coerce them into a relationship. Some legends say that a couple will be married for years and years and have a family, but when the Selkie finds or is given her sealskin, the call of the sea is too strong and she will head back to the water, never to be seen again (in some legends she does return annually to visit her children).

"There's nothing to see on the East!"

Tue, 25 Jan 2022 18:46:21 GMT

Or that's what people believe.

A phrase we see a lot on the various NC500 pages on Facebook, and something we disagree with strongly. Ferry View Campsite may be essentially on the north coast, but we are to the east and wish people would look more closely at the fabulous selection of things to see and do on the east coast.

We thought we’d try and show you exactly how much there is to do on the east, by taking a tiny piece - between Wick to John O’Groats, and exploring all the things to see and do along this short stretch. Who knows, maybe next time we’ll head further south and see what else is there, but for now let’s start with Wick.

I don’t want to bore you with reams and reams of writing about one place ( and believe me I could write sooo much about Wick) so I think we’ll start things to do and see in Wick:

Castle of Old Wick - a 14th century ruined castle;
The Trinkie - a natural sea water pool where you can have a dip;
Old Pulteney Distillery - making whisky since 1826 (nearly 200 years!);
Wick Heritage Centre - this place is a must - it is absolutely fascinating!;
Wick Memorial Gardens - beautiful garden memorial to the victims of the first daylight bombing raid in WW2;
The Blackstairs - as painted by L. S. Lowry (��matchstalk men and matchstalk cats and dogs��);
Castle Sinclair Girnigoe - stunning remains of what must have been a beautiful castle, with a gorgeous little bay at the foot of it;
The North Baths - Wick’s second sea water outdoor pool (yep, they have 2);
Argyle Square - a stunning tree lined square created by Thomas Telford when he built Pulteneytown following the boom in the fishing industry;
The Telford Trail - a walk around Wick detailing the highlights of Telford’s Puleneytown Project;
Caithness Seacoast Tours - an amazing boat ride along the coast seeing the wildlife and stunning Caithness coastline; and,
The Shortest Street in the World - yes, really, Ebenezer Place in Wick holds the Guiness World Record for The Shortest Street in the World.

Okay, so that’s given you some idea of just what’s in Wick itself, without even mentioning the stunning coastal paths with their relics from WW2 and beyond.

As you head out of Wick towards John O’Groats, there isn’t any less to see either.

Ackergill Tower pokes out from it’s wooded surroundings, a better view can be gained from Ackergill Beach. Reiss Beach is stunning for the sheer space and breathtaking views of the surrounding landscape. Forming part of Sinclair Bay, Reiss also has a spectacular golf course in the dunes - for those who enjoy 18 holes.

Continue on the A99 and, at the other end of Sinclair Bay you will find Keiss which boasts a harbour, 3 brochs, a castle and stunning beaches.

After Keiss, at Nybster, you will find a stunning walk along the headland to another broch, a stunning example, as well as a monument created by local artist John Nicolson to Sir Francis Tress Barry.

And if that wasn’t enough, as you continue on your journey to John O’Groats, you will head through Freswick which boasts Bucholie Castle & Freswick Castle (we do like a good castle) along with the beautiful Freswick Bay which used to be home to a viking settlement, and contains the remnants from protecting us during WW2.

Before you arrive at John O’Groats, pull over in the layby just after Warth Hill and take in the scenery - views over to the islands, around John O’Groats and across the breathtaking moorland.

Before you get to John O’Groats - well, the main tourist car park - head off right towards Duncansby Head for views not to be missed. The single track road will take you right to the lighthouse at the top of Duncansby Head (watch for sheep). Head along the well trod path to see the stunning Duncansby Stacks (which shouldn’t really be there, but that’s a story for another time!). Keep your eye out for all manner of sealife and birdlife - it will vary depending on the time of year you head up.

Heading back to the main road for John O’Groats, on the right hand side, just before the junction is Puffin Croft (a petting farm and farm shop). Turn right at the junction to head down to the famous John O’Groats - the start or finish to many an endurance race.

Here you can get your photo at the sign, jump on the John O’Groats Ferry Wildlife Tour, take the John O’Groats Trail along the seafront, explore the shops on offer, see the memorial to the seafarers and hunt for a Groatie Buckie (ask a local!).

I guess the point I’m wanting to make is that you should make your own mind up and explore for yourself. Never assume that because someone says there’s nothing to see that they’re right. Yes, the scenery on the West is beautiful, but the East has plenty to offer.

Family History Month

Thu, 30 Sep 2021 11:51:08 GMT

Appreciating your ancestors.

October is Family History Month, and Ferry View owes a lot to Royston’s family history as, without his ancestors, Ferry View would not exist.

Many of you will have heard the story when you visited of how Royston is the first of many generations not to be born in Caithness. His dad, the inspiration behind Mr. Eddy’s, was the last.

In May of 1945 Mary Anderson Smith (nee Taylor) returned to the family home in Shore Lane in Wick to give birth to Edmond Anderson Smith. Just 18 months later, they left with Eddy’s sister Rosemary to start a new life with Leonard Brightman in Africa, not returning to the UK for many years.

Eddy had never returned to Wick, and knew only bits and pieces of his Caithness ancestry, which he picked up throughout his life. In June of 2010, Eddy returned to Caithness with me to continue the family history research I had started some months before, and I just fell in love with the area – the people, the landscape, the big skies and stunning coastline – what’s not to love!

On our visit to Wick, we found that the basic 2 up, 2 down in Shore Lane where Eddy was born no longer existed – having been knocked down to widen the very narrow Shore Lane some years previous. Others similar properties still exist, giving us some idea of the life he had been born into. Wick in 1945 would have been a different place to the one that exists now. Self-imposed prohibition had just ended and many buildings would have shown the scars of World War 2 – today in Bank Row stands a memorial garden to the lives lost in what is believed to be the first daylight bombing on the mainland UK. Fifteen people, including eight children, lost their lives. These people would have been people that Eddy’s family would have known – a reality which is quite chilling.

It’s amazing to think how decisions and choices our ancestors made have affected our future. Had Eddy not left the UK, would he have remained in Wick? Would he have met Annette and married, having Jon and Royston? Would Royston and Vikki have met? Would Ferry View exist?

So I guess we have a lot to thank Royston’s ancestors for – without whom, nothing we have now would have been possible – one different choice made would have change the future forever!

When you look at your life, and think about those in the past, there is always something to be grateful for – even if you may not agree with the decisions and choices they made, we are thankful to be where we are now.

Our Best Camping Tips

Tue, 02 Mar 2021 13:50:58 GMT

Or learn from our mistakes!

When we set up Ferry View, we based it on our experiences camping with 4 kids, and we thought we'd share some of that experience with you, so you can avoid the pitfalls and mistakes that we made over time!

Castletown - the story continues...

Tue, 26 Jan 2021 19:47:40 GMT

Explore, explore, explore...

In my last post, we looked at the flagstone history in the village of Castletown, a place normally passed by by travellers on the North Coast 500. In this post I'd thought we'd take a look at Castletown's World War 2 history. I find it phenomenal that such a small place can have so much to offer - and we are just scratching the surface.

RAF Castletown was one of several RAF bases with Caithness, built as part of the World War II effort at protecting the UK from being infiltrated from the north.

Work started on the airfield in December of 1939, and after just 5 months and £400,000, RAF Castletown became operational on the 28th May 1940. It's first squadron, 504 Squadron, moved in with 13 Hurricanes on 20th June that year. Throughout the war, through to 1944, there was a continuous stream of fighter squadrons moving in and out of RAF Castletown including, in May 1941, RAF Castletown's first squadron of Spitfires, synonymous with World War II.

The village of Castletown provided the "home comforts" for the airmen, with many local buildings being commandeered by the RAF, including the local Masonic Lodge which became the wireless HQ and the local estate house which provided accommodation for the airmen. The Church of Scotland ran a canteen in Castletown for the airmen, run by local volunteers.

The Caithness weather caused issues for RAF Castletown. The first two months of 1941 had strong winds and heavy snowfall. They managed to keep the runways in use by not clearing the runways, but by compacting the snow into a hard packed surface!

Castlehill Heritage Centre has a fascinating booklet called " Castletown Recalls 1939-1945 " which includes fascinating stories, memories and information on the village during World War II. My personal favourite is the story of "Big Bertha".

At the west end of Dunnet Beach (or the Castletown end) is a raised platform - mostly covered in grass now - where "Big Bertha", a 47" deck gun recovered from and abandoned Navy sloop, stood. The gun was recovered by Wing Commander David Atcherley who was RAF Castletown's first commanding officer. As well as "Big Bertha", he also managed to "acquire" 130 rounds of ammunition for the gun from the Royal Navy depot at Chatham, in Kent (yes, the opposite end of the country!).

The man in charge of firing "Big Bertha" was a corporal of the Pioneer Corps who had been "swapped" (yes, swapped!) by the Pioneer Corps for a bacon slicer from RAF Castletown's airmen's mess. The worst was this company of Pioneer Corps shouldn't even have been in Scotland, let alone Wick - they were meant to be in Hackney Wick, London!

RAF Castletown was closed on 29th June 1945, and today very little is left of the runways and airfield buildings, although Castletown and many of the buildings commandeered by the RAF still exist, and is most definitely worth a visit.

A Hidden Gem.

Sun, 17 Jan 2021 16:06:13 GMT

Off the beaten track.

The North Coast 500 route has been well publicised and has provided so many people with amazing experiences and memories. However, our advice would always be to explore, not just the route, but the surrounding areas too.

Castletown, with a population of around just 800 people, is a small village which most people pass through on the route on their way to, or from, Thurso. However, Castletown is worth more than just passing through. The village was established around the flagstone industry by local land owner James Traill of Rattar, (1758-1843). Although the flagstone quarry at Castlehill (just outside Castletown) is no longer a working quarry, much remains of the industry built up by James Traill, and the Castlehill Heritage Centre preserves the character, history and traditions of the Village of Castletown and Parish of Olrig. This article will give you a sneak peek at what you could find on The Flagstone Trail (when we're allowed to explore further afield again).

Caithness Flagstone, allegedly one of the best in the world, began forming millions of years ago when Caithness itself was at the bottom of "Lake Orcadie", formed by layer upon layer of compressed sediment. Due to the way it was formed, it splits into large thin slices which are relatively easy to cut to size. It is an extremely hard-wearing material which has formed the building blocks of Caithness for thousands of years. Even today you can see flagstone used all over Caithness from walls and doorways to harbours, gateposts and even tombstones!

Image 1 - Dunbeath Broch Image 2 - Castlehill Harbour Image 3 - Sinclair Girnigoe Castle Image 4 - Windmill at Castlehill

Castlehill was developed as Caithness's first commercial flagstome works by James Traill, an enterprising local landowner, who realised there was a market for the Caithness flagstone in the wave of building works springing up around the UK and the world brought on by the Industrial Revolution.

In April 1825, James Traill sent the first boat load of Caithness Flagstone from Castlehill Harbour. Initially shipped to UK, paving the Strand in London, the London Docks and the concourse of Euston Railway Station, eventually flagstone was shipped around the world, throughout Europe, Australia as well as North and South America.

The flagstone was quarried by hand, using wedges and levers to split the stone into large thin slices. Surprisingly enough, this is still done in much the same way today! Once split, the stone was move to the cutting yard on carts or rollers where it was cut to the correct dimensions using water powered saws. Once cut to size, it was then polished using large wooden plates & sand, before heading to the harbour on a "bogie track" (a track for wheeled containers pulled by horses), and being loaded on to a ship and heading all over the world.

Image 5 - Windmill at Castlehill Image 6 - Evidence of workings still visable Image 7 - Original Workings Still In Situ

By 1840, there were over 100 people employed at the flagstone works, which grew to around 500 by the late 19th century. All employees were encouraged to live locally and you can still see evidence of their houses both at the flagstone quarry and along the main street of Castletown. The flagstone industry made the local area quite prosperous - paying for a new church, new schools, a library, inn and 3 annual fairs. Other quarries opened throughout Caithness and, by the beginning of the 20th century Caithness flagstone's annual output was was only surpassed by Aberdeenshire's granite production. The industry employed over 1000 people.

However, working in the flagstone industry was no picnic. The work was hard and dangerous with long hours and poor wages. When the weather stopped work, there was no pay at all. Quarry owners also tried to control many aspects of the workers lives away from the quarry including where the workers bought their supplies from, restricting them to buying from the quarry owners own shops - ensuring the wages they spect went back to the employer! They also tried to influence the worker's behaviour - strongly discouraging them from partaking of alcohol and morality instruction was strictly enforced.

Unfortunately, by World War 1, the industry had begun to fall into decline and the amounts of flagstone being produced began to fall. The decline was sparked by increased transport costs, higher wages and the growing popularity of concrete slabs which were cheaper to produce and therefore cheaper for the buyers. By the 1920's, most quarries had closed, causing mass unemployment. Coupled with the after effects of World War 1 and the demise of the fishing industry, many people left the area, many even emigrating to further afield.

Image 8 & 9 - Abandoned buildings around the Castlehill site.

Big Skies and Big Brochs

Mon, 04 Jan 2021 18:31:27 GMT

So what's a broch?

Caithness is often advertised as "the lowlands of the Highlands", with it's big skies and dramatic coastal scenery. When in Caithness, most people visit the distilleries, the museums and, of course, John O'Groats, but still many miss something which Caithness should be famed for - having over 200 of them spread throughout the county, something which can only be found in Scotland (no, not haggis) and dates back over 2000 years - Brochs.

Dunbeath Broch - or what remains of it. You can make out where the first floor would have sat on the ledge about half way up the remaining wall.

Brochs are Iron Age dry stone structures which could sometimes be up to 50 feet tall (an amazing feat of engineering considering no mortar was involved). They are completely unique to Scotland and, for some reason, they are in the biggest concentration within Caithness, with over 200 sites, that are known, with probably more still undiscovered (or maybe destroyed during building work when we weren't so educated about the need to learn from and maintain our history).

The actual use for the Broch remains debated. Some believe they were defensive structures, allowing the occupants to remain safe from the invading hoards; some believe they were just houses, a style of house, a bit Georgian or Edwardian; whilst others believe they were status symbols (like a mansion on Mayfair). Whatever their true use, our ancestors certainly built a lot of them, which was no mean feat.

The building itself was two concentric dry stone walls with the gap between containing a staircase to access other floors as well as small rooms and areas. The broch would, probably, have had a thatched roof over the courtyard area in the centre to protect the inhabitants from the changeable Scottish weather. There were, however, no windows to the outside - keeping the interior warm, but not necessarily helpful to see the invading hoards heading your way?

Small doorway in Dunbeath Broch leading to the area between the 2 concentric walls

One of the small "rooms" in Dunbeath Broch

The Caithness Broch Project was set us to improve the promotion and preservation of Broch's within the county, and are doing an amazing job. The website is a torrent of information about brochs (and other historical features) giving locations, directions and further information about the sites.

They also intend to build a replica of an Iron Age Broch, which becomes the base for a Tourist Centre and Dry Stone Workshop - a genuine modern marvel.

If you intend on visiting Caithness, make sure you check out their website at https://www.thebrochproject.co.uk/

A Ferry View Christmas

Mon, 30 Nov 2020 15:37:24 GMT

The Annual Untangle...

This time of year everyone's thoughts turn to "that time of year", and Ferry View is no different. Each year, we try to grow on what we have done the year before, making the site our own little Christmas miracle! This year, we have more lights and more little handmade touches for you to see (lots of photos to follow in my next Christmas post).

Last year, we kept it simple. Christmas tree (which is still going this year) and lighting around the block to brighten the dark nights. This year, we plan on taking it up another level. Although we can't make the lights, we do try to make as many decorations as we can, recycling wherever possible. With the arrival of Amelia (our beautiful grand-daughter), this Christmas feels even more special, despite the pandemic going on around us. So this year there will be touches just for Amelia, bringing the magic back to Christmas. It's funny, but as the kids grow older, Christmas just isn't the same, it looses a little bit of the magic, but now, with Amelia, a sprinkle of magic has returned.

Amazing what can be done with bits of a broken pallet!

As so the annual decoration begins. Every year, we say "We'll put the lights away properly this year!", and every year we begin with this:

The Annual Untangle of The Christmas Lights - Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without it, would it? Keep checking in to see how Christmas progresses - and whatever you do, find your own little bit of Christmas magic.

From Chile to Caithness

Wed, 18 Nov 2020 18:59:29 GMT

Always expect the unexpected!

Caithness has so much to offer both those that call it home and those that visit. One thing to remember when visiting Caithness, is always expect the unexpected. If I told you that you would find poetry by a Noble Prize winning Chilean poet carved into the ancient rock in a Caithness Bay, you'd probably think I had gone round the twist. Well, I haven't and you most definitely can find lines from Pablo Naruda's collection Las piedras del cielo - Sky Stones - which was published in 1970.

The carving was discovered by Edgar White, a local man, in March 2013. Their creator remains unknown. So why are they there? The answer is that no-one really knows. At the time of their discovery, Dominic Moran, a tutor in Spanish at Oxford University's Christ Church college who specialises in Spanish American Literature said that "given the poet's themes it was a fitting location to find the words". "A line-and-a-half carved into the rock reads 'Cae el alma del hombre al pudridero/con su envoltura frágil', which might be translated as something like 'Man's soul, with its flimsy wrapping/falls into the cesspit'." Mr Moran says that "given the subject matter I can't think of a more apt place for that particular line to be carved - not just on a rock, but on a rock on the shore."

So what do we know about the poet himself? Born in 1904, Naruda grew up in southern Chile. By the time he had finished High School, Naruda had already been published in local papers and won literary awards. In 1927, he sailed from Buenos Aires for Lisbon, ultimately bound for Rangoon where he had been appointed honorary Chilean consul, although he wasn't qualified for the position,he was totally unprepared for the poverty and squalor which faced him in Rangoon. Naruda's politics played a big part in his poetry and in his life. If you'd like to know more about Pablo, check out https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/pablo-neruda.

Just remember when exploring Caithness, always expect the unexpected!

References:

Caithness beach 'apt' site for poet Neruda's words

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-21903438#:~:text=A%20poem%20by%20Pablo%20Neruda,political%20activist%20died%20in%201973.&text=Mr%20Moran%20said%20the%20words,which%20was%20published%20in%201970.

Accessed 18th November 2020

Poetry Foundation

https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/pablo-neruda

Accessed 18th November 2020

The Ferryman, 8 doors and a really long walk!

Wed, 11 Nov 2020 17:04:38 GMT

No trip to Caithness, or the North Coast 500, would be complete without a trip to the famous John O' Groats, and a picture by the sign.

However, up until 1902, John O'Groats as a place didn't really exist - the area was all covered by is now lesser known neighbour Duncansby (a lesser known, but nevertheless beautiful place for another blog). The previous grocer, George Manson, in 1902, charged the name of the Post Office and postal district to John O'Groats (a shrewd marketing move) and was also the first person to import souvenirs (not from China!) for the tourists to by and take home.

Prior to 1902, the most famous landmark in the area was "Johnny Groats House", as written about by Scotland's national bard, Robert Burns - a landmark seen on the early Ordnance Survey maps, but a landmark that has left no trace, but in the mind.

The man, John O'Groats (Jan de Grot (Groot) to give him his proper name) was granted a charter by King James IV (1488 - 1513) of a ferry and lands at Duncansby in 1496. According to records, he ran the ferry until 1715 - a long running family business!

The legend says that his seven descendants continuously quarreled about precedence so to resolve the quarreling John built a house with 8 doors, and a table with 8 sides, ensuring no one entered the house before anyone else, nor sat at the head of the table.

The idea of the eight-sided house was recorded by a local minister around 1790, when Rev. Dr. John Morrison of Canisbay claimed his sources went back to the mid 17th Century.

According to the Highland Historic Environment Record for the Ferrykeepers Cottage, by the 1720's indication is made of 'the town of Duncansbay only remarkable for John a' Grott's House... Here is the dwelling house of Grott of Wares...' (Macfarlane 1906-8). However by 1760 "Johnny Grott's House" was in ruins (Pococke 1887) and by 1793 it was 'totally gone but place where it stood retains name. The remains of oak table have been seen by many now living who have inscribed their names on it' (OSA 1793). By 1873, 'A small triangular grassy mound abaout 30 feet in breadth, rising with a slight elevation from a strip of green pasture ground which runs parallel to sea-shore' was all that remained (ONB 1873), while by 1957 a flagstaff had been erected on mound (Robertson 1957). The flagstaff no longer remains.

Having visited John O'Groats more times than I care to count, I can only assume that where the new art installation has been put may be the legendary site of the 8 sided house, reflected in the old John O'Groats Hotel, now The Inn at John O'Groats.

LEJOG (Land's End to John O'Groats) or JOGLE (the other way round) has been a fundraising or record setting event for many years, but the first person to walk "End to End" was Elihu Buritt - an American diplomat, philanthropist and social activist. He even documented his journey in a book entitled "A Walk from London to John O'Groats" which was published after his journey in 1864.

People have completed the journey using every mode of transport possible, either to raise money for charity or to attempt to break the record. There have been journeys made by:

Bicycle;
Tricycle;
Quadracycle;
Horse;
Unicycle;
Car;
Tractor;
Lorry;
Public Transport;
and even Skateboard;

to list just a few!

So when you visit John O'Groats, just remember there is more to history of the site, so much more than I have even covered in this short blog, so why not do some of your own research before you visit - you will be amazed what you can find out!

References:

Highland Historical Environment Record

https://her.highland.gov.uk/Monument/MHG1709

Accessed 10th November 2020

A Brief History of John O'Groats

https://www.visitjohnogroats.com/information/history-john-ogroats/

Accessed 10th November 2020

Lest We Forget - The Parish of Canisbay

Printed by Highland News Group Ltd., Henderson Road, Inverness, Scotland

The Little Church with the Big Story

Tue, 03 Nov 2020 14:53:30 GMT

To continue our local tour of Caithness places, I decided (well, Jake made the final decision as I couldn't decide between Canisbay Kirk & John O'Groats) on Canisbay Kirk.

Canisbay Kirk sits on a prehistoric mound, covering the ruins of a broch (a topic I will touch on in a later blog), the site of an earlier Celtic church dedicated to St. Drostan. Drostan headed a mission Pictland in the 6th century. There is mention of a church in church documentation of 1222.

Legend says that the current steeple was erected on the site of a previous round tower, which would have been seperate to the small church of the time. The church, as it stands now, was erected around 1720.

Canisbay Church has not only historical connections, but Royal connections too. Having bought The Castle of Mey (or Barrogill Castle as it was known at the time), Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, became a regular parishioner during her holidays at the castle, attending the Sunday Service with the other parishioners. This tradition has continued with HRH Prince Charles, the Duke of Rothsay, who attends Sunday Service during his time staying at the castle. One of our campers was lucky enough, in 2019, to attend a service with him, and was taken aback by the normality of the service.

References:

www.her.highland.gov.uk/Monument/MHG1723

MHG1723 - Canisbay Parish Church

Accessed 3rd November 2020

www.thebrochproject.co.uk/single-post/2017/11/26/the-broch-under-the-church

The Broch Under the Church

Accessed 3rd November 2020

Lest We Forget - The Parish of Canisbay

Edited by Anne Houston

Printed by Highland News Group Ltd., Henderson Road, Inverness.

A little bit of knowledge...

Wed, 28 Oct 2020 13:57:00 GMT

You're where???

We often have people staying on site who want to know a little bit more about the area, so we thought we'd help out with a few blog's on the local area, it's history and points of interest. As Ferry View is in Gills, just a stone's throw from Gills Bay and the ferry to Orkney, I thought we'd start nice and close to home with a bit about Gills and Gills Bay, along with the harbour.

Gills takes it's name from Gills Bay, and is a small village laying on the edge of the Pentland Firth (one of the world's wildest seaways in winter). In the 1882-4 " Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland" Fraces Groome describes Gills as "..., a village and a bay in Canisbay Parish, Caithness. The village stands at the head of the bay, 1 1/2 miles W of the parish church, and 15 3/4 miles E by N of Thurso. The bay has a triangular outline, measuring 3 miles across the entrance, and 7 furlongs thence to its inmost recess. It is sheltered by Stroma island, but lies open to the NE and the NNW, and has a beach of flat rocks and shingles..." . The Bay has been at the centre of the village for many years, so it seems like the obvious place to start.

Gills Bay would have provided shelter for vessels from the earliest time. It's natural geography lends itself beautifully as a landing and shelter point for vessels, and this use has continued to today. It's history of commercial use began, as far as we know, in the early 18th century (around 1724) with the trade in soda ash. This lasted almost 100 years and employed around 50 people. At the time, soda ash was used in the creation of liquid chemicals, in making fast dyes and in the production of soap for cleaning raw wool prior to weaving and spinning. It was also crucial in the manufacture of mass produced glass.

The seaweed or kelp was harvested by the women using adapted sickles - this sometimes meant the women standing in the icy cold water of the Firth in all weathers. Once harvested, the seaweed or kelp was air dried before being finally molten in peat fired kilns. The men would head to the moors to the south of Gills and cut the peat, let it dry and then transport it to the kilns, near the bay.

After being fired in the kilns, the kelp was cooled to produce solid blocks of alkaline soda ash which could be broken into smaller pieces.

Following the end of the Napoleonic Wars, Spanish "Barilla", the ash residue from the glasswort plant, became readily available again, which produce a purer soda ash than that produced here.

For around 100 years, from the late 18th century, any commercial or company owned windjammer (similar to the above picture) had to be piloted through the Pentland Firth by highly skilled local seaman' The seaways reputation as one of the wildest in the world in winter meant that insurers would not cover vessels if they were not piloted by the highly skilled local seamen.

This opportunity provided income for the local seamen, whilst also opening up the free flow of goods through, what had been, a bottleneck for international trade routes.

In October 1817, the first powered ship crossing the Pentland Firth arrived. By the 1870's, steam powered vessels were a common sight in the Firth.

In 1905, a 150 yd (136m) long Gills Bay Pier was built, costing around £1.2 million in today's money. The funds were raised by The Congested Districts Board, Caithness County Council and the local community. This was the first stage of a 2 part plan. The second stage was due to start in 1914, enabling deeper water access, but was delayed due to the Great War - postponing it for some 80 years!

On the 3rd May 2001, Pentland Ferries Ltd. started their scheduled passenger and freight service from Gills Bay. The service is now (by far) the most commercially successful Scottish mainland to offshore island group ferry sea link. Pentland Ferries Ltd. has employed local people continuously since 1999, with only specialist tasks or supply of components being sub-contracted. 2008 saw the introduction of the purpose built catamaran the "Pentalina", and 2019 brought the MV Alfred, helping Pentland Ferries Ltd to be the first UK ferry operator to achieve a Green Tourism Award.

Gills Bay and the harbour remains central to the local population, as well as providing a service for those visiting the area who want to explore further afield, but who would have thought the harbour had been so integral to local lives for so many years. Just think, next time you see the ferry approach, that it's following in the wake of many who have gone before.

References:

GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth, History of Gills, in Highland and Caithness | Map and description, A Vision of Britain through Time .

URL: http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/place/22129

Date accessed: 27th October 2020

Gills Harbour Ltd.

URL: http://gillsharbourltd.co.uk/gills-bay-timeline-the-notable-years

Date Accessed: 27th October 2020

Pentland Ferries

URL : https://pentlandferries.co.uk/green-page/

Date Accessed: 28th October 2020

As so the cycle continues...

Sat, 19 Sep 2020 20:21:37 GMT

They're all growing up...

Well, so far this year has taken people, taken those we were, and in a way still are, close to. Unbelievable loss, that has been almost eclipsed by unbelievable joy at the arrival of our first grandchild, Amelia.

It's moments like these when you realise that those little children that you chased round to put their socks on, dressed up as princess' with their "africa" teaset (her words not mine), calmed down after accidentally eating chillis from the greenhouse rather than tomatoes and sent to school with tonsillitis because you thought they were faking it, are all grown up...and the cycle of life continues. They still come back, no longer fighting over toys or who has the biggest piece of the cake (well...). Their lives have evolved, their futures ahead of them (some more planned than other). Kids always need their parents, just differently as they grow.

Having Ferry View is a bit like having another child. In the beginning, it needed our full attention, constantly. Every spare moment we had was devoted to our baby, even now all our spare time is devoted to Ferry View, but now it's needs have changed, it has evolved. More maintenance and development, less groundwork and research.

Ferry View's early beginnings as a field with fenced pitches has grown to fully formed motorhome pitches with hardstanding and grass areas. The initial "donkey work" is done but the maintenance continues. The shop is beginning to take shape, and we haven't forgotten our initial aims of making everything as eco friendly as possible. The shop runs single use plastic free and, wherever we can around the site, we follow this ethos.

We encourage our campers to "Reduce, Reuse & Recycle", made slightly more difficult with the current Covid-19 pandemic, which is showing signs of making a resurgence, but we can only do as much as we can. It's no use just giving up - if everyone does something small to help the environment, that all mounts up, and it will make a difference.

What a year - and it's only August!!!!

Sat, 19 Sep 2020 19:53:29 GMT

The year that was running late - or that's how it feels.

Well, who would of thought that 2020 could throw so much at us little humans inhabiting the earth? However, I wanted to take a different perspective on what we might have learnt from the experience, still on-going now.

What have I learnt? Well, I've learnt that home is my safe place and I LOVE IT! I 've learnt that, you know what, we don't need to keep going out to the shops, not if we organise ourselves properly. I've reminded myself of the joy of a vegetable garden. I've rediscovered my local area, and joy that can come from a local walk. I've discovered, as a family, we can be together 24/7 and all survive the experience, having learnt a little bit more about each other. I think a lot of people have learnt who they can rely on, and who's a bit flaky (including us), and what we are really able to deal with (which is actually phenomenal in some cases). I think we've also learnt that with some people, it doesn't matter what anyone says or does, they will go their own way.

It has, however, also given us the opportunity to throw everything we have at our baby, Ferry View.

Where does time go?

Thu, 27 Feb 2020 19:56:24 GMT

Where did the last couple of months go?

I can't believe it's been so long since I posted anything on the blog - time really does fly! So, I have decided to just add a little update note, and promise I will post more regularly going forward.

You would think that running a campsite would mean winter was a quiet time, but NO! The site was full for Christmas and New Year, and I can't remember the last week when we didn't have anybody (I'm not sure there has been).

We (well, Royston) built a road and created 3 hardstanding pitches in a week. The landscaping is well underway, just wish everything wasn't so wet! The new grey water point was installed and we are on our way to having a washing machine fitted in the facilities block (A+++ rated, of course). We have a list a mile long, and every time we cross something off, we just seem to add 3 more - but I wouldn't have it any other way.

The year so far has been a phenomenal mix of happiness and sadness - and we're only 2 months in. I was reminded that each and every moment is precious and never take anything or anyone for granted - we're not here forever, and every minute does count!

The madness of life continues, but always take a minute to look round and appreciate what you have - never take anything for granted and make sure you spend time with those you love, as you never know what the future will bring.

Flax seed, candle wax, Christmas trees and owls!

Mon, 02 Dec 2019 19:06:48 GMT

What a week!

Well, what a week that was, so much happened and so much was done I just don't know where to start.

Flax seed - you'll know from a previous post the flax seed hair gel didn't quite work, well, as promised, we had another go and...Eureka! It works! Now we have the ratio's sorted (1:2 flaxseed:water) it is a piece of cake! Well, that's not quite true... I decided whilst melting wax for our homemade advent candle to try and make the flax seed hair gel at the same time - BIG MISTAKE. Trying to carefully monitor the temperature of melting wax delicately balanced on a brick in a pan to create a "bain-marie", whilst flax seed is bubbling away, threatening to boil over, required more than my 1 pair of hands - Annabel to the rescue! After a mild panic when the flax seed threatened to boil over and the carefully melted wax poured out of the mold as I poured it in (having already killed one batch by knocking it over into the water), we made it.

As the candle was setting, Annabel and I set to straining the flax seed gel. The sieve didn't work - just ended up with a slimy mush with seeds in it, still in the sieve. "Triangle bandage!" Annabel looked at me like I'd gone mad. "Seriously, go and grab a triangle bandage from the first aid kit - it'll work like cheese cloth!". So, then we found you have to try and apply a bit of pressure to get the gel through the "cheese cloth". In a motion I can only describe as on a par with milking a goat, we finally got the gel from the seed!

Back to Christmas doings now. Even Royston's got in the Christmas spirit producing the most amazing Christmas Tree from horseshoes - It's just beautiful (and fingers crossed for a visit from the farrier tomorrow as his horseshoe stock is getting a little low!). He's taken to welding like a duck to water (or in his case an owl!) and the stuff he's producing is just beautiful.

And if that wasn't enough, I also made a little pressie for Annabel - a make up brush roll!

The amazing thing is that everything we have made, we have made with stuff we have in the house (or craft room). Okay so we bought the things at some point, or bits we left over from previous projects, but the point is we had everything. We didn't need to go and buy anything to achieve everything we have this week. It's worth looking round to see what you have, and see what you can do with it!

Christmas is coming...

Sun, 24 Nov 2019 18:34:14 GMT

Time to make some decorations!

Over the years I have collected a far amount of random craft stuff. From wool, to glitter and sequins, fabric in all sorts of colours and patterns, as well as random things that I thought "I'll make something out of that". So, much to Royston's joy, I have now actually started making stuff and using all the craft stuff I have collected to make useful things, well pretty things anyhow!

It's very easy at this time of year, with so much to prepare and so much to do, to just grab another box of baubles at the supermarket, but in a very small amount of time we have managed to make 3 sets of new decorations! A total of 26 brand new decorations that cost me nothing as I had everything already. We now have 8 "photo frame" baubles containing photos of everyone - expertly made by Annabel. I kept the curtain rings from a replacement curtain rail we bought, printed the photos, add PVA glue and bit of glitter and BOOM! Personalised decorations that no-one else will have! Unique decorations designed specifically for us.

Next is a set of 12 Scrabble piece decorations - again left overs from another project. A few festive words and add a few sparkles and that's another 12 new decorations. Then a set of 6 bobble hats. I have 2 boxes full of wool which is either left over from projects, has been given to me or has come with magazines. Wool plus the inside of a kitchen roll produced my beautiful little hats with no knitting required (3 evenings to make a set of six, not bad).

Homemade decorations aren't everyone's cup of tea, and I can be a little OCD about my Christmas tree (I am sure the kids would agree with me on that) - everything must match and go together - can't deal with a random Christmas tree! However, having decided on the red and white theme for this year, all the decorations still match. So why not, have a go, google and go nuts - that's all I did, and when the tree's decorated we can say "We made those and they cost me nothing!". What more could you want?

Hmmm, well that didn't work!

Wed, 20 Nov 2019 18:49:56 GMT

As promised, successes and failures...

Well, here's the next step in our "Green Journey" and, as promised, it includes the successes and failures!

"I wonder if you can make a homemade hair gel?" said Royston, so, as per normal, everyone jumps to their phones, asking Google, Ciri and anyone else for a recipe for homemade hair gel. "What are flax seeds, and do we have any?" comes the question from Annabel. "No we don't, but we can grab some next time we're in town."

Off we go, and flax seeds purchased! Just boil with water, strain and chill in the fridge - easy as that! Well, that's what we thought.

First batch - ended up looking a bit more like a flax seed nougatine, than hair gel.

Second batch - looked a bit runny, but we thought it would firm up in the fridge - we were wrong. What we had created was a runny slime! Ooops. Oh well, hopefully third time lucky - I will update you next time on how the third batch of flax seed hair gel goes.

On the more positive side this week, we have managed to create the beginnings of 12 Christmas tree decorations from a load of Scrabble letters we had laying round and some really cute little hats for the tree (although the first trial run got eaten by the dog!) - photos to follow. Using up all the stuff we have collected over the years rather than just buying is actually quite satisfying - who knew? The homemade cleaner is proving its worth - it works on everything - well, everything I've tried it on anyway. The coconut oil deodorant is the BEST I've ever used!

Well, that's me off to the craft room to finish off the Christmas decorations - photos to follow with the next post, along with an update from Royston's workshop.

The Journey Began...

Thu, 14 Nov 2019 11:11:31 GMT

Okay, so how does this blog thing work?

Well let's see how this goes then. We thought we should let you all know how our "Green Journey" is going (well, Royston said "Can we do a blog?", and I said "Yeah, I've never done one, but let's give it a go!"). Now I'm no eco-warrior, nor do I claim to have any answers about climate change and the "throw away" society that we currently have, but I want to do my bit, we want to do our bit. After all, if we all change one thing, that's over 7 billion changes in the world (as Annabel reminded me on Monday)!

So what have we done so far? A lot of googling - some much information out there about chemical free cleaning, homemade toiletries and a "greener" life, but it's not actually that easy, is it? You really have to think about everything. The ingredients for the chemical free cleaners - all come in plastic containers (yes, the containers will go in the recycling, but still...). Whilst doing the shopping, all the fruit and vegetables wrapped in an extra layer of plastic, why? Nature was good enough to provide skins on fruit & veg, so why wrap it in plastic? Even the "green" bamboo toothbrush, was wrapped in plastic! But enough negatives, the positives, the changes so far:

Annabel and I have opted for the homemade deodorant, which is working really well - coconut oil, baking soda and some essential oil - simple. Smells good, and the coconut oil keeps your armpits really smooth!!!! Gone now are the 4 cans of spray and 2 roll-on deodorants, replaced with a single jar which seems like it's going to last forever, and only took 5 minutes to make!

The change to a double edged safety razor and shaving soap for Royston had a couple of hiccups, and required some minor first aid, but it did come in a cardboard box - yeah, no plastic! After googling for advise on how to avoid the nicks and cuts, more successful shaves have followed! That got rid of non-recyclable cartridges (and the plastic boxes they come in) and a can of shaving foam. Whilst googling, he also found this article which makes for interesting reading as a double edged safety razor is not just better for the environment, but better on the bank balance too!

We all now have a bamboo toothbrush which are fabulous! Okay, they have plastic bristles, but that's a lot less plastic than a normal toothbrush. So gone are the 4 completely plastic toothbrushes - maybe homemade toothpaste next?

We also made a homemade cleaner - no scientific knowledge required. There are loads of recipes out there, so we thought we'd give one a try! Baking soda in first, then vinegar and water - now essential oils (orange, just because I like it!), and it actually works - it really cleans stuff! Royston even used it on the car to get the tar off - I have to say, this has been a big surprise as I was a little skeptical, but what do you know, it's really good! So that's the kitchen and floor cleaner replaced.

I must be very skeptical when it comes to cleaning! Annabel informed me that there was an eco wash on the machine - which I had never really noticed or used. So, I gave it a go. Nothing too dirty, just the normal washing, and it came out spotless. Apparently this can reduce energy use on the machine by around 40% (reducing the electric cost - love a good saving!).

So, 5 small steps, but just think - multiply that by 7 billion and that makes for a massive change!