Phd’s and ponytails

01/22/2005

Gail McGrane seems to produce better weather than Heather. The Great Bed of Trollaigh stirs to an Alpine Saturday morning. Most of the day is spent outside although ground work is difficult as the hard frost has welded stone to stone. Over Coffee I ring round the glens and find the Kerrs in high spirits gardening and chopping logs, awaiting the arrival of Erica’s brother, Steven on a visit with his wife Chris, from Australia. The post arrives at lunchtime with invitations to the Colonsay Ceilidh, Dotty and I will certainly attend and look forward to it. Scottish Natural Heritage send their usual tart missive pointing out that they have assumed new powers following the implimentation of some unheard of European legislation. The main change being that not only can one not misbehave in a conservation area, but now any area can be considered a conservation area because SNH are thinking about it. To be called Candidate Special Areas of Conservation. This may sound trite, but woe betide any land owner or land user who crosses SNH, who have the power to overrule the Land Reform Act. I have had my knuckles rapped in the past for clearing a land drain close to a Black Cock Leck with a mechanical digger. This work, if it was required at all, should be carried out by hand. As the hands in question had completed their three score years and ten, the drain remained uncleared. The habitat became waterlogged and the Black Cock moved away. It would seem that PhD’s, ponytails, beards and tasteful body piercing are worth much more than generations of experience and local knowledge! We shall have an early night after all today’s fresh air. Mhairi is instructed to have the electric blankets switched on, in the Great Bed, in plenty of time. A small measure of Ardbeg will send me to the land of nod. Yours Aye, Archie, The Baron Trollaigh.