My Blog

Spring willow planting on the croft

03/29/2012 23:29:00

We have started our spring time planting down on the croft starting with over 400 willow cuttings, Salix viminalis,candida,

nigra. There have been some great sunsets over Loch Torridon. Candida is a shrubby willow and should give us good firewood sticks in four years time.

Sunset over Loch Torridon

Sunset rom the croft

Loch Torridon Sunset

A DUCK EGG A DAY

02/26/2012 15:05:00

Muscovy Duck, an egg a day from our muscovy duck and on pancake day Throve Tuesday), pancakes made from our own duck eggs and lashing of fruit from last years, red currant blackcurrant and raspberry harvest. Muscovy ducks are native to Mexico, they large amusing clown like with nig broad bodies, wagging tails, and the males hiss rather than quack they are ducks with attiude. They live in a big rushy pen over planted with willow down on the croft. This year we have had a lot of rain through out the autumn and winter which they have enjoyed. They have large hooked flat feet which makes me think they are tree dwellers. We have had to clip their wings because they are alsop good flyers and master escapees, much to the consternation of Fasaig residents and visitors to Torridon Stores and Cafe last summer.

Our duck egg provider, duck eggs are good for use in baking.

The Croft7 Hens

02/05/2012 13:07:00

Our hens have been surviving the continuous wet winter weather and provide us with 3-5 eggs a day, they run free range in our forest garden area of the croft. Recently they have been scratching away on the banks of the croft burn where the ground is drier and quite sandy. We cleared gorse from the bank and have been planting a mix of fruiting trees along the cleared ground. Amelanchier, John Downie (Crab Apple), Sea Buckthorn. On occasion we will use the hens as chicken tractors to turn over raised beds or other ground for seeding.

Light Sussex Hen

Black Rock Hen

Looking North East, Fasaig Village 1960`s

01/21/2012 16:36:00

Write your post here.FASAIG IN THE EARLY 70`S, always looking for old photos between National Trust Centre and CORRY CHURCH

picture from John Charnley collection

New Planting on the Croft

01/17/2012 23:29:00

Two buzzards hunting over the Torridon crofts today, one was very high `mewing` and soaring yesterday in the cool blue air but strong sunny day following a frosty night. But things warmed up a bit today and it was possible to plant up some recently bought bare rooted trees, Amelanchier `s or Juneberries\Shadbush which will grow and produce sweet black elderberry sized fruits after a show of hundreds of white petalled flowers in May. Sea Buckthorn was also planted for its vitamin rich orange berry crop, crab apple James Downie, Blackthorns. A 12 metre bed of Glen Cova, raspberries and Red Gauntlet Strawberries. And a bed of Patriot Blueberries, some more wildflower plants grown from seed in cell trays last spring, cowslips, red campion, knapweed, and oxeye daisies to underplant last years planting of Pear, Apple, Plum trees interspersed with Guelder Rose, . Other herbs Bergamot, lemon Balm, varigated American Land Cress. The wildflower seed was bought from Scotia Seed www.scotiaseeds.co.uk All these trees and flowering herbs should provide further forage for bumblebees and other insect life.

Bumblebee: Bombus lapadarius on Bergamot flower, Croft7 Summer 2011 photo Les Bates

EAGLE OVER THE CROFT

01/14/2012 00:16:00

Working down on the croft today was one of those special days. I was busy planting raspberry canes in a 10 metre bed, having lined the bottom with cardboard and then infilling with a layer of seaweed topped with a deep layer of compost. Whilst I was doing this I got a sensation of a shadow going over, it has been a bright sunny but cool day after a night of frost.

Looking straight up a very large broad winged bird with slow moving wings was flying up above me , a golden eagle which made its way with the same slow wing beats into the distant corrie of Beinn Alligin. Probably an older adult bird returning to its nesting grounds,.................... A day like today would have provided some very clear views of the Torridon landscape from the eagles perspective. More usually just lately the ravens and buzzards have been flying over the scree slopes and terraces of the South face of Liathach and unlike the quiet passage of the eagle they can be quite vocal confronting each other. But equally on a day of swirling mists very evocative of our wild land.

Old New Year into the Future

01/12/2012 16:43:00

Here we are in the wet and windy north, but hey ho, New Year, New Website......on we go