City Mouse – do you remember this…?

Of course you do! Because the weather was WILD…

It was Hogmanay and we went on what has become my annual pilgrimage to the Culswick Broch.  Well, Tim and I went on the same walk just the other day and the weather couldn’t be more different.

First, a little compulsory harmonium tinkling in the Culswick Methodist Chapel…

And then on to the track leading to the broch and the red granite cliffs…

Remember this peerie causeway? I seem to mind it being a lot narrower and slippy-er and generally treacherous than when Tim and I sauntered over.  You can see the remains of the broch at the top of the hill and, if you peer closely, a couple of mountain bikers who got there first! We were somewhat amused by their full-scale, hi-vis cycling gear as they hurtled by us on the track…

Tim in the remains of the broch.  For those who don’t know what a broch is…neither do the experts!  The best guess is that they are Pictish in origin and may have been some sort of defensive fort.  But who knows?  They were beautifully crafted and would have looked a lot like the industrial chimneys you see at power stations.  Mousa Broch is a super example.

This broch was built from gorgeous red granite; great chunks of which have been exposed and deposited on the surrounding cliffs by the mighty Atlantic.  Brochs were amazing feats of dry-stone engineering, which were then recycled by locals for croft houses, barns and dykes.

Sometimes I think the landscape here looks like it’s from another planet.  Sometimes the brilliant shocks of colour stop me in my tracks.

Afterwards we nipped over to Wilma’s (conveniently sited next to the Culswick Chapel/Broch turn-off) for a warm-up, tea, biscuits, chatter, laughter, a bit of gentle mockery, lap cats, wine and dinner.  Here’s Benji and Meera – it’s been lovely to get a chance to hang out with this pair.