Month One in the Kingdom

It’s hard to believe that I’ve been in Scotland a month already, just moments ago I was leaving London on a fast train whilst my possessions simultaneously sped up the motorway somewhere beyond Manchester. Spectacular dedication on the part of the assembled removal crew meant they beat Mum and me by two hours. The lorry was unloaded and beers in the fridge by the time we got there. How’s that for a stress-free move? It was fantastic having Mum and Dad there, I don’t know how I’d have managed the move without them (and Louis and Ed – haven’t forgotten you guys!). Three short days later, I was waving my parents off, absorbing the fact that I had made my dream move and couldn’t help but wonder what the future holds.

The first couple of weeks were hard going; endless hours of beholding (with shame and desperation) the sheer volume of my worldly possessions, taking things out of boxes…putting them back, moving piles from one end of the room…then back again as I tried valiantly to make a quantity of belongings more suited to a 3-bed house fit into a studio flat. My efforts have been rewarded, I’ve pulled off an incredible feat of logistics and not only found a place for everything I've unpacked, but also housed the myriad of boxes still requiring attention, without the place looking like the self-storage unit of a serial hoarder.

Two weeks in and my flat felt like home, time to relax and start enjoying my time in Scotland. I’d already had my first outing into Kirkcaldy for the spectacle of Big Man Walking 2009. Words don’t do it justice, take a look at the photos on the website, I guarantee you’ll be hoping the Big Man visits your town next year. The following weekend was even more action packed and really made me realise how different living in Scotland will be from the life I knew in London. On the Friday, a trip to Edinburgh with Craig, what a great city! Lunch was a superb egg & bacon muffin in M&S café, a highly recommended dose of food heaven (get there before 12pm, not 12.10pm as we did, and you get a free tea/coffee with your muffin, woo!). Got rather wet walking home from the station, but that didn't dampen our spirits any.

On Saturday it was a visit with Craig to a fantastic farm shop and cafe called Loch Levens Larder for a delicious lunch of baked potato and hot chocolate (is this beginning to sound like a tour of Scottish lunch venues?) before walking down to Loch Leven. It's a picturesque spot that most people can access and enjoy, thanks to a new gravel path laid all along and the availability of electric scooters from the Larder FREE of charge (what lovely people, they do great desserts too!). The memorable moment of the day happened as we were walking along listening to the sound of our feet on the gravel and the pink-footed geese on the loch; all of a sudden we became aware of a wall of noise behind us. We turned to see thousands of geese flying to the loch, such an amazing sight; the whole sky was full of birds. They flew right over our heads and landed in the loch. What a spectacular outing. This is my favourite picture, click on it to visit my Flikr page where you can also see photos of the Lomond Hills which provided a stunning backdrop.

On Sunday, a walk through Ravenscraig Park and beyond brought unexpected delights and unfortunate tumbles on the rocks. Whilst it was chilly walking through the park, it was sheltered and sunny down on the beach, providing an opportunity to spend time sitting watching the waves, guessing at the identity of various birds passing by. A little further along the beach, we realized that blobs in the distance, assumed to be rocks were moving. As we got closer, it became obvious that the 'rocks' were seals enjoying the afternoon sun. In my excitement, I slipped on the rocks and landed in a puddle...splat! I was a bit sore, but my immediate concern was for my camera which hit the rocks hard as I went down (the chilling sound still haunts me). I looked with dread at my camera to assess the damage...beneath the seaweed there were just a few scratches on the zoom casing!!! *huge sigh of relief*. I was soaked and bruised, but continued watching the seals in awe for a while and got some great photos. On the upside, it was a perfect excuse to spend the rest of the day curled up on the couch in my fleecy pjs. The ‘best’ bit about my mishap was falling over with such a clatter 30 seconds after whispering “we have to be really quiet so we don't disturb the seals”. Ach well, it was worth the pain, the memory will remain for a long time. Follow the link on the photo below to see more seal pics.

I'm feeling really settled up here now. I get immense pleasure from the ever changing landscape each time I step outside my door; I don’t think I’ll ever tire of seeing the sea from the top of my road. The surrounding woodlands are a blaze of Autumn, it’s truly a beautiful time of year to be making my new home in Scotland.