Post move to Speyside

[Dougster]

We made the move from N Wiltshire to Speyside at the start of April so we're settled now. We're still in a rental, unable to make the decision on the last stage of a house to buy but we'll get there..

I still find it hard to believe that I walk my dogs over the Spey each morning, watching the Osprey and the Fly men fishing, bumping roe is very common on this walk and I am a common sight to locals who I chat with each day.

This is normally the point I turn around and come back over the bridge - I live 400m from the other end:

http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/...ture_b4649af5-e56f-45ae-9a4b-07f5e152c7f2.jpg



We have Ben Rinnes about 30mins drive away, we chose a great day to walk it over Easter:







We've had friends and family to stay and found some out of the way beaches:

Again within 30 minutes drive:





But what we have near the house is still stunning:





and Rothiemurchus, still my favourite place, is an hour:



Findhorn is on the way back from Inverness:



There will be more to come, I'm either going to buy a project house in a village on the Deveron, or we're buying a relatively new one up a hill above the Spey so I've a lot to do.

My kettle is on most of the time if anyone finds themselves this far north (about midway Aberdeen to Inverness).

So far everyone is friendly bar the miserable English dog walker who hates everyone it seems. I could do with getting out to work more, but the Scottish teaching council are an immovable object with a very firm list of requirements, so I shall continue to cut leather and get out as much as possible.

 

[Goatboy]

Sounds like you've made a good choice, it's a great part of the world. Lived in various places around thw Spey and enjoyed it a lot. If you're after some quiet beaches have a wee head towards Cullbin Sands. It's an SSSI, a buried village, miles of wooded beaches and "carrot" trees that are narrower at the base than further up.
Hope you continue to enjoy your life there, I miss it a lot.

Sent via smoke-signal from a woodland in Scotland.

 

[Clouston98]

Cracking stuff mate, cracking place to live! All the best and I hope you keep loving every minute .

 

[British Red]

Delighted for you Rich. Our loss is Scotland's gain.

 

[sandbender]

Cracking pics, well done for making the move.

 

[Shewie]

Great to see you're settling in Rich

Good luck with the house hunting

 

[Badger74]

All the best with it. We moved to Ireland 6 months ago and are glad we did it.

Sent from my Hudl 2 using Tapatalk

 

[Dougster]

Well, we've bought a house near Huntly, over in Aberdeenshire. We went for school first as we are one and two years away from secondary school. The house isn't what you call pretty - I'm sure it's the local propensity for pebble dash - urgh.

I'm going to be busy with doing the house up until end of September but I am very keen to get out on a meet in there is one nearby. Got next weekend off to go walking in the Cairngorms with a friend.

We have an acre and a lot of trees, when painting late last week we had an Osprey over the house as we are on the river Deveron.

Photos to follow.

 

[John Fenna]

Looking good!
We were just talking about you this weekend and wondering how things were going

 

[Dougster]

The kids were swimming in the Spey again this morning. The Osprey was overhead at the time:



Last week were up in the hills but a call from the solicitor on the summit made us dash down the sign the last form they had forgotten....

 

[British Red]

There are blu skies and sunshine in those photos. We're you on holiday abroad?


Glad it's all working out for you!

 

[Dougster]

Foehn effect.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foehn_wind

Not as rugged as the west but we get great weather for the most part.

 

[Dougster]

Looking good!
We were just talking about you this weekend and wondering how things were going

Miss the meets with the chaps. I see a lot less rain than I did in Wales mind.

 

[adestu]

glad you're settled rich
I now live in kington Langley just near where you were.
that knife you made me is still doing well but I had a new handle put on it.

 

[Ed the Ted]

I know that pool. Always a welcome sight heading down from the plateau in winter with poor visibility, one of many mental landmarks to reassure me that I'm on track! Glad you've made the move, welcome to the frozen north

 

[21st century pict]

Hi Dougster
"Failte gu Alba agus Strathspey", Welcome to Scotland and Strathspey.
I wont recognise you but Ill say hello when I see the dogs.
Nice Castle on the way down to that beach what, and the viaduct, I walked over it once when I was a kid, not across, Yeah, over it, I'm not planning doing that again, ever.
Some great countryside round Huntly, Bennachie is worth a walk.
ATB

 

[Dougster]

We're settling in now, well. Things are less like being on holiday.

Winter was difficult, the Scottish teaching council only allowed me to work after March, they have an issue with many English qualified teachers. I have work now but I have a little understanding of cabin fever!

The walking and countryside are fabulous. We went to the east coast and watched Puffins from about 20 yards, there is a young pine marten that plays on the road on warm evenings, less than a mile from the house. Last Monday I got to fish on Loch Ness with a friend and the resident Osprey caught a fish 50 yards from our boat! The wild cat caught in a live fox trap was not far from here.

I also think I am maybe a little nomadic, I saw a meme the other day that said 'Life is too short not to travel' and I think we have too many more places to explore, but not before we do more here. I am just about to book a week on Harris for my wife's birthday in October and as soon as there is fair (considering) weather, we are camping at Tongue.

I have been getting back into my carving, having a small wood in our garden allows me to sit out and do it as I wish.

Life isn't all bad.

 

[John Fenna]

Life does not sound bad at all

 

[Dreadhead]

Sounds great mate glad you're enjoying scotland

Sent from my SM-T230 using Tapatalk

 

[Dougster]

You know, it really isn't. The people in the village who own all the fishing rights invited me and the children out for the day and the Gillie gave us lessons. After a while he gave up on me and left me to practise what he taught, but watching my kids enjoy it, and my daughter casting loops after 90 minutes made my week. It's what they get that is important, They will have had such diverse lives, London, Wiltshire, Highlands... I could not ask for more.