So on Sunday we headed North in our mobile office / kayak carrier / catering wagon / bedroom otherwise known as our campervan. Firstly to Perth where we spent two nights on the campsite at the side of Scone Palace, where Scottish kings used to be crowned (Macbeth, Robert the Bruce et al). This was a tale of contrasts a campsite at the side of a park full of rare pines, red squirrels and deer, yet people are sat there in caravans with satellite dishes, colour TVs, and more!
There were real red deer not just this willow one!
Then Scone Palace itself, owned by the Earl of Mansfield and a clear study of privilege, with apparently Europe's 'best' collection of ivory statues, descriptions of hunting trips, stuffed bears, ermine robes and then father and son at Eton, daughters attending international debutante balls and the RACMA Rally of Scotland roaring through the grounds. Yet apparently the Earl's estates do provide protection of landscapes, breeding grounds, employment, it's just that consumption / consumerism seems so apparent. Yet just commenting like this seems a paradox, yes the campervan is used for work, but also for pleasure. Yes it does cost money to own and run, simply to fuel but this means we save money on hotels, are able to support local farms where we pay to stay. Yes I'm writing this on my laptop but I'm paying a local provider for WiFi. Practicing mindfulness to me may mean choosing to do or not do something but doing so by being aware of the impact of my choices, unlike the former Earl and his Elephant hunting and ivory collecting!
One key thing I am noticing as we move North is how welcoming people are. From the young girl serving in the Kinnear Inn pub in Scone (local pubs are important for community life) to the woman in the tea shop (Hetties in Perth - great choice of teas and cake!) all seem to go out of their way to greet us, help and inform and wish us well on our journey, and this seems genuine, not the insincere 'corporate' 'have a nice day'.
A so further north to the Northlink ferry from Aberdeen to Lerwick.
Leaving Aberdeen
We're on the ferry, again everyone welcoming - but not the forecast. Gales 7 - 8 with sea rough to very rough. The captain (Captain Scott - should we be worried) says that when we round Fraserburgh it may get a little 'bumpy'. This appears to be sailor speak for hitting waves that will sound and feel like hitting a concrete wall as the break not over the bows, but over the bridge!! Hence all the bar windows (the deck below the bridge) have steel shutters across them, apparently for all winter crossings, and no-one is allowed out on deck! And yes my dinner doesn't last though thankfully neither does the storm, it's now a calm sea (or this just now that we're entering harbour in Lerwick 14 hours later?).
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