An Airighean
An Airighean
50cm x 60cm
Canvas Acrylic
£150
Mid summer and the days are long, so long that there is always at least some twilight to the north as days ebb into night and then back into days again.
It had been a very warm day and the fragrant smell of meadowsweet and cows parsley filled open pasture with memories of a beautiful day. The cattle stayed quite close to the shielings so that she could be hand milked twice per day. Her young calf at foot. None of the cruelty of modern dairy techniques here. For even as a non dairy cow she could produce enough milk for all on the lush thick grasses. This family also had a goat too which also was milked twice per day and some hens who had already gone to bed as the sun was just moments from setting behind Muirneag. The Blackface and Cheviots grazed further out on the moorland with lambs at foot.
Inside the Airighean, mother's, children, grannies and aunties would gather to avoid the midges. A peat fire on the floor would be burning away, producing the strong peaty smoke that would dry the turf roof and stop rot of the timbers. No chimney. Just a tiny hole on the roof. Here the females of the talk with the mother tongue (Gaelic) telling stories, singing Psalms, spinning wool and tending to the animals.
The children played on the moorland, skimming stones, hide and seek, fishing. pressing wildflowers, or playing on the stepping stones. The only thing limiting them was their imagination. Here the thrum of life would carry on for several weeks of the summer.
Transhumance was practiced all over the Highlands and Islands. Some places carried on with this season summer migration much longer than other parts. In the Western Isles this tradition is still in part carried on with the Shielings made of modern materials and without the need to tend to livestock.
This was a functional summer holiday which served and important purpose. With the livestock removed from the productive croft land close to the black and white houses, the grass could grow for hay and crops could be grown for food. The men and older boys tended to the crops and the woman tended to the care of the animals. The crofting township had a few draught horses that pulled the carts and plough. A simple but incredibly effective use of time and land.
And this is how every summer was spent was many decades and generations. Our croft also has a shieling high out on the moor of North Tolsta. Whilst we sat in the fallen stonework watching our four children play at the lochs edge, it wasn't a difficult scene to imagine as I put paintbrush to canvas .
The thrum of past island life captured on canvas.
An Airighean
50cm x 60cm
Canvas Acrylic
£150
Mid summer and the days are long, so long that there is always at least some twilight to the north as days ebb into night and then back into days again.
It had been a very warm day and the fragrant smell of meadowsweet and cows parsley filled open pasture with memories of a beautiful day. The cattle stayed quite close to the shielings so that she could be hand milked twice per day. Her young calf at foot. None of the cruelty of modern dairy techniques here. For even as a non dairy cow she could produce enough milk for all on the lush thick grasses. This family also had a goat too which also was milked twice per day and some hens who had already gone to bed as the sun was just moments from setting behind Muirneag. The Blackface and Cheviots grazed further out on the moorland with lambs at foot.
Inside the Airighean, mother's, children, grannies and aunties would gather to avoid the midges. A peat fire on the floor would be burning away, producing the strong peaty smoke that would dry the turf roof and stop rot of the timbers. No chimney. Just a tiny hole on the roof. Here the females of the talk with the mother tongue (Gaelic) telling stories, singing Psalms, spinning wool and tending to the animals.
The children played on the moorland, skimming stones, hide and seek, fishing. pressing wildflowers, or playing on the stepping stones. The only thing limiting them was their imagination. Here the thrum of life would carry on for several weeks of the summer.
Transhumance was practiced all over the Highlands and Islands. Some places carried on with this season summer migration much longer than other parts. In the Western Isles this tradition is still in part carried on with the Shielings made of modern materials and without the need to tend to livestock.
This was a functional summer holiday which served and important purpose. With the livestock removed from the productive croft land close to the black and white houses, the grass could grow for hay and crops could be grown for food. The men and older boys tended to the crops and the woman tended to the care of the animals. The crofting township had a few draught horses that pulled the carts and plough. A simple but incredibly effective use of time and land.
And this is how every summer was spent was many decades and generations. Our croft also has a shieling high out on the moor of North Tolsta. Whilst we sat in the fallen stonework watching our four children play at the lochs edge, it wasn't a difficult scene to imagine as I put paintbrush to canvas .
The thrum of past island life captured on canvas.
An Airighean
50cm x 60cm
Canvas Acrylic
£150
Mid summer and the days are long, so long that there is always at least some twilight to the north as days ebb into night and then back into days again.
It had been a very warm day and the fragrant smell of meadowsweet and cows parsley filled open pasture with memories of a beautiful day. The cattle stayed quite close to the shielings so that she could be hand milked twice per day. Her young calf at foot. None of the cruelty of modern dairy techniques here. For even as a non dairy cow she could produce enough milk for all on the lush thick grasses. This family also had a goat too which also was milked twice per day and some hens who had already gone to bed as the sun was just moments from setting behind Muirneag. The Blackface and Cheviots grazed further out on the moorland with lambs at foot.
Inside the Airighean, mother's, children, grannies and aunties would gather to avoid the midges. A peat fire on the floor would be burning away, producing the strong peaty smoke that would dry the turf roof and stop rot of the timbers. No chimney. Just a tiny hole on the roof. Here the females of the talk with the mother tongue (Gaelic) telling stories, singing Psalms, spinning wool and tending to the animals.
The children played on the moorland, skimming stones, hide and seek, fishing. pressing wildflowers, or playing on the stepping stones. The only thing limiting them was their imagination. Here the thrum of life would carry on for several weeks of the summer.
Transhumance was practiced all over the Highlands and Islands. Some places carried on with this season summer migration much longer than other parts. In the Western Isles this tradition is still in part carried on with the Shielings made of modern materials and without the need to tend to livestock.
This was a functional summer holiday which served and important purpose. With the livestock removed from the productive croft land close to the black and white houses, the grass could grow for hay and crops could be grown for food. The men and older boys tended to the crops and the woman tended to the care of the animals. The crofting township had a few draught horses that pulled the carts and plough. A simple but incredibly effective use of time and land.
And this is how every summer was spent was many decades and generations. Our croft also has a shieling high out on the moor of North Tolsta. Whilst we sat in the fallen stonework watching our four children play at the lochs edge, it wasn't a difficult scene to imagine as I put paintbrush to canvas .
The thrum of past island life captured on canvas.