Holidays.  Some people are REALLY good at them.  They dream about them, save for them, organise time off work and then actually take them.   Others have worked in jobs for many years and take time off as a sabbatical.  Me?  I’m not that organised.  And, as a largely self-employed person, I have been too terrified to turn work away, never mind have the...

The plan was, that from Wednesday to Friday lunchtime, twelve Eigg islanders would learn to butcher a sheep and a pig, to make cuts of meat that you could not only recognise, but eat, and make sausages! MEAT MARATHON Faced with six sheep carcasses and a pig laid out in our deliberately chilled village hall, this training course suddenly felt like a marathon.  QUALITY TIME The lambs...

With a hint of spring in the air, it’s all go here on the Isle of Eigg with fruit trees planted, new solar panels installed and a butchery course to help increase local meat production. Plum job Saturday saw 20 or so islanders come together to add another 31 fruit and nut trees to our community orchard.   Plum, cherry, apple, and one each of walnut, almond, quince and crab...

As with much that goes on in the garden, the choices of what to do next are tempting and over-whelming in equal measure.  Chatting with some pals, we put together a list of ten things we might like to try on our plots this year.  Some of the, my better half and I are already doing, some I'd love to try, but others I don't know much about. So any info or experience other...

Burns Night! 25th January, every year; when a large proportion of Scotland (and tens of thousands of ex-pat and would-be Scots worldwide) sit down to a dinner which sounds anything but tasty. Haggie, neeps and tatties. Tatties Tattie - potatoes (for those of you outwith Burns' mother country) - mashed and lots of them. Nadine, Rooster or Saxon varieties make lovely fluffy mash. Add...

So, Christmas packed away and New Year’s excess being paid for with a nagging list of good intentions it’s time to get cracking. January on the croft can see short, but beautifully sunny,clear, days. Sharp breezes and occasional frosts hone the senses and quicken the step.  We can't quite smell spring yet, but as February tends to be the longest, coldest and wettest month,...

According to an article a city-living pal of mine spotted, those of us who live a ‘free range’ (ergo rural) lifestyle are happier!   Only 25% of the 1,110 people polled lived in a rural area, while a whopping 54% said they would like to live in the countryside.  Meanwhile, an article on the BBC website caught my eye.  In a similar vein, it suggested that doing...

There’s no way of dressing them up.  Unlike summer salads or the frilly colourful display of brassicas, root vegetables are not pretty.  Lumpen, solid and often misshapen, they may not be the belle of the ball they can be the saviour of the day.  Parsnips, swedes, turnips, carrots, beetroot and more, these mostly sweet or starchy stalwarts can be the basis of tasty soups and...

Not so long ago I wrote a blog about dealing with drought! Now, across the UK, we’re dealing with the effects of an early and severe cold snap. Snow measured in feet rather than inches, frost a daily fact of life and ice that will be with us for weeks. The garden or allotment will surely suffer, but is there anything we can do now to save what’s left or prepare for next year in...

Ever wondered if you can sow and grow your entire Christmas dinner?   If I, or for that matter you, want next year’s Christmas lunch to be a grow-your-own festive feast from the garden, landshare or allotment, here’s my guide to growing it all from scratch, with key dates for getting the stuff in, and out, of the ground. Brussel Sprouts Sow in March / April.  Plant...