This is Joe Joe the pet pig of Vincent Wilkenson's family. Vincent is a new convert. The pig is as you can see covered with long black hair. He comes from New Zealand and grazes on grass like a sheep. He is very friendly and when I went over to the fence to take his picture he came up and had quite a conversation with me, then followed me up to the farm house. "oink oink, snort, snort"

This is the Wick Choral Society before our practice in the Thurso Episcopal Church. We performed in Wick and also here in Thurso. The director is the one next to the piano. I love to listen to him speak. He has the true Scots accent and has a delightful sense of humor. He can correct us and make us laugh at the same time an no one is offended. He really knows his music too as he plays cello in the community orchestra.

This is the path along the Thurso River where we often walk, if we don't go along the ocean.

Coming up the northwest coast we found this husband and wife team cutting peat to dry. They will use it next winter for their only source of heat.

We attented the reinactement of the marriage of some Scottish King and Queen that took place in the 1200s. It was held just outside Edinburgh at the Linlithgow Castle. There were shown all aspects of the special day, just as it would have been done, complete with competitions between knights, falconry, dancing, poetry reading, singing, archery contests and much more. It was very fun. The following pictures of a few we took.

A feast fit for a king, including a real roasted boar's head, complete with the apple in the mouth. Yum!

The ladies of the court dancing for the king and queen. The king is joining them in the center.

The arrival of the royal party and their entourage with banners flying.

The crowds sitting on the hillside by the castle to await the knights and their performances.

The field behind us was where the knights displayed their skills and valor. The castle of Linlithgow is set on a beautiful loch.

A falconry exibition was held and this eagle participated in it.

Two knights coming into the arena to compete in various feets of honor, including jousting, sword fighting, tilting against the ring on a pole and the head on the pole etc. Very entertaining.

The King coming down to the arena to watch the knights joust and other rough entertainment.

A pile of armor outside one of the knight's tents.

A juggler at the castle reinactment of the marriage of King somebody and his bride. I can't remember the names. Too many kings.

A demonstration of knights sword fighting. The swords were real, but the whole thing of course was coriagraphed. Fun to watch.

Much of our travel was over single track roads with frequent "turn out" places for taking turns to go. Sheep on the roads were common. What amazed us that big old lorries (large trucks) and buses were also on these narrow little roads going over the mountain passes.

A brief bit of sun on Loch Loman. Photos cannot do justice to this magnificent loch with the mountain Ben Loman towering over it. The weather was bad while we were there, so photo ops were few. It is situated in the Trossacks national forest. What we could see of the area through the rain and fog was amazing.

We visited Abbotsford, the home of Sir Walter Scott, one of Scotland's most famous classical writers. He wrote Rob Roy, for one. The grounds ran down to the Twead river and encompassed about 50 acres. Beautiful!

The burial place at the Dryburgh Abbey of Sir Walter Scott.

In the county of Borders, are found the ruins of four beautiful old Abbeys. This is of the Dyrburgh Abbey.

We spent the night here at the Dryburgh Abbey Hotel. It was an old Baronial Estate in its day.

We feel like we are in Oregon as the spring fern is unfurling and the bluebells are appearing everywhere. There are whole hillsides covered with them. This was taken in the woods near the castle Dunstaffnage in Oban, on the West coast.

This time of year, the hills are covered with gorse or "whin", a very spiney bush covered in yellow blossoms. We are told it stays throughout the summer when the heather then adds another demension of color - mauve.