Doon Hill and the fairies

On Thursday we took a walk up Doon Hill which is a modest hill just outside Aberfoyle. It has a spooky history associated with it and a reputation of being a place frequented by the fairies. The story goes that Robert Kirk a 17th Century minster in Aberfoyle wrote a book collecting together folk tales about the fairies. He was said to be a 7th son with the gift of second sight himself. One night he climbed Doon Hill (pictured below) to commune with the little people. 

That night he dropped dead on the hill. A few days later as the village gathered for his funeral his spirit appeared to them at the grave yard. His ghost explained that he wasn't really dead but his book about the fairy folk had angered the fairies so much they had spirited away his soul to the fairy kingdom and left behind his body. 

They say that his soul is still trapped in the gateway to the fairy realm in the large tree on the top of Doon Hill pictured below. 

Since Kirk's day the site has been associated with a more positive side to the fairy folk and has become a fairy well or clootie well where people hang rags and ribbons with wishes written on them to be granted by the fairy folk. As you can see in the picture above many of the trees are festooned. Someone has placed bells and chimes in the branches which jingle in the breeze. 

It was a very peaceful spot indeed. But my favourite picture of the day is the one below. 

We came across this happy pig on our way up to the hill, not far from the Rev Kirk's now ruined church. The seen of the pig munching happily under the blossomed tree seemed utterly timeless to me. 

Scotland again

Having not written on my blog for months, it strikes me that I only write it when in Scotland at the moment! Any way here are some random thoughts about the journey to Scotland and holiday so far.

We had a fantastic journey up to the Trossachs as the sun was shining and the traffic light. I was thinking about American road trips as we drove through the more rugged countryside. Most of England is too soft and leafy to be epic in a road trip kind of way. Plus our motorway service stations are rather sad and dreary unlike the Hollywood versions of American road side diners that are strangely sleazy but mysterious. But the A66 has a rugged scenery that was set to Jason's Dire Straits section of our play list. Although Jase wasn't impressed by the small portion of Cumbria we drove through declaring it a desolate hole! I have to say the bare fells did resemble the wastes of Mordor!

The farm cottage we are staying in is gorgeous with a beautiful semi woodland garden full of ferns and sleepy flowers. The house is white with a grey slate roof populated by tiny chirping birds. Inside there are stone floors, a big kitchen, wood burning stoves and heavy curtained windows with cushion strewn window seats. Our bedroom has a 4 poster and chaise long.

Aberfoyle is nestled against forested hills and the winding river forth. There are pubs, 2 butchers, a woollen centre and tourist shops.

Just down the road from our cottage is the Rob Roy hotel, which resembles the Cross Roads Motel. I mention it because there are many reviews of it on Trip Advisor, some bad some good. One particular review describes it as being the kind of place Jack Reacher would stay at! This over imaginative review really made me laugh but I now keep thinking the place is full of spies and private investigators. To be honest it looks more like the kind of place frequents by Norman Bates (a bit harsh) or Benny from Cross Roads.