Scottish Trad Music Awards

I don't claim to know much about music but bopping up and down to fiddles, accordians, pipes and drums started when I could sit up in my big, well sprung pram in Ayrshire.  My mother told me that she had a request played for each of her children on the radio and asked them to play anything overwhelmingly Scottish to suit the baby.  Pestering my mother on family holidays to take me to the weekly pipe band marching through a contributing Highland town was the norm - and much to the horror of my granny I developed an enduring love for Andy Stewart.  As I sat with my face glued to the television when he was performing, I remember being shocked when a large tattie appeared across the screen.   My granny had nipped through from preparing the tea to back up her view that he had a face like an old tattie and was offering me the chance to make a comparison.  Dancing the night away at the Kyle of Lochalsh Hotel when I was 19 it dawned on me that a dream had come true.  When Andy sang about The Dancing in Kyle he sang "there was Mairi and Duncan and Morag and Calum".  I knew then that I was meant to dance in Kyle.  The Incredible Fling Band played the night away and the names of local villages that I passed on my way to the dance were there in that song of my Ayrshire childhood - Inverinate, Dornie, Ardelve.  I grew up thinking the Highlands was the most romantic place in the world and the stirrings of that deep held romantic view are easily brought to the surface - by the humour, warmth and support of its inhabitants but most of all, by the music.

The Trad Scottish Awards 2017 were held in Paisley last night, and without having to look closely at the results, it's clear that there is a strong Lochaber contingent amongst the winners.  So I thought I'd post a piece of music each day for the next few days to provide a wee flavour of something very special.

Event of the Year was won by A Night For Angus - a celebration of Angus R Grant's life.  My heiland husband has always had a much finer and more select love of Scottish music and Shooglenifty was a big favourite.  He knew Angus, who grew up in Lochaber, and was in awe of his fiddle playing.  He managed to get tickets to the event at Celtic Connections in Glasgow and it was the most enthralling evening.  Below is an exert from the full video of the event.  250 to Vigo is my favourite song and I sometimes put it on and dance round the kitchen when no one's in.  It starts slowly and builds to the most lovely, uplifting crescendo of positivity.  In this video there is quite a long tribute to Angus from a Galician artiste - in her own language - but love and respect seems to pour from her and when the players pick up the tune again, it backs up the love - and romance.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWu8Gc4yMlU&list=PLpis9b8e9cVqPrKJb8KwMQY1tVFOldkGv

The Devil's in the Detail

You're never too old to go back to school - science was never a subject that made any sense to me, but like so many of the subjects that stumped me, a bit of practical application would have worked wonders. 

So I signed up to try out the new Gin School at The Loch Leven Hotel in Ballachulish, with Craig Innes of Pixel Spirits Ltd in their new Craft Distillery.  Practical application and an opportunity to take home the product of your day sounded like a good all round learning experience - and it's even on the bus route back to Fort William.....

You get your own mini still.......well - not THAT mini.

This is big enough to get you a whole bottle full of your very own bespoke brew.  But you don't just chuck a load of berries in and hope for a quality product.  This is school, and this is science......

There must be juniper berries for it to become gin.  And there's some coriander that apparently has to go in.  We're talking very specific measurements, and for the botanicals which will give your gin it's unique flavour, there's a tiny wee set of scales for the tiniest amount of hibiscus or citrus or cinnamon.  Too much of anything and any subtlety of aroma is gone and your precious bottle isn't going to be very precious.

Once you are supplied (by Craig) with your very high content alcohol which is your base, you must check the temperature

There's no messing around and no setting fire to your mates with the Bunsen Burners here.

Your wee still has to get up to correct heat for the gin to start flowing gently into your glass jar below the table and before you know it your bottling it.

And then you're naming and labelling it

The only test involved here is to test the product.  This is my kind of school - but it's off to the bar for a little ambience and an opportunity to try out Craig's carefully crafter creations.........

 There was a choice between Neptune's Staircase which was tempting as I live close by to that staircase on The Caledonian Canal, and The Devil's Staircase which is on the edge of Rannoch Moor.  Over 20 years ago I remember trying to extricate my husband from this very bar and I always promised him that some day he would have the pleasure of returning the favour - so I opted for a taste of the Devil to see if it would bring out the best and worst in me.

Depending on which gin you choose there are delicious additives to complement the flavours.

Craig's passion for his craft is contagious - rattling up a quick bottle of gin at his school is fun and satisfying, but creating a whole distillery requires drive and dedication, therefore hitching up at the cosy bar or taking the air on the balcony with a refreshing drink is a little more relaxing.

Woops!  Getting a wee bit wobbly.

For a night out or  making a weekend of it, don't think you have to rush off to Edinburgh, Glasgow or destinations further afield.  I found myself extricated from my bar stool far too early by my sober driver and I realised that my husband might not bother coming to get me anyway and with no bus timetable to hand - well, I cut my losses.  But it's the kind of place you could be drawn in to..........

http://www.pixelspiritsltd.co.uk/ginschool.html

http://www.lochlevenhotel.co.uk/

Starting Again.......

After a long, wet, warm summer in Lochaber and adjusting to having to grow up due to the loss of my mum in the spring (who was unwell for many years and was no spring chicken), it's time to kick start the winter with a new approach to the blog.  There's a wee bit of the recluse within me, but thankfully Running Girl chooses to ignore that and refuses to allow me to wallow for too long.  Many of us will suffer episodes where we experience noisy brains and a tendency to low mood and the noisier the brain the lower the mood.  Challenging the mind and body can change the thought process from needless inner chatter to focussing on the predicament you've put yourself in.  For example, RG announced that cold water was good for physical and mental health and that a Monday morning swim in the sea would set us up for an active and positive week.  Now, I can put on the wet suit, waterproof socks (lol), bootees, neoprene gloves and double wetsuit hats - but that doesn't mean I'm going into the water.  I've proven this on more than one occasion even in beautiful full summer conditions.  But several Mondays on from RG's original announcement and I am already managing more than 5 minutes in the icy waters of Loch Linnhe!  Does my noisy brain quieten?  Most certainly.  You can't make that much squealy noise in between sharp intakes of breathe and still mull over useless items of an unsolvable nature.  So she has a point.  "Wait until we're scraping the frost off the windscreen in the morning" she giggled, in an ever so slightly maniacal manner. 

  So far I haven't even got a salty face and have given up the goggles and the double wetsuit hats as I have not yet wet a cheek - not a facial one, anyway - nor got my hair wet.  But apart from 2 weeks in sunny Spain, I'm still there on Mad Mondays.

I'm not thinking this is a very good idea.........

A wee word of encouragement...........

I'm hoping this counts as 'in'.

Apparently not - but I'm pretty sure THIS does.