Imbued in stone is the steady beating heart of Scotland. Her secrets of birth and rebirth tell how ancestry has survived during the process of evolution some in natural form, others in carved monuments.  It is a place where I found these organic time keepers of both myth and reality, asking only to be seen and understood. Within the varied landscapes of Highlands and Islands, the presence of silent weathered ancestors can be felt reassuring us that we too, can survive amongst the dimensions of time.

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Lingering energies of guardians to Earth's pre-human history are in the Highland's Ben Nevis range some of the world's oldest mountains. Calm and consistent, the bedrock and spirit of these mountains has withstood periods of dramatic change not unlike what we face today. Rich in history dating back 10,000 years ago, human settlements such as Skara Brae found in the Orkney Islands tell of sea faring voyagers overcoming the challenges of Nature to arrive in a new land, then building protective shelters accommodating landscape and elements. The generations to follow created places of gathering and worship. The Ring of Brodgar situated under the sky where stone slabs resemble sentinels echoing seasonally observed ceremonies with movements of celestial bodies. Forward to centuries old Magnus Cathedral in Kirkwall where spirituality deviated from reverence of the natural world to belief in an image of God, his Son and Holy Spirit... a process of humanities search for spiritual definition. Medieval mainland DunRobin Castle home to the Sutherlands' Clan whose blood lines like the Clan traditions connected to the land, now existing along side modern day structures of wind turbines. In each period, the affects of natural evolution on a land and people as hearty as the stone that surrounds and quietly defines them.

 

Subtle scents of pine and heather on Highland breezes which began my journey brought back often dreamt of landscapes and places from lifetimes gone before. Their stories marked in Ruins etched on my soul welcoming its return.  In all, a land of wonder where time and its textures never forget, and magic is still afoot. Come travel along with me in this mystical place I found my sense of home and hope.