The Summer House Lodgings

The lovely landscape and environment of Persabus feed the creative spirit

Years of bracing walks in the autumn, and winter months, when the colours on the island are at their most vibrant, led to dabbling with paints at the kitchen table, which evolved into watercolour paintings, and then to my designs being hand painted, glazed and fired on ceramics.

I like to focus on the colour palette of the landscape and the skies that envelope it

A swish of a paint brush captures the energy of the waves breaking on the shore and the ‘blousy’ cloud formations and patterns that are constantly changing overhead.

The views from Persabus of the Paps of Jura and the Sound of Islay are simply stunning and with Dunlossit woods and the beaches of the Sound within easy walking distance we are incredibly spoilt. It is very relaxing heading off to the beach, walking from the farmhouse, through the fields and into the woodland, armed with sketchbook, paints and drawing pens. Sketches and jottings lead to mornings spent in front of the wood burning stove in the pottery workshop on a blustery day, just dabbling with colours, and designs. Last week I was working on a new ‘Ocean Swirls’ range, as well the more familiar ‘Saligo’ and ‘Lucy Sea Breeze’ ranges.

In the autumn months I always feel at my most creative. Of course, this creativity isn’t just about painting. In the kitchen winter berry crumbles have been baked in the Aga, and soups and casseroles are beginning to bubble away.

Creativity also flows into other areas of life

On the farm we have diversified over the years. The Happy Farmer has renovated the old farm steadings to develop our lovely cottages. The farmhouse bed and breakfast suite being developed within the walls of the old stables. We even offer ‘Camping with Breakfast’. We are always looking to offer a unique and original experience for guests staying with us at Persabus.

On Sunday morning the Happy Farmer discovered that we have new lodgings on the farm. Our most creative and unique accommodation yet. It hasn’t quite made the pages of Airbnb, but it appears our cats have a new ‘summer house’. The Happy Farmer was highly entertained when he found the three of them sprawled out and sleeping soundly in their new digs. The large windows provide the perfect panoramic view. When the sun is shining there is a cosy warmth too. The cab of the Happy Farmer’s tractor appears to take ‘glamping’ to a whole new level in the cat kingdom.

Eldest was home for the weekend. She rounded up the Happy Farmer and her flock of Hebridean sheep for a morning in the fank. ‘Fank’, is farming speak for a collection of old drystone walls, which form several large gathering pens, with gates to ‘shed’ or separate the sheep. There is a walk way, where the well-behaved sheep go in single file, while the naughty ones clamber over the backs of their companions. Here the sheep can be dosed and vaccinated safely. There is the old dipping ‘race’, with a covered pit, in which the sheep used to be drenched in dip.

On Sunday the lambs were shed from their mothers and divided according to gender. The best of the ewe lambs will remain part of the Persabus flock, for breeding next year. All of the lambs were tagged and then the whole flock was dosed against Fluke and worm, before they went skipping off into the fields once more.

Until next time….