Our wonderful Scottish HelpX Host - Conner

What a complete gem of a placement with helpx we have just had. We ae so so sorry to have left and wish we could not only return, but stay longer.

 I can unequivocally say in the 18 months we have been involved with HelpX, that this has been the most welcoming, enjoyable and brilliant placements we have experienced.

In the lowlands of Scotland, our placement was only an hour away from Edinburgh but still in the vast spaces of sheep country. Immediately we arrived we felt part of the family. 

This is the conservatory and below is a picture of me in the back yard.

Conner is warm, generous and kind. What an incredible talent, passion and patience he has with his baking! We were honoured to be part of the daily bread baking process and I have come away with so much knowledge not only about the process, but the chemical background of why certain ingredients react they way they do; I can’t wait to test these recipes out myself! Conners collection of recipe books is astounding. His cooking was first class and we were so spoilt every meal. Healthy, nutritional and wholesome meals which will become from family favourites of ours. I am used to taking the cooking tasks on when I go to a helpx role, so it was a real treat to cooked for.

Mary is witty and full of wonderful facts about her country. Her amusing sayings and folk wisdom had me laughing every day. She is now our beloved Scottish Grannie.

Iona is an inquisitive, delightful and caring child and one Lilly immedialty loved and called sister.

 We slotted into their lives and assisted in a number of tasks, enjoyed every moment we were there. I am so grateful for this experience and know we have lifelong friends coming away.

We were very sad to leave and truly wished we could have stayed much longer.

So - if you want a placement where you feel and are treated like family, want to be immersed with Scottish village life and come away with baking skills ( and weigh a few pounds more!) then don’t hesitate - apply now to be Conners next helpers.

Scottish Dinner

I've said it more than a dozen times already.. Conner is an amazing cook!

We were treated tonight to a traditional scottish dinner. 

Tatties, neeps, haggis, skirley, Irn Bru and  Clutty Dumpling..oh my! What a feast and all so good.

To decode - tatties are mashed potatoes, neeps are turnips -  normally mashed, haggis, the national dish and one that can be so gross or so good: is a mixture of offal and grains boiled in a sheeps stomach ( its pretty good.. Really) Skirley is a fried dish of onions and oats, Irn Bru is... Irn Bru... An orange coloured drink that tastes sort of like the red candy drink in Australia, but with a ginger tint to it. Its not unpleasant actually.  Clutty Dumpling is a date or sultana pudding in slices and then fried to go with savoury dishes. Don't knock it till you try it. mmmm

In all, fantastic meal and enjoyed by all..

Huge thank you to Conner.

Soutra. Medieval Plague Hospital

Soutra stands alone on the desolate hilltops on the boarders of Scotland. At  1200 ft. altitude it was the highest monastery in the British Isles - with magnificent views... and reportabley one of the only ones which would cure the plague.  I think if a victim made it there, they'd be cured.

The hospital was founded by the Augustinians in the 11th century between Edinburgh and the Boarder. It used to be an important toll road built by the Romans, but is now an empty highway populated by sheep. 

All that is left of the hospital is a stone cottage with medieval carvings only barely visible through the moss and age decayed stone.