Wool and Trekking

While in Scotland, D and I toured the Scottish Wool Centre, which really is a spot to buy outlet woolens, but they also have some "related" entertainment items.  The centre houses a Birds of Prey exhibit, and they run sheep-herding/border collie demonstrations at various times.  We happened to be there on a day when their shepherd, Duncan (a very large, red-haired chap) was working his youngest dog, Meg, who is 7 months old.

Meg already knows all the commands and she did a fine job working this small group of sheep, including cutting the small dark lamb and her spotted mum out of the group at the end of the demonstration.

They also had a small spinning demonstration where a volunteer was sitting, spinning on her Haldane wheel (oof - lovely thing!).  Interestingly enough, she assured me they spin everything in the grease and only scour it when it's finished.  I had found almost no yarn on my tour at all (mostly the shops carried acrylic blends and Debbie Bliss - and not much else), so I was happy to see a small display of handspun yarns which their volunteers spin up while they are sitting, demonstrating.  So, the only yarn I bought on the entire trip was a small batch (5 skeins - probably about 700 yards total) of gray woolen handspun. 

The price was right - 10 pounds Sterling (about 20 US dollars) for the batch, and the older lady who spun it, Jean, sounds like my kinda gal.  She apparently quit counting birthdays at 78 (which was several years ago) since she thought 80 sounded "old".  I suppose 78 sounds young at some point - I hope I have her attitude when I get there myself.

The same day, we also went trekking, aka horseback riding, at a farm not too far from the Woolen Centre, near Aberfoyle.  The farm is still a working farm and the gentleman who owns it does trekking groups to help supplement the cash income from the place.  D and I had signed on for the 2-hour tour, and we were assigned a pair of matching horses: Black and white piebalds (we'd call em paint horses), which were draft horse crosses (I've seen this same type of horse called a Gypsy Vanner horse as they often were used to pull gypsy carts).  Massive feet, the size of bread plates and huge, wide backs.

This is Sam, D's friend for the day. As D mounted up, the perky tour guide commented cheerfully, "He's a butt-biter, be careful not to let him too close to anyone else."

This is Walter, who I rode (post-ride, considering his apple treat I brought for him).  Walter is usually ridden by one of the staff, but they had a lot of riders that day so they let me ride him.

 

Sam and Walter apparently decided they needed to have "boy" issues about who would be first and when we had them canter, Sam would try very hard to be in front (or at least catch up to the little mare who rode with us and...well.... bite her butt) and Walter, who normally IS in front, took that as an insult, so D and I had to have some "discussions" with the two of them about minding their manners.  They were good boys overall though, and we got to walk, trot and canter around the farm, crossed some streams, and had a lovely view of the valley from their big hay pasture.

Walter, interestingly enough, was bitten by a snake 3 or so years ago.  He recovered from that, but since then has developed A) extremely sensitive skin and B) a change in his body chemistry so that he is like a bug magnet.  These two things combined make him a rather grouchy boy as the flies love him and if he's out without protection, he gets bitten, and then the bites swell up and he gets a hive-like reaction to them.

So..... the barn folks created a sort of horse covering which is made of a fine, lightweight black mesh.  It covers him from the tips of his ears down to where the saddle meets his back, and extends down over his chest to where the knee-high gaiters meet the edge of the netting.  He looks a bit like a medieval destrier, and when he gathers his rather...um.... solid form to go into a canter, the ground practically shakes beneath him.

 

Two more posts, if y'all can stand them - next post on castles and then a "favorite pictures" overview and I promise I'm done.

All for now.......

Comments

[Kit Knits]

It all just looks so beautiful. I'm so happy you get to go!

[margene]

What a fabulous find! If you could only have one yarn purchase this would be the holy grail! How wonderful you had a chance to trek via horse back! I'll bet Digger is a little jealous.

[Cathy]

I can't help but laugh that you bought handspun - gray? It looks lavender on my monitor. And spinning in the grease - cool! Oh and yeah, the horseback ride sounds perfect for you two complete with the squabbles.

[Chris]

Ok, officially jealous! But glad you had such fun.

[Paula Johnson]

Oh gosh I hope these posts never end!!! Just awesome stories and experiences..I'm loving ever minute! Jean sounded awesome with her attitude!

[vanessa]

lovely yarn spun by a lovely lady :-) and i'm really enjoying your travelogue!

[Birdsong]

Thank you for sharing so much of your wonderful trip... this sounds like the best kind of day for you, both spinning AND riding. I am so glad.

[Rachel H]

Sigh. Long, slow, jealous sigh.

What style was the Haldane wheel? I've just got myself a tiny wee Saxony style Haldane from an eBay seller. I'm in love.

[Laurie]

Riding in Scotland - *sigh*. Haldanes....nice. It brought to mind Rachel H's. I love the idea of the handspun.

I think I like the castle ruins better than the restorations. Odd, that.