Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Well not dry today either! Up at 6:30 a.m. as the farmer was loading sheep onto a truck for market. Breakfast. On the road by 9:00 a.m. Just past Ardrishaig, drove down the B8024 and then turned onto a smaller road just across from a large collection of greenhouses (a heather nursery) to Lochead Farm, where Dad and my grandfather Fletcher once worked together. Grandfather died there in 1950. I think Dad was there from 1945 – 1952. Took a further drive along through to Ellary. Beautiful Victorian era walled gardens and greenhouses there. Duncan Leitch (husband of my great grandmother’s sister, Margaret McGregor) worked here until their 1911 immigration to Australia. We returned to B8024 and went down to Clackbrech. While passing Ballyaurgan Farm (Mum’s birthplace and that of her mother, Marion McGregor) a tractor came along with a fair herd of cattle trotting behind along the road – the closest thing to cattle droving in Scotland I’ll ever see, I guess! Passed Cretshegan Farm. You can see Crear Farm above it. Took a road up around the back to get a better look at Crear, where Johnston relatives once were. Saw an unbelievable amount of rabbits there. Saw Coulighailtro as well. Stopped for a really nice lunch at the 300+ year old Kilberry Inn. Had smoked haddock, creamed leeks and mashed potatoes with grainy mustard – wonderful! Finally got to have a glass of the cider I was hoping for – it was Magners, I think. Dad had a Maverick beer. Stopped at Leragnahension , walked through old cemetery near the burn, directly opposite from the farm house. Passed Carse and also Dunmore School where the Kerr (relatives) children went. Returned to Lochgilphead. Shopped at Tesco. On the way back to Stroneskar, we stopped at Achnabrec Cemetery. Took lots of pictures there (lots of family in there.) Back at Stroneskar, we passed the farmer/owner, Alisdair McNair, who Dad knows from years ago. A few minutes later, his wife, Sheena, came out to see us too. We weren’t in our caravan 10 minutes when a young man from the house came to our door with a phone message – some very bad news. Neil McInnes (one of the 8 cousins from the Rannoch Station days) had died on Jura last night. We had been due to visit him tomorrow, sadly. Had tea and ham sandwiches. Then headed into Lochgilphead to see Johnnie MacVicar (widower of Neil’s sister, Teena) to find out about any funeral arrangements. Will have to rearrange some of our plans but it will work out alright, I’m sure.