Seasons in the sun...

The Sutherland broom is fully yellow as we near the end of May. I think it flowered a few weeks later than the last few years. It has been a wet spring and this may have delayed the flowering.

Marking the lambs
Our Saturday walk took us to parts never before viewed. Most crofters here have marked their lambs ready for the hill again. I helped some one last week to mark his flock. The separating and counting, the "branding" and other unmentionable aspects! Marking lambs is a diary marker of the year on the croft. Its the recognition of spring new life the lengthening of the day and a shaking off of the winter and its darkness. Where you live does have an effect on you. Living in the city the winter is just colder. The central heating keeps things constant. In the Highlands? The wet is wetter and for longer. The wind seems sharper the darkness deeper. But the spring time does come.

I have often felt that Lairg as a place shows off the extremes of the Scottish weather. When its cloudy and grey Lairg seems desolate depressed dying on its feet a miserable place. But in the sun it rises like the butterfly from its crusty skin in to beauty and life. When the sun shines on the water at Lairg and the granite of the dam sparkles its the place to admire.

Yet conversations in the last week or so excite me regarding the life of the Church here in Sutherland.

Yes there are historic trenches, misunderstandings but, there are meeting of various church brands there are people praying and equipping themselves for something. There is an expectation of something good. Its like the spring is turning the broom yellow after it lay dormant for so long.

"The fig tree is budding the vine beareth fruit..." will soon come to pass.

As we walked up the hill we came across the signpost clearly marked as Lettie's Grave. Its indicated on the map but I do not know anything about him. I saw him because there is reference to Earl of lettie.
Have you ever got that fascination to find out about something. The curiosity gets the better of me and I commit to find out who he was and what he did in Sutherland. This will be at the same time as I search out for mission work of the 17, 18 and 19 Century in Sutherland. There is a lost heritage in the Highlands, of those reaching the people of the North for the gospel. I dont suppose Lettie was a missionary but he may of spoken to a mission worker many years ago.

Scottish Baptists were working in the Highlands before the Free churches existed! and that will surprise a few in the Highlands and further a field.

Anyway Dornoch library Northern Times I am coming your way.

Was this Letties house or just a sheep fank (pen, stell). Map indicates a sheep fold but the stone work and door posts and lintels suggest otherwise.

I will get to the music bit ...read on.

Near Lettie's grave. Who was he Earl of lettie?