Lamplight Magazine for Moray Jan 2018 by david nelmes

Winter 2018

ISSUE 7

LampLIGHT LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE FOR MORAY & NAIRN I N S I D E

PICK UP YOUR

FREE

Elgin Closes

COPY

BY GLYNIS STAINTON

Love is all Around BY HEIDI M. SANDS

Weddings at Lews Castle

Discover The Isle of Lewis PLUS much more inside... LampLIGHT

19/12/2017

Heating Oil, Commercial and Agricultural Fuels

Fuelling homes, businesses and farms for over 60 years’ Supplier of bulk fuels including Kerosene, Gas Oil, Marine Gas Oil, Diesel & LPG

Competitive pricing

Reliable delivery service

Independent & family owned

Boiler maintenance services

Automatic Top-Up Service

Budget Payment Plan

Shell Lubricants Authorised Distributor

0800 833 534

www.gleaner.co.uk

The Perfect Wedding Venue The Muthu Newton Hotel W NAIRN W

Wedding Open Days/Evenings © Wednesday17th January 5.30pm - 8pm © Saturday 20th January 11am - 4pm © Sunday 4th February 11am - 4pm ©

The Wedding

The Chapel

Call our wedding planner who will be delighted to help you with arrangements for your special day The Newton Hotel offers the perfect Wedding Venue We are licensed to host civil ceremonies & partnerships with receptions up to 250 guests.

For further information call: 01667 453144 email: nwt.sales@muthuhotel.com

Midnight Granite Pride of Scotland

www.mccalls.co.uk For information and prices contact McCalls of Elgin 54 South Street 01343 540590 or elgin@mccalls.co.uk Recognised by the Guild of Master Craftsmen

(GLWRUĘV /HWWHU

:KHUH FDQ , JHW D FRS\ RI /DPSOLJKW"

tĞůĐŽŵĞ ƚŽ ŽƵƌ tŝŶƚĞƌ ĚŝƟŽŶ ŽĨ >ĂŵƉůŝŐŚƚ͘ Ɛ ŽŶ ƉƌĞǀŝŽƵƐ ŽĐĐĂƐŝŽŶƐ Ăůů ŽĨ ŽƵƌ ĂƌƟĐůĞƐ ĂƌĞ ĐŽŵŵŝƐƐŝŽŶĞĚ ĂŶĚ ǁƌŝƩĞŶ ůŽĐĂůůǇ ĂŶĚ ĂƌĞ ĂŝŵĞĚ Ăƚ ďĞŝŶŐ ŝŶƚĞƌĞƐƟŶŐ ĨŽƌ Ăůů ĂŐĞƐ ĂŶĚ ;ŚŽƉĞĨƵůůǇͿ ďŽƚŚ ŵĂůĞ ĂŶĚ ĨĞŵĂůĞ͘ dŚŝƐ ŝƐƐƵĞ͛Ɛ ŵĂŝŶ ĨĞĂƚƵƌĞ ŝƐ Ă ŵŝǆƚƵƌĞ ďĞƚǁĞĞŶ Ă ůƵǆƵƌǇ ďƌĞĂŬ ŝŶ >ĞǁŝƐ ĂŶĚ ĂŶ ŝŶƚĞƌĞƐƟŶŐ ĂƌƟĐůĞ ŽŶ 'ƌĞƚŶĂ Ͳ ďŽƚŚ ŚĂǀŝŶŐ Ă ǁĞĚĚŝŶŐ ĨĞĞů ƚŽ ƚŚĞŵ Ͳ ĂŶĚ ƚŚĞŶ ĨŽůůŽǁŝŶŐ ƚŚŝƐ ǁĞ ŚĂǀĞ ƐŽŵĞ ǁĞĚĚŝŶŐ ĨĂƐŚŝŽŶ ŝĚĞĂƐ͘ tŝƚŚ sĂůĞŶƟŶĞ͛Ɛ ĂǇ ũƵƐƚ ĂƌŽƵŶĚ ƚŚĞ ĐŽƌŶĞƌ ǁĞ ĂůƐŽ ŚĂǀĞ Ă ƉĂŐĞ ŽĨ ŝĚĞĂƐ ĨŽƌ ƉƌĞƐĞŶƚƐ ĂŶĚ ǁŝƚŚ ŚĂƌƐŚĞƌ ǁĞĂƚŚĞƌ ĞǆƉĞĐƚĞĚ ĨŽƌ :ĂŶƵĂƌǇ Ă ͞dŽƉ dŝƉƐ͟ ĨŽƌ ǁŝŶƚĞƌ ĚƌŝǀŝŶŐ͘

LampLIGHT

EĂŝƌŶ - Sainsburys, Co-op &ŽƌƌĞƐ - Tesco, Co-op, Mack & C Logie Steading, Brodie Countryfare ůŐŝŶ - Johnstons, Marks & Spencers, Tesco, Aldi, Lidl, Asda ƵĐŬŝĞ - Tesco, Lidl, Co-op <ĞŝƚŚ - Tesco, Various other shops ďĞƌůŽƵƌ - Spey Larder, Co-op 'ƌĂŶƚŽǁŶ - Co-op, Scotmid >ŽƐƐŝĞŵŽƵƚŚ - Co-op - Queen St, Co-op Faroes Ct

&RQWHQWV LAMPLIGHT IS PUBLISHED BY: Winterburn Media LTD Comraich, Woodside Farm, Kinloss, IV36 3UA

Elgin Closes

- Page 6

Discover: Isle of Lewis

- Page 14

Lews Castle

- Page 16

Tel: 01309 690063

Wedding Dress Styles

- Page 20

EDITOR: DAVID NELMES david@winterburnmedia.co.uk

Love is All Around

- Page 22

Valentine’s Gift Ideas

- Page 30

PRODUCTION: Linda Ferguson - Linda@winterburnmedia.co.uk

Mountain Minister

- Page 32

Winter Car Checks

- Page 37

Tom Angel - Gardening

- Page 44

June Hyndman - Art

- Page 46

ART & DESIGN: Chris Kemp - Chris@winterburnmedia.co.uk SALES: Susan Innes - Susan@winterburnmedia.co.uk Heather Ward - Heather@winterburnmedia.co.uk Rachel Engelmann - Rachel@winterburnmedia.co.uk

ůů ŵĂƚĞƌŝĂů ĐŽŶƚĂŝŶĞĚ ǁŝƚŚŝŶ ƚŚĞ >ĂŵƉůŝŐŚƚ ŵĂŐĂǌŝŶĞ ŝƐ ƐƵďũĞĐƚ ƚŽ ĨŽƌŵĂů ĐŽƉǇƌŽŐŚƚ ƌĞƐƚƌŝĐƟŽŶƐ ĂŶĚ ƚŚĞƌĞĨŽƌĞ ƚŚĞ ƌĞƉƌŽĚƵĐƟŽŶ ŽĨ ĂŶǇ ůŝƐƟŶŐƐ͕ ĞĚŝƚŽƌŝĂů͕ ĂĚǀĞƌƟƐĞƌ ĂƌƚǁŽƌŬ Žƌ ĂŶǇ ŽƚŚĞƌ ĐŽŶƚĞŶƚ͕ ǁŝƚŚŽƵƚ ƚŚĞ ƉŝŶůŝƐŚĞƌƐ ƉƌŝŽƌ consent, will be considered a breach of copyright.

LampLIGHT

19/12/2017

E L G I N CLOSES A N D T H E I R WORTHIES BY GLYNIS STAINTON

Today, behind the bright façade of shop windows and other establishments that line the modern Elgin High Street lie remnants of its original teeming medieval life, known collectively as The Closes. The Closes primarily housed the working class, labourers and artisans, as well as the impoverished of society – a swarming, seething mass of humankind. Crowded in to together, it was a community cauldron of mixed humanity living cheek-by-jowl. It was the recipe for all aspects of the human condition throwing up its characters together with their shared triumphs and disasters. Difficult to believe nowadays, but at its height The Elgin Town Plan of 1822, drawn by Edward Woods, shows almost two hundred inhabited Closes, only a fraction of which survive. Although today it is pedestrianised and bypassed, the hundred yards of the High Street was previously part of the main route running east-west between Aberdeen and Inverness, with the town being entered through gates or ports. At this time, along either side of the High Street, were located the palatial, three storey dwellings and business premises belonging to the wealthy town burgesses, such as the Braco Banking House, built in 1694. With its original cobble stones, Braco’s Close is considered the best surviving Close and is still inhabited today. The Closes ran away from the High Street at right angles and were accessed through an archway, (“Pend”) and “Yett” (Gate), under the burgess’s properties (see illustration).

Braco Banking House

Broaco's Close Cottages

Red Lion Close from High St thro pend

Isaac Forsyth in 1798 in “A Survey of the Province of Moray” describes

Charles Archibald, born and brought up in an Elgin Close in the 1870s,

it thus:

described life in the Closes in an article in the “Elgin Courant and Courier” of December 1938 as follows:

“Behind the houses which front the street, buildings are carried back on either side, in narrow lanes, for the length of

“… Each Close in those days had individuality, a social life, a

eight or ten dwellings, … and containing for the most part

tradition, even an atmosphere of its own. In fact each had its

distinct families.

”

own exclusiveness. Each Close had a privacy of its own and the

”

prying eyes of those from others were not welcome … As stated, many were dominated by certain families or clans, eg, Craigellachie Close, Gordon Close and Fraser’s Close, while other

“…Other Closes almost flaunted their filth and rags, their

Closes were inhabited by professions: Shuttle Row (home to the

drunkenness, their immorality, their idleness. These were no

weavers), Glover Street (where the glovers lived and worked) and

places for honest and respectable poverty and when any

Founders Close.

belonging to this class were compelled to dwell in those foul and slum Closes, it was degradation indeed.

One of those

”

notoriously bad Closes was named “Little Hell.

LampLIGHT

19/12/2017

A Leading Independent boarding and day school for girls aged 5 - 18

admissions@Kilgraston.com Kilgraston School, Bridge of Earn, Perth, PH2 9BQ 01738 812 257

23/06/2017

09:16

06:43

60 Seafield Rd, Inverness

WORLD OF BLINDS

ALL THE LATEST TRENDS & STYLES, MADE TO MEASURE!

Call now for a FREE no-obligation Quote in the comfort of your own home.

(01463) 710 542 www.twob.co.uk

21/12/2017

14:58

BISHOPMILL

Wishing all our

P H A R M A C Y

Customers a

For all your health, beauty & pharmaceutical needs

Fantastic

N\ Xi\ efn jkfZb`jkj f]

2018

NATURAL SKIN CARE An entire range of natural and gentle products that are made with effective ingredients and no gimmicks.

;ip ZXi\ J\ildj F`cj 9XYp IXe^\

Jle JX]\kp ?X`i Xe[ JZXcg ZXi\ :c\Xej\ij

9f[p :Xi\ DXb\ Lg

has helped herds of people )' Efik_ Jk# 9`j_fgd`cc# <c^`e @M*' +<= '(*+* ,+.*.+ & ,+.*0* Y`j_fgd`ccg_XidXZp%Zf%lb 3

LampLIGHT

19/12/2017

The full article is reproduced in Bruce B Bishops pamphlet on “The Closes of Elgin” from his collection of “The Lands and People of Moray” and provides a vivid portrayal. With windows looking over the back walls of the neighbouring Close, as many as ten houses accommodating up to twenty families were squeezed into each of the cobbled Closes. The size and desirability of the properties diminished towards the bottom of the Close, doubtless due to their proximity to the privies, midden and pigsties that were located at the end. Until 1735, when it became banned because of a perceived fire risk, many properties were thatched with heather.

Red Lion Close properties

Water was provided to each Close by means of a shared outside tap

by ForWords, the Forres writing group. A child at the beginning of the

usually located just a few feet away from an open drain/sewer which

20th century, Anne MacKenzie shares some of her earliest recollections

ran down the Close’s length and emptying into gutters either side of the

of life down Singers Alley, so named for its proximity to the Singer

High Street.

sewing machine shop.

On a hot summer day the stench must have even

permeated the washing that permanently festooned each and every Close. There is little wonder that the inhabitants suffered from repeated,

“If you were coming down the Close, you’d hear Mam singing

severe epidemics and outbreaks of the water-borne disease, cholera,

at the kitchen sink while washing clothes. Even though we’d no

as well as typhoid and typhus.

hot water, nothing seemed to get her down. Washing would sometimes get pinched from the shared washing lines. Never

However, those who lived in the Closes most definitely did not suffer

mind that our name was written on the corner of nappies, they

from that common 21st century epidemic, namely “loneliness” as the

still disappeared. When they re-appeared on the line, it was

inhabitants of each Close regarded one another as family. As well as

with the names cut off!

”

sharing in the major stages of life: births, deaths and marriages, other conditions such as love, hate, jealousy, gossip, all conspired to make a

“We

vibrant and colourful backdrop to life. There was little privacy and

Sutherlands, who we’re still friends with today.

shared the outside toilets with our neighbours, the

”

everyone down each Close shared the intimate details of one another’s

“On summer nights us kids would sometimes have a concert.

life.

Neta, whose Mam ran a boarding house at the top of the Close, An illustration of this is to be found in a very recently published

had a lovely singing voice. All the grown-ups would watch from

anthology of Moray memoirs entitled “Only a Lifetime Ago”, collected

their windows (that overlooked the Close).

”

Another good illustration of social life in the Closes of the early 20th century is given in Jessie Kesson’s book, “ A White Bird Passes”, in which she describes her childhood in the 1920s in Lady Lane which still exists, although modernised, at the foot of the Lady Hill.

Gordon Close was infamous for being the abode of those of

“notoriously

bad character, and some of queer traits or

personal peculiarities – people who were known chiefly by their

”

aliases or nicknames.

However, many of the Close’s characters have gained such a reputation that they have passed into legend via various literary sources Properties of Red Lion Close 10

LampLIGHT

under the accolade of “Old Elgin Worthies”, each with their own descriptive nickname.

George “The Garb” King, was an itinerant fiddler of little talent who rented a room in the Red Lion Close from around 1810 until his death in 1845. An article, in “The Elgin Literary Magazine” dating back to 1829 describes him as being “misshapen, unwashed and grotesque”. Dressed like a toff in gentry’s cast-offs, invariably sporting a battered top hat, he was known for plaguing the better areas of Elgin where he received bribes of clothing and coppers to make him go away. He would then return to the Red Lion Inn, located in the Close where he lived, to dispose of his earnings. Peter “The Porridge” Laing. Also living down Red Lion Close, Peter Laing was famed far and wide as the Elgin Centenarian, living to the age of 103. He enjoyed nothing more than giving interviews to those seeking the mysteries of his longevity. On his 100th birthday in 1887 he shared his secrets:

Kilmolymock Close thro pend

“Tak as few dainties as ye can, plenty o’ porridge and brose, tak plenty fresh air and dinna birsle yer shins ower mickle at the fire.

cobbler”. He is described as being spider-like, thin and lanky, and was considered “an idle gossiping creature”. But in 1824, all that changed.

”

In recognition of certain services rendered, John Shanks was

Existing on a diet almost exclusively of porridge, it is estimated he must have eaten 70,000 helpings over the course of his lifetime. A more detailed account of the lives of these two gentlemen is to be found in a pamphlet by Walter Jack, titled “Worthies of Old Elgin”.

appointed Keeper of the Elgin Cathedral ruins which, for decades, had been treated as a dumping ground. Despite his age, he immediately set to work to clear the accumulations of rubbish. With his own hands, he is estimated to have cleared 3,000 barrowloads of debris, laying bare the traces of the Cathedrals original plan. In 1838, aged

William “Birdie” Jenkins was born in Glovers Close in 1809. Although by trade a Shoemaker, he was most famous for being a collector of wild birds, both native and exotic, many of which he was able to teach to sing the most popular songs of the time. He died in 1885.

John Shanks “The Drouthy Cobbler” This gentleman is undoubtedly, the most famous of the Worthies to come from Elgin’s Closes. Born in 1758, he spent the first 66 years of his life as an unremarkable “drouthy

80, John was reported to have said, “the rubbish made an auld man o’ me”. He died, aged 83, in 1841. A stone plaque in the wall of the cathedral bears an epitaph to him and his efforts. It ends with, “Whoso reverences the Cathedral will respect the memory of this man.”

Dr Alexander Gray

Famous for entirely different reasons, Alexander

Gray was born in 1751 down White Horse Close. He amassed a considerable fortune while working twenty years for the East India Company in Bengal, India. On his death in 1807 he made a bequest of £20,000 to establish a hospital for the poor and sick of Elgin. Opened in 1819, Dr Grays hospital is still in use today.

Doubtless, in this modern and comparatively sterile 21st century environment, we would be appalled to be expected to live in the overcrowded and filthy conditions that prevailed two or three centuries ago. However, along with the dirt and grime, could it be that we have also lost something of the camaraderie, fellowship and vitality that was such a fundamental ingredient of life in Elgin’s Closes? Kilmolymock Cottages

LampLIGHT

19/12/2017

June is one of a team of Volunteer Connectors delivering a new type of support to older people with arthritis/other long-term conditions in Nairn and the surrounding area. June lives with Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (EDS) and, therefore, understands the difficulties involved in living with chronic pain and physical limitations. The Staying Connected in Later Life service aims to help people take more control over their lives by participating in a short-term 1-1 mentoring programme. They are matched with a Volunteer Connector who visits them at home to help them:

June was recently matched with Jack, who had been discharged from hospital after a prolonged stay with severe and multiple medical problems. When he returned home, he was using a wheelchair to get around indoors and a scooter for outdoors. Jack was determined to get back on his feet as soon as possible and he was already managing well under the circumstances. But he was feeling quite low about his limitations: the inability to get out in his car, his motorhome, etc. meant he had to find new hobbies. He rarely had visitors and he didn’t like to ask for help either. We used the Older Persons Outcomes Star to identify what Jack wanted to achieve and what stage he was at currently. We looked at what mattered most to Jack, and where he might need some support. From this, we were able to break down Jack’s personal goals into manageable steps and develop an Action Plan that June would support him to follow, making use of self-management techniques to help him take control over his condition.

Learn self-management techniques to better manage their condition(s). Make positive choices to achieve their own personal goals. Identify and engage with community activities to keep them connected.

June visited Jack every Tuesday for eight weeks and they followed the plan together, which enabled Jack to set himself goals in between visits. Each time Jack achieved his weekly goals, he grew in confidence and felt better equipped to make even more progress. As his self-esteem grew, Jack was also doing exercises he had been given by the physiotherapy team, to strengthen his muscles, and using a walker provided by the OT to get about the house. But to get back behind the wheel of his car, he needed a lighter wheelchair. “That’s okay”, says Jack, “I know where I can buy a lightweight wheelchair!”. There was no stopping him, he was highly motivated and thus able to benefit from June’s gentle guidance and support to make steady progress towards his goals. During their eight weeks together, they discussed action-planning,

June

assertive communication, problem-solving, pacing, prioritising, and they identified a group that Jack could join when he was able. And, once he got his lighter wheelchair he could drive himself right to the door and even offer other people a lift. It wasn’t always plain sailing, there were some setbacks, which Jack used the problem-solving technique to resolve. And there were low points when Jack was very anxious about a close family member who was very ill. June provided a valuable listening ear, and reassurance for Jack when he reached a low ebb. With such high expectations of himself, he was prone to getting frustrated at what he perceived as slow progress, but June kept him focused on what was achievable, reminding him how far he had already come in a relatively short period of time. Jack has made excellent progress so far, but more importantly he has picked up some new skills, which he took to very quickly, and will stand him in very good stead in the future. Whoever said you can’t teach an old dog new tricks was clearly wrong! (Jack’s name was changed to protect his identity.) Staying Connected in Later Life is an Arthritis Care service, which is part of Arthritis Research UK since our recent merger. If you or someone you know is:

Isolated or lonely. Living with arthritis or other long-term conditions. Over 60 years of age. Interested in volunteering.

Please Call us for a chat

07773 033 695 We are here to help! stayconnectednairn@arthritisresearchuk.org

LampLIGHT

21/12/2017

14:21

G. CRUICKSHANK & SON LTD

MONUMENTAL SCULPTORS 107-109 MOSS STREET Â&#x2021; KEITH Memorials direct from manufacturer at keen prices

LARGE DISPLAY

01542 887 708

Any cemetery, any area 15:15

www.cruickshankmemorials.co.uk enquries@cruickshankmemorials.co.uk 1 21/06/2017

M.D Podiatry

Podiatry/Chiropody Home Visits

Michaela D Hendry Podiatrist

S T U A R T

ALLAN

PLUMBING & HEATING ENGINEER

Safe, Dry Secure Storage 24 Hour access No water rates, No building insurance

David Lindsay Self Storage at Begrow, Duffus, Elgin IV30 5QW

Park at the door of your own unit

A I L AB LE 24 AV

UR S

www.lindsaystorage.net

Quality workmanship - No job too small

01343 830416

227987

email: michaelahendry2016@gmail.com

T. )*,)2 /0*--2 M. 07795 281197 www.stuartallan.co.uk

TEL: 01309 673708 Mob: 07454255055

A CC E S

B.Sc.(Hons.).Pod.M, M.Ch.S. HCPC Registered

08:41

S A WE

One monthly payment secures your unit for business tools & materials Short & Long term contacts available Free up space in the office or at home by using our purpose built storage units Archive racking can be built to your own specification Business & Domestic users welcome

Contact Angus Duncan for all your storage requirements. Tel 01343 830 416 3

LampLIGHT

19/12/2017

Historical Attractions on the Isle of Lewis... Callanish Standing Stones Callanish Standing Stones areone of the most significant and important megalithic complexes in the whole of Europe. The most well known set of stones is called Callanish 1 and the circle can be seen clearly from the main road. It consists of a number of large pieces of Lewisian gneiss arranged in a cross shape. In the centre of the cross is a monolith and a small chambered cairn.

LampLIGHT

At Callanish there is a visitorsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; centre that provides detailed information. The centre is open all summer, except for Sundays, however, the centre isonly opened for limited days during the winter. A check on opening hours for the visitors centre is required. The stones site itself is always able to be visited, as it is an â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;openâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; site.

Uig Chessmen The Uig Chessman are a famous discovery of a Viking Chess set in a small stone chamber at the edge of the beach, discovered by Malcolm MacLeod in 1831. the chamber were 93 Chess pieces made of Morse Ivory, from the husks of Walrus teeth. The pieces were probably made in Norway in the twelfth Century during the four hundered and fifty years that the Norse ruled Scotland. Eleven of the Chess pieces are on view in the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh and Eighty-Two are in the British Museum in London. Several pieces were displayed at the Museum in Stornoway in 2011. More information on these can be found at Stornoway Museum and also in the Community Museum in Uig.

Blackhouses Isle of Lewis Blackhouses, named not because of the fact that they were in the early days smoke filled and had small windows, but because they were compared to new houses being built in the late 1800’s which were called ‘white houses’. Some of the blackhouses were still inhabited until the middle 1970’s, although it has to be said some blackhouses had fireplaces and chimneys, instead of the chimney free traditional construction.

The design of a blackhouse originates back several thousand years, as does the 14/12/2017 09:13 constructional method. The building consists of

two concentric dry stone walls with a gap between them filled with earth or peat. The roof was either thatched or made up of turfs and constructed upon a wooden frame. The frame was supported by the inner wall, which gave the characteristic look of a shelf around the outside of the building. As the roofing material had to withstand quite extreme weather conditions at times, the roofing material was often secured down by using netting with large stones tied at the ends. Some of the best examples of Blackhouses are at Gearrannan, where it is possible to see a range of houses all in one place. 22/12/2017

10:08

Calanais Visitor Centre & Stones Coffee Shop t (JGU 4IPQ t &YIJCJUJPO $FOUSF 0QFO BMM ZFBS SPVOE QMFBTF TFF XFCTJUF GPS PQFOJOH UJNFT (Closed Sundays)

harristweedhebrides.com

01851 621422 t www.callanishvisitorcentre.co.uk

WOVEN WOVEN BY HAND BY HAND IN IN THE THE OUTER OUTER HEBRIDES HEBRIDES OF OF SCOTL SCOTL AND AND

14/12/2017

10:52

Ropework Park, Stornoway Isle of Lewis HS1 2LB

Phone: 01851 702445

Email: s a l e s @ c h a r l e s m a c l e o d . c o . u k Website: w w w . c h a r l e s m a c l e o d . c o . u k

25 North Beach Stornoway Isle of Lewis Scotland, UK HS1 2XQ t: +44 (0) 1851 700 046 e: shop@harristweedhebrides.com 3

LampLIGHT

19/12/2017

ews Castle is a Category-A listed building set in an extensive designed landscape overlooking Stornoway and is arguably the most dramatic and visible building in the Outer Hebrides. Designed by Charles Wilson in the 1840s, it was built around the remnants of the 1680s Seaforth Lodge for Sir James Matheson. In 1918 the Castle was bought by the industrialist and social engineer Lord Leverhulme who had purchased Lewis with the intention of transforming its economy and social conditions based on modernising the herring fishing. He later gifted the Castle and grounds along with the land of Stornoway parish to the community, leading to the creation of the Stornoway Trust in 1923. 16

LampLIGHT

The result is accommodation with a perfect blend of the classic and contemporary, staying true to the building’s Victorian origins but adding the modern touches that travellers expect such as free Wi-Fi, flat screen televisions, luxury toiletries and high quality linen and towels.

In the 1930s the Castle was let for sporting purposes to Lord and Lady Portarlington. During World War II it was requisitioned by the Admiralty and used as a naval hospital. In 1950 the Castle came into local authority ownership and was converted to a technical college, becoming the first home for Lews Castle College – part of the University of the Highlands and Islands. The Castle continued in educational use up to 1988 when structural problems were discovered. It then sat empty for decades until its re-birth as an innovative heritage and hospitality destination. The £19.5 million regeneration project was led by Comhairle nan Eilean Siar (Western Isles Council) with financial support coming from the Heritage Lottery Fund, Historic Environment Scotland, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, the Scottish Government, European Regional Development Fund and Bòrd na Gàidhlig. The restoration took five years from 2012 to 2017.

A total of 23 bedrooms in a flexible configuration of individual suites and apartments with one to three bedrooms are available. The apartments benefit from spacious living, kitchen and dining areas and a personal concierge service is also available. Guests can expect a complimentary welcome hamper filled with local Hebridean essentials, to ensure their first night (and morning) at the Castle is as restful as possible. Guests also have the option to pre-order groceries from a bespoke island shopping list and a sumptuous ‘dine-in menu’, which are hand-delivered to the luxury suites and apartments for ultimate convenience. Each luxurious room is named after an iconic Hebridean or Scottish cultural reference, such as the ‘Calanais Suite’, taken from the magnificent Callanaish Stones that have been standing proudly on the west of Lewis for thousands of years. There is also the ‘Matheson Suite’, aptly named after Lews Castle’s original owner; Sir James Matheson, and ‘Airinis’ which refers to the iconic lighthouse in the North of Lewis.

National Recognition In March 2017, Lews Castle was named joint winner, with Mount Stewart in Northern Ireland, of the Victorian category of the Great British Buildings Restoration of the Year, a competition organised by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and featured on Channel 4. Lews Castle: Luxury Accommodation in a Breath-Taking Location Lews Castle is the perfect location for those wanting a spectacular Scottish island getaway in a grand and historic setting. Great care has been taken by Natural Retreats to ensure that the look and feel of the accommodation is faithful to the Castle’s origins, with some Hebridean details and a wide variety of locally sourced furnishings. Interior designer NoChintz was given the brief to create rooms that were harmonious with both the Castle but also its setting, standing proud and overlooking Stornoway harbour. They also worked with local businesses to incorporate their products in to the overall design. Elements of the iconic Harris Tweed, for example, were used throughout the rooms to pay homage to the castle’s Hebridean heritage.

To book your stay call the Natural Retreats Xplore Team via 01625 416430 or e-mail info@naturalretreats.co.uk

19/12/2017

LampLIGHT

09:45

A Stunning venue for that special day Ballroom

Bathed in natural light, the grand ballroom has been restored to its former glory, retaining the original chandeliers and stunning panelling. Seating 148 for ceremonies and evening receptions, and up to 120 guests for a wedding breakfast, this beautiful space was made for unforgettable moments.

Dining Room

Steeped in incredibly ornate wooden panelling, and swathed in a regal colour palette of rich reds and blues, the Dining Room is an impressive setting for a wedding celebration or corporate event. Featuring floor-to-ceiling windows with views of the castle grounds, and seating up to 88 delegates, this room offers a unique setting for your next event.

LampLIGHT

Library

With a pretty yellow dĂŠcor, the Library is ideal for smaller wedding breakfasts. Featuring an original fireplace and delicate chandelier, this beautifully finished room is perfect for intimate gatherings and can accommodate up to 60 guests.

Morning Room

The key feature of this final ground floor room is the incredibly detailed botanical murals that perfectly frame the ornately carved fireplace. Hidden beneath years of wallpaper, and now perfectly restored from their original Victorian splendour, these delicate artistic works make the room utterly romantic, and are perfectly complemented by the far-reaching views of Stornoway harbour. For private events the Morning Room can seat up to 34 guests.

Whisky Bar

The Bar recreates the experience of an old-fashioned whisky bar. Rich materials such as marble, walnut and brass for the bar joinery, are used alongside velvet upholstery to give a sense of grandeur to the space. The chosen lighting above the bar reflected the traditional cut glass whisky glasses, and added a sense of drama to the design.

To find out more: Contact the Natural Retreats Events Team via events@naturalretreats.co.uk or call 01625 416424

14/12/2017

15:40

19/12/2017

10:59

WEDDING DAY FIREWORKS! from just

GR EAT VAL UE !!

£795!

‘Quote “LampLight” on enquiry for a free Sparkler Finale’

All Inclusive Prices Our fully managed displays include the following: Professionally trained crew Venue risk assessment All organisation and negotiations with your venue Site clear up after the display No hidden charges

Visit us online at www.

Our customers say: awesome day! Everybody has been talking about them for days after and I can’t thank you enough for helping to make the proceedings certainly go with a bang!” Angela

Ɣ Call our team to book your show 0330 022 1911 3

LampLIGHT

19/12/2017

Choosing the perfect wedding dress is usually

one of the first things on your mind after becoming engaged, and sometimes this is easier said than done with all the choice out there! Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s all too easy to feel overwhelmed when there are so many different wedding dress styles on offer. When you enter the wonderful world of bridal design the terminology can get a bit confusing. If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re baffled about which style then fear not, here is a quick guide to what are the popular styles you can choice for your sepcial day.

3 LampLIGHT

Ballgown

A-line

Mini

Mermaid

Sheath

Tea-Length

Trumpet

Other Styles are avaiable

19/12/2017

09:09

White Shadow W E DDI NG F I L MS

If love is blind why not let us be your eyes At White Shadow Wedding Films we strive to work with you to give you a wedding film that you will want to treasure forever

£250 OFF Spey Package (Orignal price £1,250) for

booking with Mansion House Hotel, Elgin and Banff Springs Hotel

£100 OFF 3-4 hour photo booth when booked with Seating Styles

1 Station Cottages, Newmill Road, Keith. Whiteshadowweddingfilms@gmail.com 07825whiteshadowweddingfilms.com 229237 whiteshadowweddingfilms.com 20/12/2017

13:12

www.clanhouse.org #LivingWithCancer

7 Do something special Make CLAN Cancer Support part of your big day. Support CLAN Cancer Support on your special day. By making a donation in lieu of table gifts or favours, you will be helping to support anyone affected by cancer in the heart of local communities across north-east Scotland, Moray, Orkney and Shetland. To find out more about CLAN’s favours, pin badges and table accessories, please get in touch

Telephone: 01224 647000 fundraising@clanhouse.org

Cancer support for all 3

LampLIGHT

19/12/2017

Love2 i s a l l a ro u n d

By1 22

LampLIGHT

Heidi M. Sands.

Thirty years ago things were somewhat different when it came

It was Scottish super-group Wet, Wet, Wet that sang about love being all around, and if there’s one place where that is true then it’s at Gretna Green. It’s almost three decades since I was invited to a

to marriages at Gretna Green than they are today. Then civil weddings still took place in the registry office with the blessing taking place over the anvil in the old blacksmith’s shop. Today with new rules the wedding ceremony actually takes place in the old smithy just as it did in the days of old. Running away to Gretna to get married became fashionable when in the 1750s Lord Hardwicke came up with the ‘Marriage Act’ which stipulated that anyone wishing to marry without

wedding celebration there and

their parent’s consent had to be at least 21 years of age. This

recently, I returned to have another

stipulation only applied in England however, and for the next

look at the place where unmarried couples once ran away to and many still go to get married.

hundred years this paved the way to couples from England heading north, evading pursuing parents and marrying over the anvil in one of the first Scottish places that they arrived at. That place was, by and large, Gretna Green, simply because it was the first stopping place over the border for northern bound stagecoaches.

LampLIGHT

19/12/2017

10:58

T H E

ELGIN MARBLE C O M PA N Y

Craftsmen in MARBLE, GRANITE & SLATE since 1919

Fireplaces & Stoves Kitchen Worktops in Granite, Quartz & Silestone Â&#x2021; ),9( (1 68,7( :+,6.< 7+(0(' %('52206 $%(5/285 */(1FA5&/$6 */(1),'',&+ */(1/,9(7 $1' 0A&$//$1

Â&#x2021; )5(6+/< 35(P$5(' &217(0325$5< 6&277,6+ &8,6,1( Â&#x2021; )$17$67,&$//< 672&.(' :+,6.< %$5 Â&#x2021; 6&277,6+ 5($/ $/( Â&#x2021; 67811,1* 9,(:6 29(5 7+( 5,9(5 63(< Â&#x2021; ),6+,1* 3$57,(6 &$7(5(' )25

THE MASH TUN - 8 BROOMFIELD SQUARE - ABERLOUR - AB38 9QP Tel:01340 881771

www.mashtun-aberlour.com 24

LampLIGHT

Traditional and Contemporary designs supplied and fitted Showroom open 9-5 Mon-FrL Â&#x2021; -4 Sat New Elgin Road | Elgin | Moray | IV30 6BA

Tel: 01343 547289 info@elgin-marble.co.uk www.elgin-marble.co.uk

In the early days of runaway marriages it seems that almost any

History does not record how many of these runaway marriages

place in Gretna would do for a speedy wedding and whilst the

were happy or long-lived and no doubt there were many

blacksmith’s shop of today is widely acknowledged as being

couples who had time to regret their decision to wed without

the place to actually get married, both then and now, there

due care, consideration and parental consent. By the 1850s, a

were and are other establishments offering the same service.

little over a hundred years after the inception of the Marriage Act that instigated runaways to elope to Gretna, Lord

Then, for many runaway couples, the first place, house,

Brougham brought in a change that ended anvil style

residency, hostelry, inn, drinking establishment or blacksmith’s

weddings. A ‘cooling off’ period was now required, where at

shop that they saw would do as a wedding venue. Once there

least one party out of the couple was required to live in

they would make their case, plight their troth and plead with the

Scotland for three weeks prior to any wedding.

landlord, blacksmith or whoever to put down his tools, clean off This one single act brought the

his hands, find suitable witnesses and marry them in haste lest

lucrative wedding business in

anyone following should

Gretna almost to its knees and

appear and put an end to their

although some resilient couples still

marriage plans.

ran away, hid themselves for the required three weeks and

Those supplying the priestly act

undertook their wedding in Gretna,

of marriage to the runaway

more couples sought to obey the

couples soon became aware of

law and wait until parental consent

just how lucrative such a

was granted or they reached the

service was, in spite of little or

required 21st birthday before

no formal training to do so.

marrying in England.

While it wasn’t true in England, in Scotland just about anyone

At the turn of the 20th century, and

could perform a marriage

with a new man at the helm of the

ceremony so long as the

original blacksmith’s shop the

couple in question declared

wedding business picked up

their love for each other in front

again, only to fall silent one more

of witnesses. In the

time in 1939 when Parliament

blacksmith’s shop the ‘anvil

outlawed the performing of

priest’ became popular for

marriages by anyone not ordained

such a service and in time

to do so in either a church or registry

several men held the title and became famous for marrying

office. Couples with a romantic eye still turned up at Gretna

people over the anvil.

however, and in the same way as the wedding I was invited to almost thirty years ago, wed at the registry office before making

As word spread about the relative ease with which a runaway couple under the

their way to the old blacksmith’s shop for their age old blessing over the anvil.

age of twenty-one could be married in

Today, in the same way as it’s always been, brides and grooms

Scotland, so did the number of couples

make their way to Gretna to seal their love in time honoured

eloping. No matter what time of the day or night it was, someone in Gretna would be prepared to conduct a quick wedding ceremony in exchange for payment.

fashion. All manner and ages of couples yearn to be married at Scotland’s wedding capital and while it’s no longer necessary to elope to be married there and further changes in the law now mean that once again marriages can take place over the anvil, some couples still prefer the privacy away from prying eyes that Gretna can provide. 3

LampLIGHT

19/12/2017

For some couples simple is best when it comes to getting married at Gretna and, with no-one but their witnesses and the celebrant, they marry quietly. For others a full wedding party is required complete with Scottish piper. Some turn up in themed dress; one young wedding couple we saw were attired in top hat and gothic garb and yet others arrive in style in vintage vehicles or horse-drawn carriages. Romance is certainly not out of style at Gretna. Time waits for no-one when it comes to marriage or so it seems, and further changes have seen same-sex civil partnerships allowed since 2005. As a wedding venue Gretna Green has evolved enormously since I was first there. Not only have the original buildings been much restored but further building and expansion has also taken place. It’s a huge draw to the many visitors each year who wish to see and experience the ambience of the place and who take a turn around the small town that has seen so many couples joined in matrimony. As well as wedding ceremonies it’s also possible to have an age old ‘handfasting’ at Gretna, where hands are literally tied or bound with ribbon, rope or similar to join together a loving couple. This ‘handfasting’ harks back to a time when marriage ceremonies were less formal and a couple could tie themselves to each other for a limited time, usually a twelve month period, with a ‘get out clause’ which meant that by simply turning your back on each other at the end of the allotted time, both were free to leave this loose arrangement if they so wished. Many of course didn’t and went on to a more formal marriage.

In this day and age where so much is unpredictable it’s good to visit Gretna Green and see how marriage in this small Scottish town has endured. The history that surrounds the love, elopement and weddings of over two centuries is there for all to see. Stop in on your way by, take some time and bring the romantic past to life. 26

LampLIGHT

NEW YEAR NEW KITCHENS If you’re a Business or tradesperson you’re invited to open a TRADE ACCOUNT today! We understand what it takes to make a great looking kitchen, & importantly one that works every time, every day. Our products are from stock we have trained designers that offer a FREE Planning & Design Service At Howdens its not all about Kitchens we offer a full range of doors, flooring, skirting & appliances.

KITCHENS MEASURED, DESIGNED & DELIVERED IN 24HRS

WE BEAT ALL KITCHEN, APPLIANCE, JOINERY & HARDWARE PRICES FROM ANYWHERE ON LIKE FOR LIKE BASIS

KITCHENS

DOORS

SINKS

HARDWARE

HOWDENS ELGIN

APPLIANCES

FLOORS

36 Tyock Industrial Estate, Elgin IV30 1XY Tel: 01343 541250 Email: elgin@howdens.com

TAPS

WARDROBE DOORS

BATHROOMS

CONSUMABLES

CALL US NOW

Tel: 01343 541250

Brought to you by:

UK FRANCHISE OF THE YEAR RUNNER UP

2013

GreenThumb, About us and looking towards the New Year. Our small team of 4. based here in the Moray Firth, will have a busy year ahead as we will have over 1,100 regular customers presenting us with their lawn problems. Sounds a lot, but we are a pretty small franchise up here though. GreenThumb across the UK will have 500,000 customers this year! As we will be providing local monthly updates as the season unfolds through the year again in this magazine, we thought it might be nice to let you see where we are based. Although we don’t know exactly what the weather will throw at us this season, we have a fair idea what we will be asked to tackle. Highlights will likely include: Winter Months Moss and thatch; we will be aerating and scarifying all hours of the day to get through everybody before the Spring Weed and Feed Treatments start. Also look out for leatherjackets emerging (crane fly grubs) and eating lawn roots, sometimes causing devastation. Spring Months Weed kiill and Spring fertiliser; we will want some decent weather to get lawns off to a good start. Spring 2017 was lovely, but a nice Spring has been a rarity recently..

Summer Months Mowing; best practice is never cut shorter than 1”. Mowing too close is the most destructive thing you can do to a lawn (usually a man-thing) and in particular encourages moss to flourish! June is when we will likely see the first signs of Red Thread fungal disease damage (wet summers are the worst). We’ve had 2 wet Summers in a row now. Autumn Months Moss control treatments and winter feeds; we will want to get all our customers’ lawns ready for next winter, and most will want to think about aerating and scarifying outwith the growing season, either themselves or using us and our machines.

Alastair Watt

For more information about seasonal lawn improvements from just £15 per treatment, plus useful downloads and photos, go to www.greenthumb.co.uk. Although GreenThumb is a national franchise with over 200 branches across the UK, we are locally based in Nairn and cover the whole Moray Firth area. Contact Alastair or Fiona for a FREE LAWN ANALYSIS on 01667 460012, or email us at: inverness@greenthumb.co.uk 28

LampLIGHT

PRICES FROM

Â£11.25 MONTH

01667 460012 www.greenthumb.co.uk Email: Inverness@greenthumb.co.uk 3

LampLIGHT

19/12/2017

LampLIGHT

16:10

IAN FRASER LOCAL PROFESSIONAL

DECORATOR For all your Interior and Exterior work including Ames Taping FORRES

01309 675191 21/12/2017

14:38

((B Buucckkiiee)) L Lttdd Registered Charity No.SC022504

The Highland Veteran’s Handyperson Service is for armed forces veterans aged 65+ residing in Highland and Moray. We are here to help you with minor repairs in and around the home.

There is no charge for our time or travel costs Please contact the Highland Veteran’s Handyperson Service on:

01349 884774

• • • • • • •

•

• • • • • • •

The Highland Veteran’s Handyperson Service is a partnership between ILM Highland and Unforgotten Forces, with funding from the Aged Veterans Fund.

www.ilmhighland.co.uk handyperson@ilmhighland.co.uk Tel: 01349 884774 Unit 1G, Teaninich Ind. Estate, Alness, IV17 0XS 3

LampLIGHT

19/12/2017

Notes From

Mountain The

Minister

LampLIGHT

Hills 7 The Scottish hills are a great place for deepening already established friendships and for forging new ones. A few trips out with the same people and you soon learn things about them that you would never have otherwise known. One friend of my mine (I won’t give his real name because he is actually a good friend!) came to be known as ‘Chunky

Rivers.’ This was partly because whenever we drove out to the hills down some winding, undulating single track road, he was inevitably sick and we had to pull into a layby in order for him to regurgitate his breakfast and therefore ‘blow chunks’. The second half of his nickname came from the fact that whenever we had to cross a river (large or small), if anyone was going to fall in, it was him; hence Chunky Rivers was born! There is something about walking with someone or being on the road with people that opens up their true character, that day to day living at home can easily conceal. At the end of a long day of walking, probably sore in more than one part of your body, tired, hungry and sweaty, not to mention quite often wet, a person’s real character is often exposed. It’s easy to be pleasant and helpful if you’re out for a coffee for an hour; even if you’re having a really bad day, a ‘brave face’ can be found for an hour or two. However, three days into a backpacking exploration of the Highlands‘ valleys and peaks, when there’s nowhere to hide from your fellow walkers, no respite from your companions’ close and intimate proximity (especially if there’s three of you sharing a two man tent, which has happened to me more than once), the ‘real you’ is much harder to hide.

19/12/2017

LampLIGHT

09:45

My advice would be to pick your

stuffâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; about us, it can also expose the best

walking buddies wisely. If you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t like

within our friends or cement even firmer an

constant chatter avoid walking with that

already strong friendship.

highlight of that trip! The one thing, however, that has always stuck with me, was the sheer joy of

person with the wide mouth and the lightning quick tongue! For not only does a long walk in

A friend and I (not Chunky Rivers)

that fact that neither of us moaned. In fact, we

the hills reveal the deep characters of your

once walked the three hour path in to climb

plodded on for two hours, side by side, and

friends, it also exposes your own. So not only

Carn Dearg, Geal Charn, Aonach Beag and

didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t speak a word, and I remember

can you journey deep into the wilderness to

Beinn Eibhinn. These are quite remote hills so

thinking, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;what a wonderful friendship I had.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; It

explore what that holds, you can also at the

we took a tent knowing we would spend the

wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t an awkward silence, it wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t because

same time, journey deep into your own self

night in, quite literally, the middle of nowhere

one of us was a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;fun-spongeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; or in a grump, it

and explore what lurks there â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not

(for any map lovers out there, it was OS Grid

wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t anything like that; it was simply

necessarily as beautiful a place as the

Ref NN449733 or there about). It was a

because we were totally at ease in each

Scottish landscape! As Daniel (of the Lionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

twelve hour day of walking and we pitched

otherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s company.

Den fame) once declared of God:

the tent after descending the fourth Munro of the day, Beinn Eibhinn. For late May there

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Blessed be the name of God

was an awful lot of deep snow still around

IRUHYHU DQG HYHU ÂŹ

which made the going tougher than we would

WR ZKRP

belong wisdom and might â&#x20AC;Ś He

have liked, and we awoke the next morning in

UHYHDOV GHHS DQG KLGGHQ WKLQJV ÂŹ

a chilly mist that soon turned into heavy rain.

We walked for about two hours back along

knows

what

the

GDUNQHVV ÂŹ DQG WKH OLJKW GZHOOV with him.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; - Daniel 2:20-22 But not only can it reveal the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;not so good 34

LampLIGHT

the valley to where we had begun climbing the day before, at the foot of Carn Dearg. The prospect of the three hour walk back out of the Alder Estate to the car was not the

Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve done a number of things with my friend in

the fifteen years we’ve known each other, but

as those who ‘walked with God.’ This turn of

it’s been our times out walking together that

phrase indicated that wherever they went,

has given us an understanding and an

they had a companion who was there with

appreciation of who the other person is and

them for the long haul. In fact, in the book of

what they are like. There’s an African proverb

Revelation (3:4), we’re told that those who

that says, ‘if you want to walk fast, walk

‘walk with God here’ will also ‘walk with the

alone. If you want to walk far, walk together,’

Lord forever.’ What a comforting thought,

although I would add, it’s not just the distance

exciting prospect and certain hope, those

that counts, it’s the difficulty of the path too.

who walk with the Lord here, have for the

Walking alongside someone for a mile on a

future! But of course, it goes without saying

smooth flat tarmac road is vastly different to

that you have to walk with him here, if you

walking with someone for twenty miles along

want to walk with him there. For it’s when we

a rough, rocky track that incorporates steep

walk with someone for a long time that we get

ascents and descents.

to know them and … when we really get to know ourselves. But those who walk with the

Life can have its smooth paths at times but it can also have its fair share of ups

Lord (and only those) can claim the words of Ps. 23 for themselves:

and downs, of dead ends and dangerous destinations. The one thing that makes a hard

WKDW ¶HYHQ WKRXJK ,¬

journey more bearable is having a good friend

through the valley of the shadow

with which to share it. When the Bible talks

of death, I will fear no evil, for

about people having a relationship with God,

\RX DUH¬ZLWK¬PH \RXU URG DQG

it often describes it as ‘walking with God.’

your staff, they comfort me.’

Abraham, Enoch, King David, Josiah and

ZDON¬

many other biblical characters are described

19/12/2017

LampLIGHT

09:45

15:01

EST

1976 Â&#x2021; Buckie

MOT Testing, Servicing and Repairs, Engine diagnostic check for most cars. Opening Hours Mon-Fri, 8.00am - 5.00pm Saturday closed

At GNF Cleaning (Elgin) Ltd we offer the highest standard of cleaning in the Elgin, Moray, Grampian and Highland areas.

Call us on: 01542 833 018

So why choose GNF Cleaning (Elgin) Ltd?

www.highlandgarage-moray.co.uk

U Commercial and contract cleaning U More than 20 years of experience U Office and window cleaning U Reliable and professional service UÃ&#x160;Buildersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; cleans U Property maintenance cleaning U Flood damage cleaning and restoration U Fully insured

THE GUN EXCHANGE FOR ALL YOUR SHOOTING NEEDS RETAILERS OF SHOTGUNS, RIFLES, AMMUNITION AND A GOOD RANGE OF COUNTRY CLOTHING 107 MOSS STREET,KEITH AB55 5EZ thegunexchange@yahoo.co.uk TEL 01542 887708

Need a flexible, reliable and fast cleaning service? Call GNF Cleaning (Elgin) Ltd today!

01343 551 633

19/09/2017

10:36

Roof Wizard

7 -Â¶V 3$,17 6+23

Specialising in car body repairs, artwork and customisation of vehicles

ROOF WIZARD ROOFING SERVICES

3+(120(1$/ 3$,17:25. %2'<:25. 5(3$,56 &86720 '(6,*16 )5(( 4827( Contact Trevor Jones: TJâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Paint Shop 07717 453567 jonespainter@aol.com 5 Parade Spur South, Elgin IV30 8GH

Mon - Sat: 9am - 5.30pm

WIZARD JCB EXCAVATION & DIGGING SERVICES

JAYCEEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S COMPUTER CENTRE (Est 1987)

UPGRADES SOFTWARE CONSULTANCY SUPPORT EPOS SYSTEMS COMPUTER GAMES

SMALL or LARGE APPLICATIONS STANDARD or BESPOKE SOLUTIONS

FOR FREE ADVICE TELEPHONE BOB

FORRES 676285, 55 HIGH STREET, FORRES 36

LampLIGHT

www.jaycees.co.uk

SPECIALISING IN THE DESIGN BUILD and INSTALLATION OF PC SYSTEMS

Ã® Ã®

ZZZ URRI ZL]DUG FR XN Ã® HQTXLULHV#URRI ZL]DUG FR XN

PLAN YOUR

JOURNEY

LEAVE MORE

TIME

Before you set off, plan your journey carefully. Use a Route Planner to get updates on traffic news to help make your journey as smooth as possible. Consider areas that are going to be exposed to the elements, and perhaps prone to flooding. Keep up-to-date with local weather to ensure you aren't caught out. Allow for more time than you normally would before you leave to clear car windows, mirrors, lights and the top of your roof of snow before setting off, driving with snow on you car could result in you breaking the law. You will also need to de-ice your windscreen and you will need to take time to clear the inside of your windscreen too as it is illegal to drive without full visibility through all of your windows . It’s also a good idea to carry a lock de-icer with you to clear your lock. If your locks do get frozen, try warming the key or spraying de-icer or an oil-based lubricant into the lock.

CHECK YOUR

WIPERS

Make sure any auto wiper control is switched off before turning the ignition on as this could blow the wiper control fuse if they are frozen to the screen. Your wipers need to be in good working order so you’re able to clean your windscreen effectively.

CHECK YOUR

Check tyres for adequate tread. Poor tyres will not grip when driving on snow and ice. If you live in an area where snow is common it might be worth changing to winter tyres with deeper tread. If conditions are really bad you might want to consider the use of snow socks or even snow chains.

CHECK YOUR

Use a good quality screenwash that protects down to at least -35 to prevent the water from freezing. If you don’t, your windscreen wipers could be rendered useless in extreme conditions

TYRES SCREENWASH

PACK FOR THE

WORST

Be prepared for every eventuality by ensuring that your car is equipped with the following: demisting pad, torch (wind-up so you don’t run out of battery), a hi-vis vest to make you visible if you break down, a blanket to keep you warm, some food, a drink, spare screenwash, de-icer, ice scraper, shovel, phone charger, map, a first aid kit, a warning triangle, some jump leads, a spade and a square of carpet that you can use to put under your drive wheels should you get stuck in the snow. The most important thing to take with you before driving in snow is a charged mobile phone with the phone number of your breakdown provider stored in it so you can always call for help.

Source Credit: RAC Website 4

19/12/2017

LampLIGHT

09:45

Chef’s Menu one evening each month booking essential "Excellent night, delicious food, great value and friendly staff"

Coffee shop Arts and crafts shop Gift shop

cafe and restaurant 13 Main Road, Alves, Moray, IV30 8UR

Closed Mon & Tues ALVES

01343 850401 08:52

A K Cleaning Elgin ‘For all your cleaning requirements in Moray’ 01343 552177 / 07789 811418

LAUNDRY & IRONING SERVICE Other Services:

Domestic Cleaning One-off Cleans Rental Properties Holiday Homes Carpet Cleaning Community Halls

Offices Laundry Ovens Ironing

akcleaningelgin@yahoo.com 38

LampLIGHT

WAS £299

NOW £150 Only a few remaining

WAS £399

NOW £160

Complete set Other colours available

Only a few remaining

WAS £999

NOW £499 Only one left

BUCKIE

F LO O R I N G & M O B I L I T Y SPECIALISTS FOR OVER 30 YEARS IN CARPETS, BEDS, BLINDS & BEDROOM FURNITURE

NOW £220 Only a few remaining

NOW £70 NOW £80 NOW £150

LAMP TABLE - WAS £140 COFFEE TABLE - WAS £199 TV CABINET - WAS £299

HURRY - SALE NOW ON F U R N I T U R E

WAS £499

45 Church Street, Buckie AB56 1BP www.buckiefurniture.co.uk buckiefurniture@gmail.com (01542) 832653

What a way to start the New Year! Monday - Saturday 9.30am - 5pm (Closed 1-2pm) Open all day Saturday

1000’s OF NEVER TO BE REPEATED BARGAINS

Perfect for making porridge and for using in a wide variety of healthy recipes Visit our website for inspiration

www.hamlynsoats.co.uk

BUTTERSCOTCH AND APPLE

OATY CRUMBLE By Nick Nairn

4 People 2.5 hours

(or 45 minutes if using ready made caramel)

Easy

Ingredients 450g Bramley apples 200g Tin Condensed Milk

METHOD First, gently boil the can of condensed milk in a large lidded pan of water. This turns the condensed milk into caramel. It will take about 2 hours, boiling gently. Keep topping up the water to make sure the can is covered at all times. Remove and allow to cool before opening. If you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have time to make your own caramel you can use a jar of ready-bought caramel instead.

50g

Butter

50g

Demerara Sugar for the topping

120g Chilled Butter 125g White Granulated Sugar 125g Soft Dark Brown Sugar 125g Hamlyns Scottish Porridge Oats 120g Plain Flour Good Pinch of Cinnamon

For the crumble topping, mix together all the ingredients apart from the oats until you get what resembles fine breadcrumbs, then add the oats. Using your hands squeeze the mixture to form a ball then break it into small pieces again. This will ensure your crumble topping has texture once cooked. Peel the apples, remove their core and cut into 2cm chunks. Heat a heavy based saucepan on the stove, melt the butter then add the apples, sugar and cinnamon. Cook gently for 5-6 minutes till the apples start to soften slightly. Remove from the heat and allow to continue to cook in their own heat for 3-4 minutes then chill. Once chilled spoon a third of the apples into the serving dish and top with half of the caramel. Repeat this process finishing with the final layer of apples. Top with the crumble mix and place into the oven at 170C for 10-15 minutes until the crumble is golden brown and cooked through. Serve with your favourite custard or ice cream.

hamlynsoats.co.uk l 01261 843330 4

19/12/2017

LampLIGHT

09:45

15:45

K McGregor

CARPENTER & JOINER New Builds Kitchens

21/12/2017

10:53

2018 SEASON

Renovations uPVC Doors Windows Cladding Commercial Work All trades supplied Free Estimates

No Job Too Small 07799 414872 s 01343 818220 kmcgregorjoinery@gmail.com 21/12/2017

14:49

J Rhind & Co Woodside Farm

2018 Full Membership........... £230 Senior Membership ....... £185 Ladies Member ............ £150 Country Membership ...... £185

We are a family run farm with a Farm shop, Coffee shop and indoor play area on site (suitable for under 7’s). In the farm shop we sell our own seasonal Vegetables, Potatoes, Free Range Eggs, and Aberdeen Angus Beef. Our Coffee shop has great coffee , teas and treats. We do light lunches soup, sandwiches and baked potatoes. We also sell some Toys Bruder, Puppet Company, Schleich and Wow along with some small wooden nick-nacks.

Monday to Saturday - 10.30am - 4pm Sunday - 11.30am - 4pm Woodside Farm, Kinloss, Forres, Morayshire, IV36 3UA Telephone: 01309 690258 42

LampLIGHT

Junior Membership......... £45 Couple Joining Together..£350 TEL 01343 850585 info@kinloss-golf.co.uk Contact webpage for more details www.kinloss-golf.co.uk

EVERYTHING TO KEEP YOU COMFORTABLE THIS WINTER Standard with variable angle lift & tilt on seat lift. Supplied as standard in maximum tilt lowest lift position but may easily be adjusted to achieve higher flatter lift or very high virtually flat lift. Top quality British action stringently tested to ensure product strength, rigidity, safety & durability.

Single motor tilt-in space action maintains initial sit position throughout recline, eliminates friction & shear forces whilst spreading body weight over a wider area to minimise pressure points.

Simplicity of just two handset buttons & choice of handsets. Very effective high ankle elevation & good TV watching position.

21 West Road, Greshop Industrial Estate, Forres IV36 2GW (Behind Lidl) 0QFO .POEBZ 'SJEBZ BN UP QN t &BTZ QBSLJOH EJTBCMFE UPJMFU GBDJMJUJFT 01309 676677 t TDPUMBOE!NPPSJOHTNFEJRVJQ DPN

Cornus sanguinea under a Himalayan Birch

Winter can be one of the most magical times in the garden. It is all too easy to forget about the garden over the winter, abandoning it to the elements, but

TOM ANGEL IS A CHARTERED

with some carefully chosen plants you can be looking out on your very own

HORTICULTURIST AND GARDEN

winter wonderland. I believe it’s so important to think about this when

DESIGNER BASED IN AVIEMORE. TOM PROVIDES GARDEN DESIGN AND HORTICULTURAL SERVICES AS ‘THE MOUNTAIN GARDENER’, HAVING PREVIOUSLY RUN HIS OWN COMMERCIAL GARDENING BUSINESS FOR TWELVE YEARS.

gardening in the Highlands because our winters can go on a bit! Firstly, there are a number of plants that flower during the winter, including Mahonia japonica and Viburnum tinus. Whilst not the most exciting of shrubs, they provide year-round greenery and flower in the winter, so they are a useful addition to a garden. There are a number of different cultivars of Mahonia so have a good look around at what is on offer. Note that in milder areas, Viburnum tinus can be prone to damage from Sawfly larvae and this is best treated with specific nematodes which can be bought online. Witch Hazels are winter-flowering trees, but they are very tricky to get established.

TOM ALSO WRITES A BLOG WHICH

Plants with colourful stems or foliage provide more options, some of which are

YOU CAN FIND ON HIS WEBSITE AT

really striking. Densely planted Cornus sanguinea ‘Midwinter Fire’ (a kind of

WWW.THEMOUNTAINGARDENER.CO.UK

absolutely spectacular, sufficient to rival the majority of summer flowerbeds!

Dogwood) underneath a Betula utilis var. jacquemontii (Himalayan Birch) look Keep the Dogwood pruned hard every spring (once they are mature), and you will be rewarded with striking and vivid orange stems. There are smaller plants such as Heleborus niger (Christmas Rose) that flower in the winter too. As well as the Himalayan Birch, there are numerous trees with beautiful looking bark that can make a real feature in a garden. These include the Tibetan Cherry (Prunus serrula ‘Tibetica’) and Snakebark Maple (Acer capillipes) which

LampLIGHT

Cornus sanguinea under a Himalayan Birch

Winter can be one of the most magical times in the garden. It is all too easy to forget about the garden over the winter, abandoning it to the elements, but

TOM ANGEL IS A CHARTERED

with some carefully chosen plants you can be looking out on your very own

HORTICULTURIST AND GARDEN

winter wonderland. I believe it’s so important to think about this when

DESIGNER BASED IN AVIEMORE. TOM PROVIDES GARDEN DESIGN AND HORTICULTURAL SERVICES AS ‘THE MOUNTAIN GARDENER’, HAVING PREVIOUSLY RUN HIS OWN COMMERCIAL GARDENING BUSINESS FOR TWELVE YEARS.

TOM ALSO WRITES A BLOG WHICH

Plants with colourful stems or foliage provide more options, some of which are

YOU CAN FIND ON HIS WEBSITE AT

really striking. Densely planted Cornus sanguinea ‘Midwinter Fire’ (a kind of

WWW.THEMOUNTAINGARDENER.CO.UK

absolutely spectacular, sufficient to rival the majority of summer flowerbeds!

LampLIGHT

19/12/2017

Featured Artist

June J Ju ne H Hyndman

(Lillico)

My mixed media practice is inspired by human relationships. My recent work draws on my own experience as a daughter, a mother of three and, since last year, as a grandmother. After graduating from Glasgow School of Art I taught at several academic institutions across Britain. I am now tutor of Fine Art Textiles at Moray School of Art, and I love the process of helping students develop their very individual, creative ideas. So much of creativity is about relationships. 46

LampLIGHT

Mixed Media Cradleboard

Heart Cradle

I first explored Native American traditions and rituals around birth and family while bringing up my own children. The blanket and cradle board are important to the history and culture of native peoples from Canada to Mexico, but they also speak across generations and cultures. My work references the cradleboard and native blanket as metaphors for love, care and family connection.

Birth Cord

I was born in Motherwell, and my father worked at the Ravenscraig Steelworks. I was lucky to have a close-knit extended family, and my drawing and stitching were encouraged from an early age. I have fond memories of my

Birth Cord

father building me my first easel and choosing my first Singer sewing machine when I was just 11. That atmosphere of love and support was priceless. Now my daughter is bringing up her own daughter, my mother has just turned 90, and I see the importance of those caring relationships down the generations. There is something incredible about the bonds that connect us across time and place - that is what my practice celebrates. 3

LampLIGHT

19/12/2017

The American cradleboard and blanket were functional, but also had a ritual significance. The native blanket was an essential of daily life, becoming a shelter, a coat, a bed, a saddle or even a shroud. Yet blankets were woven with symbols and used in rituals and as gifts to commemorate special events. The cradleboard was basically a baby carrier a flat board or wood or woven material with a footrest and a rounded cover for the baby's head. It could be worn on the mother's back, set up on the ground like a baby chair or fastened to a sled or to the side of a horse for longer journeys. It provided protection for the baby's spine, warmth from the elements, and allowed the woman to go about her daily tasks. Yet it was also a ritual object, welcoming and protecting the child and preparing it for the spiritual as well as the practical life of the community. Before the child's birth the women would gather to decorate the cradleboard with stitching, beads and natural materials. Ornaments and sacred amulets were attached to the headpiece, including beaded umbilical cord cases, dream catchers and medicine

The Gift

wheels. I find that combination of practicality and loving care deeply moving. The time and care taken by the native women in the processes of making and hand-stitching translate into their respect for the preciousness yet precariousness of life, things we share and celebrate whatever our age or culture.

My mixed media cradleboard work includes " The Gift " and several " Untitled # Cradleboard 1/2/3 ". These are semi abstract pieces sewn from natural materials, often paper, silk and cotton. Each one has a concealed section, developing the metaphor of the cradleboard as a vessel in which something priceless is hidden. Secret tiny hand sewn cords, representing the umbilical cords hung on the original cradleboards, are trapped within each piece. The viewer is drawn towards the mystery of what remains concealed by zips and openings. But the viewer cannot see inside, and the real mystery, of course, is much more than just the hidden object. I think of the cradleboard as holding what is most precious to you, of holding your heart.

LampLIGHT

Indigo Cradle

Journey

As part of this body of work I have made a series of larger long '

I have been influenced by a wide range of textile artists, mainly

cords '. These are made by a slow process of hand - stitching,

women. I am particularly interested in the slow traditional processes

symbolising the length of time the baby spends within its mother's

of hand stitching, for example in the work of Junko Oki. I also love

womb. The blankets are made of naturally-dyed fabric sewn with

the work of Alice Kettle, Debbie Lyddon and Alice Fox to name but a

symbols, just as the native Americans did. I have used the motif of

few.My work has been exhibited in Milan, Glasgowz and here in

circles throughout this body of work, as it embodies the sense of

Moray. I have over the last several years been lucky enough to work

connection and security within the family and the wider ' circle' of

to commissions and have pieces in Canada, Japan and Glasgow.

mothers across the generations.

FOR MORE DETAILS PLEASE EMAIL: JUNETEXTILEARTIST@YAHOO.CO.UK JUNE.HYNDMAN.MORAY@UHI.AC.UK

JUNE LILLICO 3

LampLIGHT

19/12/2017

Our facility includes: Baby Area Toddler Area The Playbarn is the largest indoor soft

Junior Area

play centre in the north of Scotland. Our aim is offer a safe and clean environment for both parent and child to enjoy.

Games Room

Other services include: Baby & Toddler Groups Birthday Parties

While the children are running around the frame, you can enjoy a coffee and

Kidult Parties (kids party for adults)

cake from our café or why not stay for

Family Functions

lunch?

Group Parties

New for Grown-Ups The Playbarn now offers Kidult Parties. (Kids Parties for Adults) Enjoy a welcome cocktail in our very own restaurant and bar area before having the time of your life in the play frame where you can relive your childhood in the large soft play area.

Restaurant & Bar

Packages available from

We can cater for all your functions and

Drinks and Meal packages available contact us for details

events needs Family Fun Days Corporate Events BBQ, Buffets, Fine Dinning Christmas Parties Weddings enjoy a menu designed to your liking along with our very well stocked bar.

£9.50 per person

Children Birthday Parties and stress free Are you looking for a mess free party? e for you Then the Playbarn is the plac as little as Party Packages available from £9 per child uding Olaf from Meet one of our mascots incl kage. Frozen with our mega star pac

4(% 0,!9"!2. -),%3 %!34 /& %,'). /. 4(% ! s

LampLIGHT

Own your own business Big or Small? Call us on:

01309 690063

Window & Conservatory Blinds Beautiful Blinds at Super Prices CALL US NOW ON 01542 840 700 or 07455 00 066 buckieblinds.co.uk

EASYMOVE REMOVALS R E M O V A L S

Efficient, Reliable & Friendly A Local Company Delivering Nationwide

www.easymove-elgin.co.uk easymoveremovals@live.co.uk 07912 424512 OR 01343 559594

Call us Today for your FREE Quote

SEWING MACHINE TRADE ASSOCIATION

STUARTS TUARTS C CYCLES OF FORRES

Are your carpets looking sad & depressed, spotty or downtrodden? If so, let me clean them for you.

Local, reliable, high quality service Call today for a FREE Survey and Quotation

01343 835383 or 07415 258342 www.amcleaners.co.uk

- Fix that leak - Get hair cut - Order Birthday cake - Car M.O.T

Tel: (01309) 672432 www.stuartscycles.co.uk www w.stua w.stuartscycles.co.uk

CAR VALETING DETAILING SERVICE CLEANS PAINT CORRECTION

CALL TODAY: 07877

NEW – SPARES – REPAIRS – SERVICE

316809

WWW.PITSTOP-VALETING-TINTS.CO.UK

SALE - UPTO £300 SAVINGS ON 2017 BIKES 02817$,1 %,.(6 +<%5,' 52$' &+,/'5(1·6 %,.(6

&'00+5 617)* PROFESSIONAL PAINTER & DECORATOR

All types of work undertaken No job too small Cherry Picker available for awkward Windows For free estimates please call

01309 671815 or 07788 983645

www.dennistoughpandd.co.uk

LampLIGHT

19/12/2017

2018 deals at Nairn Lochloy Holiday Park Come and grab yourself an amazing bargain! We have incredible offers with pitch fees included until 2019!* Here are some of the great reasons to own with us: â&#x20AC;˘ Right on the doorstep of Nairn East Beach â&#x20AC;˘ Championship golf course â&#x20AC;˘ Resident Moray Firth dolphins â&#x20AC;˘ Indoor heated swimming pool

â&#x20AC;˘ Dazzling live entertainment â&#x20AC;˘ Regular owner events â&#x20AC;˘ Great community spirit on park â&#x20AC;˘ 9g^[iZgÂźh 7Vg GZhiVjgVci

Payment options available Deposits from 10%' Call us on 01667 300 357 to talk to one of our friendly team members or visit: www.parkdeanresorts.co.uk/own-nai Nairn Lochloy Holiday Park, East Beach, Nairn, Inverness, IV12 5DE *Offers available to new customers only who complete a holiday home purchase between 18/09/17-01/12/17 inclusive. Buy now pay 2018 offer provides 3 deferred finance repayments. First repayment 4 months after completion of the loan. Finance provided by Zebra Finance Limited. Available for loan values of ÂŁ5,000-ÂŁ50,000 with a term of 87 months inclusive of the 3 month deferral. Available on purchase of new and selected used holiday homes. 'Minimum deposit of 10% of total sale price (or ÂŁ1,000 if greater) required including a minimum cash deposit of ÂŁ1,000. For full terms and conditions visit our website. #Calls to 03 numbers are charged at standard UK rates and will be included in any inclusive minute bundles.