On the way back from Runival we stopped at Alistair's place to give him a bottle of whisky. He lives just by the road to Invergarry from Spean Bridge and his place is full of JCBs, other pieces of building equipment, tremendous sheds and lots and lots and lots of gaily coloured toys for small children.
We had told him we might be dropping in at the Wood, if that would be all right; and he had terribly kindly undone the wood covering the front door (see last posting); but we hadn't stopped on the way back and so we felt he had gone to that trouble for nothing. In any case, I would have been afraid of doing something bad and breaking something if we had gone in without his being there.
We talked about getting the electricity in, which he had in hand. Apparently the Hydro don't like making more than two hookups in any period of six months, as they have to compensate people for the supply being turned off whilst the hookup is being done. He knows the chaps, though, and he was hopeful that it would be done sooner rather than later. It seems he may be right about that, as when we contacted the electricity board today to say which tariff we would be wanting they said that had already been noted. It must have been Alistair who told them, I think.
We were talking in general terms about how soon he would be needing to know any final details about electricity; and he said mid-January. So I have rather shame-facedly been going back to Mary about putting in more light and power. We really ought to have done this before the plans were finalised; but there were all sorts of deadlines and we just went with the flow in order not to slow things down. Oh well, I hope it won't come in as too much more, though of course there will have to be an AI with plans. It has been quite jolly looking at the online catalogue of light fittings and discussing what I prefer. Roy has very kindly stepped back from this discussion - he feels sufficiently stressed out by financing the project.
The main topic of interest was the well. He gave us the driller's log, which shows that the first three metres of hole went through sand and gravel, and that the drill then hit granite, which it proceeded to chew through for another two days to a depth of 140 metres. They put a metal pipe in the top part and then perforated tube below. At first, there was very little water; but Alistair encouraged them to dig a bit deeper and then they found 80 gallons an hour, from below sea level.
He said they had brought up three tons of fine grit, some of which we saw beside the hole, in the nymphaeum. Such grit is said to be very fertile, but I am not sure where it has all gone. Perhaps they have carted it away. If not, I will scatter it in chosen parts.
Alistair also told us that the slaters were to be coming the following day; and as I write I think they may actually have finished by now. Mary will be going to the house on Friday, to do another valuation; and we hope to have some pictures from her then.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Thursday, January 03, 2008
Last Visit of 2007
Photos:
We went to the wood on the way to spend Hogmanay Somewhere Even More Remote. As it was the last day of the year we were right in not expecting to find anyone at work there.
The house is now completely house-shaped. It has all its structural parts; and the windows are in, which shows that Nordan were spot on in their delivery schedule and Alistair in his ordering. (See earlier posting about windows.) We couldn't really see what they were like as they were carefully protected by thick plastic held on by battens of wood. We couldn't get in as the front door hole had been closed with a piece of wood.
The surroundings are still pretty similar to what I understand a First World War battlefield might have been like on a less frantic day than most: some trees uprooted; others bravely withstanding miscellaneous piles of earth heaped around them; wastes of bare earth and stones; pieces of wood and stuff; the odd piece of slightly heavy machinery; water both standing and flowing; places where things have obviously been buried; signs of fire (including one which has made one of the few remaining trees from the ex-knoll look even more maltreated).
The nymphaeum was exciting: a pipe standing out of the ground; a very deep puddle shaped like a bath; heaps of stuff looking like slightly set cement (see next posting for an explanation of this). The nymphs weren't exactly dancing there, as it was too cold; but there were definite signs of their being about to take up residence. In fact, I realise that we will need a little shrine there for them. So if anyone knows someone who designs houses for lares et penates and miscellaneous pagan deities, please advise. I will not be perfectly happy about the security of the water supply until we have sorted out this bit of the design. I think Mary, who is happy to do garages and outbuildings, might find such a commission a little outre. A tholos, perhaps. Or would they want something more enclosed in the Highlands? Something like a broch? We could keep watering cans in it. It would need spaces in the walls for candles like the wall at Winchester.
Which reminds me that we will be needing a woodshed sooner rather than later. Also friends with chain saws. So can I also send out a request for those? I have an idea about a woodshed against the downhill slope of the entrance causeway which seems to be taller every time I look at it with the eye of a landscaper. To the drawing board for that. We wonder about a long weekend with a chainsaw in March, to rid ourselves of the most reproachful piles of dead trees.
There were stacks of slates and blocks at the back of the house and at the side of the road. Exciting. (Amazing what one can find to get excited about.)
The track was looking good: only showing fairly minimal signs of run-off and only a few places looking churned up where something biggish had made a mess. Otherwise, though, there is a dire need of landscaping and planting, and therefore deer defence. Getting down from the house and the track into the rest of the site is a bit of a challenge at present, because even with the laudable intention of snuggling the house into the hillside, when digging away a knoll there is only so far you can go before you start to do quite serious damage. So there is a slope a bit like the one at Kimpton down from the house to the lawn, but higher, from the terrace at the south side of the house; and the track, as I have said, is on a causeway. The slopes are a mixture of gravel, bigger stones and peat and I will have to get a Ph testing kit to work out what will go on them.
Anyway - that was that visit. Pictures will follow when Roy has forced his camera to give up its hostages. It packed up long before I had captured all I wanted to. (I had left my camera in Edinburgh. Silly.)
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| All Windows |
We went to the wood on the way to spend Hogmanay Somewhere Even More Remote. As it was the last day of the year we were right in not expecting to find anyone at work there.
The house is now completely house-shaped. It has all its structural parts; and the windows are in, which shows that Nordan were spot on in their delivery schedule and Alistair in his ordering. (See earlier posting about windows.) We couldn't really see what they were like as they were carefully protected by thick plastic held on by battens of wood. We couldn't get in as the front door hole had been closed with a piece of wood.
The surroundings are still pretty similar to what I understand a First World War battlefield might have been like on a less frantic day than most: some trees uprooted; others bravely withstanding miscellaneous piles of earth heaped around them; wastes of bare earth and stones; pieces of wood and stuff; the odd piece of slightly heavy machinery; water both standing and flowing; places where things have obviously been buried; signs of fire (including one which has made one of the few remaining trees from the ex-knoll look even more maltreated).
The nymphaeum was exciting: a pipe standing out of the ground; a very deep puddle shaped like a bath; heaps of stuff looking like slightly set cement (see next posting for an explanation of this). The nymphs weren't exactly dancing there, as it was too cold; but there were definite signs of their being about to take up residence. In fact, I realise that we will need a little shrine there for them. So if anyone knows someone who designs houses for lares et penates and miscellaneous pagan deities, please advise. I will not be perfectly happy about the security of the water supply until we have sorted out this bit of the design. I think Mary, who is happy to do garages and outbuildings, might find such a commission a little outre. A tholos, perhaps. Or would they want something more enclosed in the Highlands? Something like a broch? We could keep watering cans in it. It would need spaces in the walls for candles like the wall at Winchester.
Which reminds me that we will be needing a woodshed sooner rather than later. Also friends with chain saws. So can I also send out a request for those? I have an idea about a woodshed against the downhill slope of the entrance causeway which seems to be taller every time I look at it with the eye of a landscaper. To the drawing board for that. We wonder about a long weekend with a chainsaw in March, to rid ourselves of the most reproachful piles of dead trees.
There were stacks of slates and blocks at the back of the house and at the side of the road. Exciting. (Amazing what one can find to get excited about.)
The track was looking good: only showing fairly minimal signs of run-off and only a few places looking churned up where something biggish had made a mess. Otherwise, though, there is a dire need of landscaping and planting, and therefore deer defence. Getting down from the house and the track into the rest of the site is a bit of a challenge at present, because even with the laudable intention of snuggling the house into the hillside, when digging away a knoll there is only so far you can go before you start to do quite serious damage. So there is a slope a bit like the one at Kimpton down from the house to the lawn, but higher, from the terrace at the south side of the house; and the track, as I have said, is on a causeway. The slopes are a mixture of gravel, bigger stones and peat and I will have to get a Ph testing kit to work out what will go on them.
Anyway - that was that visit. Pictures will follow when Roy has forced his camera to give up its hostages. It packed up long before I had captured all I wanted to. (I had left my camera in Edinburgh. Silly.)
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