Journey to a New Highland Home

My first visit to the Highlands was at the tender age of 6 days old. My parents and siblings didn’t want to let a new-born spoil their holiday!

Every summer we made the long journey from NE England to Arisaig on the NW Highland coast as a family of 5, plus dog, in our trusty blue Dormobile. Visits to the Highlands and Islands have been a big part of my life ever since, and one that I now share with my husband. I love the beaches, the mountains, the open spaces, the colours, the sounds. I always dreamed of living there one day.

That dream became a reality more than 50 years after my first visit, when we found a traditional Highland croft house in Wester Ross in need of new owners. After a lot of tender loving care and renovation, and much delay due to being unable to travel during the Covid pandemic, we finally completed our move in 2022. This coincided with the start of the Spirit of the Highlands and Islands Tapestry project.

Being part of the Tapestry opened up a whole new set of friendships for me, and the opportunity to learn some sewing skills. My journey stone depicts our Highland home and my journey in a North Westerly direction from my roots on the NE coast of England. I have kept the design and stitching simple as this was my first piece of embroidery since completing my needlework badge in the Brownies!

The croft house was built around 1850, in a style typical of the Highlands. An old photograph in the Gairloch museum of a crofter in front of the house shows that the tin roof was originally thatched. The short stature of the building and its thick stone walls have stood the test of time and fit perfectly in the landscape. Those walls are now freshly insulated with sheeps wool to provide a warm and cosy Highland home in which to continue our journey.