The Road to Abriachan
By Vicky MacIntyre
A homage to AbriachanImage provided by Vicky MacIntyre
At the age of twenty three I moved to Inverness and married a lovely man Hamish and by chance we stumbled across the community of Abriachan and an old Croft house for sale. We bought it with a view to staying for about three years, after completing my nurse training. But sadly Hamish died in an avalanche on Ben Wyvis and fourty two years later I’m still in Abriachan, retired from nursing in a GP’s surgery, which I loved, still in the same old Croft house which we renovated, and with a lovely Italian man Marco. The community of Abriachan is something special. You know most of your neighbours. The neighbourhood spreading out for about eight miles. It is very inclusive and diverse and caring for people, nature and the bigger picture of the world we live in and its future. For me it totally encompasses the spirit of the Highlands and Islands.
Many thanks to Vicky MacIntyre for sharing with us the story behind her journey stone, created as part of the Tapestry of the Highlands and Islands.
WHAT IS A JOURNEY STONE?
Prior to the beginning of the stitching of each tapestry panel, each stitcher of the Tapestry of the Highlands and Islands was tasked with telling their interpretation of the 'Spirit of the Highlands and Islands' within a blank outline of a stone. The possibilities were truly endless - is it represented in the land? The people? A historical site? A favourite memory?
In any case, each journey stone represents the connection between each individual stitcher, their story, and their own sense, or 'spirit', of place. Discover more of the stories behind the journey stones of the Tapestry of the Highlands and Islands here.