The Skep
By Margaret Kinsella
An artistic tribute to the brilliant bees of the Highlands and childhood memories at the SkepImage provided by Margaret Kinsella
My journey stone is a 'skep’, the name for a straw beehive.
Grandfather always had bees living on his half acre in Ireland. Each summer when I went home to stay with Granny and Grandfather I was instructed to go to the bottom of the garden to tell the bees all my news. As a small child I had watched fascinated as Grandfather lifted the hive lid checking all was well with the bees, so using my 8-year-old logic I established that’s what I should do as I reckoned they might not hear me through the lid! So I lifted the lid, had a look over the top frames and chatted for a few moments. On reflection I now appreciate it wasn’t the most sensible thing to do, but as it was probably the middle of a warm sunny day no harm was done to me or the bees. It also has meant I grew up to never been scared of them. Now I have bees at the top of my garden and regularly go up to chat with them. We don’t get much early blossom honey here as spring comes late to the Cairngorms but what we do get is truly precious – wonderful Heather Honey, all thanks to Apis Mellifera.
Many thanks to Margaret Kinsella 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.