YA Writer, Tech Support Girl & Tea Addict

Image from antsplan on Flickr

Myself and a large group of friends went for a sporadic picnic at Duffus Castle today. I’d heard of the motte-and-bailey castle, just outside of Elgin, and most of the Nairn/Lossie-based people I knew had been – but I’d never been up there.

It’s a gorgeous castle with no fees to view it, and we got lucky and had brilliant weather to see it in – the grass was bright, and you could see the sun moving across the yellow fields that stretched outside of the castle grounds. The land itself is huge, with lots of open space considering that only a small amount of ruins remain.

Photo taken from my phone.

Metal plaques across each section of the ruins describe what each area would have been. When a short rain shower hit our picnic, we sheltered in an archway where the portcullis machinery had once been, and now only a hole remained. There was also a latrine just down from the portcullis – a gaping hole pointing down the side of the castle.

‘Inside’ the castle, the roof is now gone and large chunks of the second floor have collapsed into the hill due to some severe subsidence – the most amusing of these being the latrine from the castle lord’s bedchambers, which is now planted in the hillside with a long chute pointing down the mound.

It’s a beautiful ruin, without any of the tourist shops and entry fees that tend to spoil historic areas these days. You just need to follow the trail to the castle (use a map, it’s difficult to find), and then you’ll join a small group of dog walkers, locals and tourists out enjoying the beautiful scenery. Nobody thought anything of our group sitting out on the grass with a picnic (and a few families had the same idea), and we were left to ourselves to play frisbee and ball games across the mound and flat lands surrounding it.

If you’re out exploring the Nairn/Elgin/Lossie/Morayshire area and the weather is nice, don’t miss your chance to take a look at the ruins. The area is open to the wind and rain, so carry a warm jacket in case the weather shifts. Bring food and friends to get the most out of it!

A ‘group’* on Facebook has been formed out of ex-librarians and other culture workers to protest cutbacks and closures affecting Highland Libraries. Their profile gets quickly to the point:

The rural libraries which could face closure are: Bettyhill; Knoydart; Achiltibuie; Lochcarron; Cromarty; Golspie; Lairg; Broadford; Mallaig; Bonar Bridge; Muir of Ord; Plockton; Caol; Invergordon; Helmsdale; Ardersier and Beauly. Other libraries would suffer reduced hours. Also under fire is the Bookstart programme, which introduces literacy to young children.

Highland Libraries have more than 1 million visitors every year, they loan 1.3 million items and provide more than 90,000 hours of free Internet access. Your council wants to reduce that service by more than half for a saving of less than £200,000

This news is confirmed here with a related article here and an earlier report on the issue at the P&J.

The council is seeking the public’s views on the following ideas:

• Closing up to 17 small local libraries (saving £185,000).
• Closing one major urban library (saving £87,000).
• Reducing library opening hours by 10 per cent (saving £71,000).
• Removing seven school librarian posts (saving £97,000).
• Ceasing Bookstart, the early years library service for young children (saving £44,700).

These Highland Council cuts are getting incredibly out of hand, I wish they’d just cut back spending on  the things that don’t form a vital part of daily life. For some examples: Streetscape; winter festivals; fireworks; Gaidhlig translations**; billboards and magazine ads; various underperforming; overpaid Council staff. None of that is necessary.

But when it comes to checking out expensive reference books, or light reads, comics and DVDs, getting internet access when your own is broken, taking kids out for the day or having some time to yourself – the libraries and pools are a vital and well used part.

You have to wonder what they’ll be cutting next.

Footnotes:

* Being pedantic, it’s actually a Facebook user, not a Facebook group. I might speak to them about creating an actual group if they need assistance with that.

** Suas leis a’Ghaidhlig! I (clumsily) speak and support it, don’t get me wrong, but it takes lesser priority than community facilities. Money alone won’t save it.