Highland Show / Solstice / Beret - The Accidental Smallholder

Posted: Monday 23 June, 2025

by Rosemary at 6:39am in Smallholding No comments Add your own

Monday 16^th June

Mild, overcast, light breeze. Big week in prospect, with Thursday and Friday at the Highland Show – RBST on Thursday, Scottish Smallholder Festival on Friday – then SNP National Council on Saturday. Dan has jury duty Tuesday definitely and probably Wednesday, but hopefully that will be it.

Sheep moved into Sheepfold this morning. It might do them two weeks, being twice the size of the other paddocks, although the grass isn’t as good.

Bryn, Gwenna and Bertie had their annual vet check-ups today. Bryn and Gwenna had a different Lepto vaccine, so have to go back in four weeks for a booster. They’ve both put on some weight, so rations have been cut. Bertie was fine.

Weird growth on the manure.

Weird!

Tuesday 17^th June

Dan’s jury duty ended today, so he’s got a “spare” day tomorrow.

Strawberries are cropping well. We’re getting this amount daily. If it wasn't so hot, I'd make jam.

Today's strawberries.

Wednesday 18^th June

First tatties. Caledonian Rose, really a maincrop but what the heck.

First tatties.

And a beautiful rose. Never seen it as good as this.

Rose.

Thursday 19^th June

I was on the RBST stand at the Highland Show today. It was hot. And not very busy. The floor suppliers had put in a different floor, so the entrance to the tent wasn’t off the main drag, but off the “back” and I don’t think folk really saw it.

Horrible drive down – three hours – but stayed in Falkirk overnight into Friday.

Friday 20^th June

"Only" an hour to drive the 17 miles to the showground this morning, to do a stint on the Scottish Smallholder Festival stand. I suspect that the weekend might be more productive in terms of ticket sales but with entrance tickets at £46 per person and parking at £15, folk have less to spend in the event itself. It was good to spend some time with John and Martin though.

It was awful hot, and airless. I felt sorry for the dogs that were there. It's all tarmac roads now and they must have been hot. I was glad to get home this evening. 

The first Crafternoon seemed to be a success; Dan’s almost finished my raspberry beret, so a result for me.

Saturday 21^st June

The Solstice, the longest day and the hens decided that they’d all celebrate by getting up a tree. Minus the Light Sussex, who is broody.

Hens celebrating the solstice.

Pauline and I attended SNP National Council in Perth. Open session with JS in the afternoon on independence. Why is it such a big deal? It’s normal for countries to run their own affairs. Why not Scotland?

Dan finished my raspberry beret (Thanks, Prince). I love it.

Raspberry beret.

He was sorting out the wool for “The Rug” and found a Tesco receipt from 1999 (Thanks, Prince). Organic butter 99p. Large orange 25p. Kitkats 79p. Anyway, he’s buying a rug frame, so work will recommence.

Sunday 22^nd June

Tired this morning. Cleaned out the barn and put a new bale of hay in for the ponies, which will please them.

Dan went off to football and I caught up with some reading and bits and bobs of emails and paperwork. Although warm, it’s been windy and the sky was getting black, then clearing again. We finally got rain at 2pm, so we abandoned the idea of going into the garden and started doing next week’s desk stuff. Trying to get ahead lol.