Thursday 28 September 2017

Harbour Stroll

Another trip into Stornoway, this time we managed to get a lift from a friend and neighbour.  We needed to collect the car and pick up some fruit, vegetables and essentials for the weekend.  Thankfully it was a dry and bright day so we were able to have a stroll along the harbour wall and take in the sights.  It is always a joy to catch a glimpse of the castle, standing so proud on the hill and overlooking the town.



It didn't feel like early Autumn as the majority of the only trees on the Island are still quite green.  Even the flowers in the hanging baskets are still looking fresh and not at all Autumnal.


As we strolled along we were blessed to be able to see seals bobbing along by the fishing boats, waiting for a free easy feed.




The seagulls too were in a frenzy squabbling over some remnants on a boat.  What a joy to stand a watch this spectacular show.



 A little further and we came across a fisherman sorting his catch and preparing the crabs for onward transportation.




Each time we visit, there are  so many differences in both the catch, the wildlife and the weather.  I don't think I will ever tire of this wonderful harbour that offers so many joyful treats for the senses.

We then went on to a have fish and chips for our lunch before collecting the car and then do a top up shop.  Gerard treated me to some flowers which are appreciated even more since our move, as we do not yet have an established garden.  It will take some time to get it going but a start was made, we picked up some bulbs which will be planted into the front garden to give it a lift and a splash of Spring colour.







As always your comments are truly appreciated and as  some of you are no reply bloggers I will answer some of your queries now.

The red cabbage is indeed pickled.  I shred it and leave it to stand overnight sprinkled in salt to remove any excess liquid and then pack into sterilised jars with pickling vinegar.  This year I cheated as I did not do substantial amounts and got some shop bought pickling vinegar.  In previous years I have made my own spiced vinegar using:
7 g cinnamon
7 g cloves
7 g white peppercorns
7 g dried root ginger
7 g mace
7 g whole all spice berries
Wrap all the spices in a muslin bag and place into the vinegar (2 pints) in a basin over a saucepan of water, bring to the boil and then allow to cool for 2 hours before bottling.

Raspberry Vinegar is something we use on salads and is so easy to make.

Soak 900 g raspberries into 1 pint of white wine vinegar.  Strain through a muslin bag and pour into hot sterilised bottles.

The mixed berry jam was made using:

1.8 kg mixed fruit
1.8 kg sugar
juice of 2 lemons (the rind and pips were tied into muslin as a natural pectin)

Hope that helps but feel free to get in touch if you want any more information.

See you soon.





30 comments:

  1. It looks like there's plenty going on in the harbour, I could stand for ages watching the seals, they're so playful. Lovely flowers.

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  2. Harbours are so interesting and this looks a great one!

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  3. Lovely flowers, I enjoyed all your photos. Thank you so much for sharing.

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  4. crabs!! sadly I've crab allergy... but the picture are so serene.. Love the ocean pictures..

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  5. Nice to get a bouquet of flowers from your dear husband. I enjoyed your description of the sounds of the gulls and the seals in the harbor.. it made me feel like I was there with you. ((hugs)), Teresa :-)

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  6. I have been craving crabs. And I lobe the seals. Here in San Francisco are Fisherman's Warf has a lot of seals and in the years past I used to go all the time to just sit and watch them.. lovely flowers dearest.. thank you for your visits I'm glad I finally got to visit you. With love Janice

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  7. I always enjoy traveling around your island with you. You take such wonderful pictures and tell the story so well, it seems as if I'm right there with you. I really appreciate that. I could almost smell the sea air with your harbor pictures.
    Blessings always, Betsy

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  8. I enjoyed walking along the harbour with you. And those flowers are so beautiful too.

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  9. Always lovely to see seals. Enjoy your flowers. X

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  10. A nice day you had out and thanks for sharing the photos of your day. Lovely flowers and are you planting tulip bulbs? Have a good weekend. We are to get some rain tomorrow. The half moon looked lovely in the sky tonight with interesting light! It's good to go outside at night, even if I have to dump something in the garbage can that got missed for pick up is Friday.Take care!

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  11. A lovely trip around Stornoway and the castle reminds me of Windsor!
    So much to enjoy plus a bouquet! Just lovely!

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  12. I didn't know lemon can make natural pectin. Good to know. Thanks for sharing such lovely photos too.

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  13. how nice to hitch a ride. I love to watch seals and saw plenty of them when we went to California.

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  14. Beautiful place to live! One of the things I enjoyed about our Cornwall holiday was seeing all the harbours. There is so much going on and so interesting just to sit and people watch. I'd love to live there during the winter just to see the wild seas and winds.

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  15. I swear I could smell the smells and hear the sounds of the sea while I was looking at your photos!! Those seals are adorable!! Enjoy those beautiful flowers this weekend!! xo

    ~ Wendy

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  16. There's something about a busy harbour, you could watch it all day 😀

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  17. A lot to see! I had no idea that there was a castle! It looks very grand. Glad you have your car back!

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  18. I love a good crab louie. The birds look like they're ready for a good meal.

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  19. Such a pretty harbor - I love the brightly colored boats. How nice to have a real castle looking over the town! They exist only in fairy tales here :) Fish and chips sound delicious right now. Very pretty flowers - you've reminded me to order my bulbs. xx Karen

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  20. Nice trip my dear, I love the flowers in your photo
    have a good day

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  21. Thank you for the recipe, will try.
    Beautiful flower pictures. Won't be long before winter gets here and have to enjoy while we can. Crab bisque - love.
    My family loves fish and chips and could eat them every meal.
    Castles are something I never tire of seeing.
    betsy

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  22. A very enjoyable post to read. You live in a very picturesque part of the world, that's for sure!

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  23. The harbour is an interesting place. I see crabs and I love crabs!

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  24. Thanks for sharing such lovely photographs MM. It looks wonderful. Lucky you with the flowers. I've known my hubby for almost 50 years and he's bought me flowers just twice! Xx

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  25. It is good to get out and about. Your wildlife photographs turned out really well, they are hard to capture. I look forward to seeing if you can report on one of those shows next year, I would love to see what others do.

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  26. Lovely photos. Your trips to stock up with food are so interesting, it's a real day out, I just get in the car and drive to the supermarket! Your bouquet is gorgeous, what a thoughtful husband you have. I do like crab, many years ago an aunt of mine showed me how to prepare it.

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  27. The flowers are so gorgeous. Thanks for taking us on your trip :)

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  28. I can understand how enjoyable it is to go into Stornoway and see different activities each time in the harbour. Seeing the seals would be a real treat. How kind of your husband to buy you flowers. There's much to look forward to for you in the next two months (seeing your family, Christmas events) and then the prospect of those Spring bulbs you're about to plant creating a lovely display. In the meantime all the best. Have a lovely rest of the week.

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  29. There's nothing I'd like better than a harbor stroll. Since moving from California to the middle of the US, I miss the ocean terribly.

    I just ran across a recipe calling for raspberry vinegar, and now you've shown me how to make it. Thanks.

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