Dunvegan Castle and weaving

On the way to coastal Dunvegan Castle, we stopped at a cottage industry weaving sign. In a converted crofting cottage and two wooden sheds, the owner had built the first stage of a weaving mill, by hand, from spare farming parts, a water mill wheels and some from a washing machine--I was in awe of his 2 years of dedication just make something work. He had no commercial incentive--he had no idea how much cloth was produced in a year. Without people like him, we'd still be siting in caves, wondering if there was any alternative to mud floors!

He had also purchased a second-hand, bicycle powered weaving loom for the second stage. which required the tying together, with hand knots, over 2000 strands of coloured wool. Takes him three hours.

The merino wool is Australian, the dyeing done in Perth, Scotland and the products sold all over the world via internet only.

Dunvegan Castle is a wholly unattractive, cold and lonely building, still the home of the chief of the MacLeod Clan after 800 years there.

The gardens, by contrast, are  a blaze of warm colours, beautifully laid out and set around a stream and two waterfalls.