The first two weeks of February I visited the Isle of Skye at the invitation of my amazing friend, Yasmin! I spent a glorious 14 days living the dream—crofting in the Scottish Highlands, meeting new friends, seeing new breathtaking sights, and losing a much bigger piece of my heart to Alba than ever before!

Psyched up for a long flight to Heathrow, and then to Inverness.

And poof! Touchdown in Scotland!

Seems like forever ago we were knitting together on a lake in East Texas, or terrorizing the Walmart in Lucas, and now, we’re back together on the other side of the Atlantic. Friendships pick right up where they leave off, no matter where you are in the world.

it’s a couple of hours from Inverness to the croft in Edinbane, across the Skye Bridge (go ahead, sing the song) to the largest of the Scottish Islands.

And there she is! Seeing the croft again after our 2017 group tour was amazing. Then, it had been a warm summer day. This day was a cool, breezy winter day. Such a sight for sore eyes—my home for the next two weeks!

My lovely bedroom looked out over Loch Greshornish. From here I could see the sun set, the tide go in and out, and watch otters and water birds play in the sea…

This serenity wasn’t an everyday occurrence, but how lovely it was when the skies were fair!

Scottish weather makes for great rainbows, with the rain and sun dancing together most days. Here are the standing stones Trevor erected to commemorate the new home here on the croft which replaced the beloved home on Colonsay, burned in a fire, five years before.

Farm chores need doing every day, regardless of the weather. And they’re much more fun with friends.

I was a little out of practice, but it all came back to me as I got the opportunity to help muck out the barn.

Who doesn’t love a good scratch after your stable has been neatly mucked out?

Sweetest little girls ever. They are coming into their own and will need to be trained, or they could get a little too frisky. Their horns are small now, but are growing fast! But THOSE FACES!

The way to a coo’s heart is through her stomach.

To get the wool ready to spin, we ran it through the drum carder. I was so happy to have a few tips that made the ladies’ jobs much easier, and gave a nice result.

The ladies had always spun their wool raw, or “in the grease” but I’m used to spinning clean wool. So I taught them how we wash wool in America.

This pretty red hen gave me the once and twice over as i passed her little group of friends. Four of the six hens are still laying, providing lovely breakfasts for me while I was a guest.

Up in the hills above Edinbane are about 1500 acres of land used by several crofters in the village to run some of their cows and sheep. Trevor and Yasmin supplement the rough grasses and shrubs their sheep eat with hay and grain, every couple of days. The views from the top of the hills were spectacular. Also, lots of wind turbines.

I’ve been asked how i got them all to line up in alternating colors. Purely accidental. They lined up to enjoy the grain, never turning their backs on me, a stranger.

From up here, one can see Loch Greshornish, and the sea beyond. Trevor tells me that those very faint lands out on the horizon are the Island of Lewis and Harris. Seriously, everywhere you look, it’s like a fairy tale.

Back from feeding the girls up on the common grazing, it’s back home for some warmth and “sommat nice” for tea.

It just was always so wonderful to open the window and take in the view from my room.

The first building you come to as you drive down off the main road is the cozy little retail shop. It’s full of so many treasures made by Yasmin, plus some other island artisans.

No trip to Scotland is complete without a healthy dose of Ir Bru. I actually found a sugar free version so I wouldn’t blow my diet the first day.

Yasmin and I drove into town for a bit of shopping and a bite to eat. I loved getting to spend a bit more time in this sweet town since the last time I was here, our group was in more of a hurry to bustle off to the next stop.

Best carbs I’d enjoyed in a long time! For the uninitiated, the word “scone” does not rhyme with “bone.” It rhymes with “gone.” Say it right and avoid a thorough ribbing from the locals.