Dear

It's high summer, the days stretch, nature flourishes and Scottish people turn from pale blue to bright red after one day of sunshine.

In old times, rural folk would take their livestock up into the hills to access the high pasture, the lush green grass inaccessible through the winter months. These summer dwellings were called 'shielings', and are synonymous with seasonal living, self sufficiency, animal husbandry, craft, deep nature connection and community.

This traditional way of life inspired the Shieling Project (now collective) that I am involved with. The winter is harsh up there. We've been snowed in on many occasions, and tend to huddle by the fire, feast, craft and story with the few who make the venture.

Summer is a different experience entirely, as we open the gates and welcome folk from far and wide to join us by hearth and hill, in deep nature connection and cultural remembering.

We're in our second summer here, still finding our feet, so the programme is modest but potent.

Out next event is a Craft and Culture Camp (13-14 June) where participants can weave a basket, carve a wooden cup, sing Gaelic song, explore the myths hidden in the landscape, cook in a 'pit oven', share fine food and hear stories told by the fire.

I'll be telling stories throughout, especially during the Saturday evening fireside ceilidh, and during a storytelling workshop on Sunday. This is my favourite sort of environment for telling tales, and I've been working on some new ones.

At the Shieling we're tending the interface between land and culture, tradition and emergence, solemnity and craic, and I'm unaware of anything else quite like it in Scotland.

We still have a few places if you'd like to join us.

Full event details are here:

https://www.theshielingcollective.com/upcoming-events/event-four-brpag