At Home With Mum In Scotland In The Springtime

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The back of the house, with conservatory and courtyard suntrap.

I’m feeling so lucky and so very grateful to have been able to come over to see my Mum in Scotland this past week.

Mum’s hip replacement seems to have gone well and she is getting about on crutches OK.  I’m here to report that looking after one not very mobile older lady is a piece of cake compared to wrangling the household in Sydney.

Would you care to join me on a tour of my Mum’s lovely house in the countryside of Scotland, just 12 miles outside Edinburgh?

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The dormer window in the attic is the room I’m sleeping in. Look at how many bonsai tree Mum has there.

Mum lived for over 40 years in an old farm house which is on the main street of a historic village in East Lothian.  Over many years my builder Dad has turned all the outbuildings into houses and sold them. Except the old stables.

Mum has wanted to turn the stables into a house for them, but Dad always refused. After he died, Mum has done just that.

This old building where we played at kids – the thrill of finding gas masks and stretchers from WW2! – and which was used as a joiners workshop and company office, is now a very comfy and cosy home. It’s ideal for Mum and also for her children and grandchildren to stay when we visit.

The stone walls are two feet thick. It’s a super solid house, but being newly turned from stable to house has lots of modern touches, like Frenchs windows from the kitchen, and is very light and airy.

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Springtime is gorgeous in Scotland. The trees, bushes and plants are growing madly, Mum’s whole garden is frothing with life. Mum has the world’s greenest fingers, the house is full of plants and the garden full of flowers, fruit, vegetables and the beloved bonsai trees.

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The white and purple heather is so Scottish.
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This is the big pot at the front door, and milk is still delivered in bottles.
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Inside Mum has plenty of space, here’s her own mother’s Welsh dresser, and another of her plants.
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And every Granny needs cute nick nacks and at least one mug with a kitten.

Upstairs there are two attic bedrooms for guests, complete with sloping ceilings and secret cupboards and panels.

Upstairs Granny house

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There are lots of toys in one of the rooms, some of them were mine when I was a wee girl.

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The weather has been terrific this past week, pretty sunny and warm. It’s mild in the morning, and light from 5am to 9pm even now. The birds tweet away madly all these daylight hours, they must be exhausted.

Mum and I took some photos of her bonsai trees this afternoon. Aren’t they lovely?

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That’s Mum’s hand watering the bonsai.

The garden is absolutely going mad. We’ve had lovely rhubarb, the strawberries are flowering, the raspberry canes are shooting up.  We really don’t have seasons in Sydney, nothing like this.

I’ll be heading home soon, after finishing watering the plants and stocking up the fridge for Mum. 

Hope you are having a good week, and that you’ve spent some time outside, surrounded by nature too.

Happy travels.

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