A weekend of culture!

Old Deer Village. The start of the week long Buchan's Larder Festival was the Art competition, with all the entrants exhibited in the church hall. This week of festivities used to be called the Fish Fest. But it was decided that as Buchan provided far more than fish, it would be renamed. Yesterday we therefore visited and viewed the amazing collection of pictures in all manner of medium. From collage to oils, watercolour, pen and ink, acrylics et al. The church hall was packed and on offer was also a fly cup and a piece. (Cup of tea and a bun.) Buchan's Larder!
Old Deer is a blow your mind away village. It is so lovely. The picture above does not really do justice to it. Not only that the house in the foreground on the left is one of our competitors! The Old Bank House does b&b. I would love one of the cottages here, all have colourful floral displays. Even the few new builds are in keeping with the style of the village. We drove home, the sun was shining, passing fields harvested, one felt totally at peace with the world. Within seconds the sky went black and there was such a clap of thunder the water in the duck pond shivered. The heavens opened and -well - back to autumn...

Cruden Bay. Totally different - both villages all within ten to fifteen minutes from Greenbrae. In opposite directions. Cruden Bay is home to one of the worlds best golf courses. It also has Slains Castle up on the cliff top, where Bram Stoker visualised Dracula coming out of a high up window and crawling down the walls.....It is also a delightful fishing village with small harbour and as you can see from the picture a fantastic beach.

Our friends Jill and Steve have Slains Studio and as part of the North East Open Studios, also on this week, were welcoming visitors into their home to view their photography. Blew your mind away. (I kept quiet about my effort in for the Buchan Photography Competition!) Jill and Steve live in a fantastic double fronted cottage tucked up in a lane off the 'main' road to the harbour. The whole of the downstairs was displaying their photographs which were fantastic. But I have to admit it was their house which totally made me drool. Thick walls, stone fireplaces, okay the kitchen was in an extension, but it had a door and french windows out to a delightful garden. Woooo.

Hoping to visit more of the Open Studios this week.

On Friday it is the end of the Buchan's Larder Week with a buffet meal at the Waterside Inn. Speakers are the Hairy Bikers. Tickets for this event were sold out within a week of going out. Now I have a confession to make. I have never, ever, seen these two on t.v. or wanted to. But I just know the meal, buffet or whatever, will be fantastic at the Waterside. It always is. Plus I will get to see people who I like and dont get to see very often. So lots of hugs. Good food, and you never know I might just have got a prize for my artistic effort! And if I havent I shall be able to see my photo of Buchans Larder's Strawberry Fields on a canvas and displayed for the world to see. Doing my bit for Buchan culture.