Bullers of Buchan.

Fantastic cliff formation, not far away from here. Smugglers tales abound, and puffins nest every year.
I find it quite amazing at the different shore scenarios within a few short miles. They go from swathes of golden beaches, to pebble beaches, to sand dunes, to cliffs. We have the lot. The steep sided cliffs with almost vertical roads down to small fishing villages, then the fishing villages perched atop cliffs like this. You could spend a life time visiting and discovering the history of each.
Greenbrae, being first built in 1860 something, has a lot of history of course. Most of which we know from being given some of the deeds, or copies I should say. I have them all in a folder to which we have added to, so as to be able to hand over to the future owners. With today's technology, there are also photographs in the folder. Some of before, during and after when it was a care home for Polish Men. Many pictures of what the house was like when we moved into it - and the changes we have made.
I dont think I have ever been so personally aware of history till I came to live here.
In our library is a book titled Longside, our village's name. This was produced by the Church of Scotland village members. A fascinating read. All the villages in this area have their own history. All of which are equally fascinating.
We also own a much older book, Pratt's Buchan. This is a first edition I came across in a National Trust second hand book shop. I bought it for Mike's birthday, some years back, and paid £85 for it. It is worth far more than that. Not only in money terms. I may leave the Longside book for future owners of Greenbrae, although it is much sought after. It had a limited run and all have gone, but we receive many requests from our ancestor hunters.
I will not be leaving Pratt's Buchan! We will still be living in Buchan after all.
We had another viewing of the house this afternoon. I doubt it will come to anything. But what a difference to have a couple who were appreciative, asked intelligent questions, and were here longer than twenty minutes!
I wouldn't mind, too much, handing Greenbrae with all it's history to them. There was no talk of, "Oh we can knock all these walls out." (You can feel the house cringe.) "Build another house at the front" (What about the views.)
Then the ones like we had on Saturday who are in awe of the house and it looks down its nose at.
I swear this house is alive. I well remember when we moved in and Iswear I heard a big sigh of relief.
I don't think I have ever mentioned our ghosts on this blog.
One, who we call the Admiral, is in the snug. (When the house was a care home, this room housed a retired Polish Admiral.) It is a lovely cosy room with the open fire. But sometimes the door will close of its own volition. (There is no subsidence here.) It can begin to close and you say, "Can you stop that," and it will! Forgot to mention it only does this door closing when you are inside the room. You can leave the door open and it will stay open if you are outside the room. And no the floors are not wonky!
Our other spiritual friends are outside. I have got used to it now. But in our early days here I would frequently see, when in the kitchen, out of the corner of my eye, someone coming past the window. I would go to the entrance door and there was no-one there. This was also experienced by others. " I could have sworn I saw someone come up the drive.".....
Some years after we came to live here we were informed that urns had been found at the top of our drive local gossip say they contained human hearts. Documentary evidence now in our Greenbrae archives.
Of course our drive way ghosts could just be the spirits of the workers coming to the cattle barns,which were at the rear of the house, so at the end of the drive way. Greenbrae was a dairy farm.
Note I said spiritual friends. I have been far more scared living in the depths of a built up area in the Midlands. If you hear a creak its possibly a burglar, mugger, or worse. Dawn chorus = car alarms. A crash means just that - your car windscreen gone. Or as once happened, a motor cyclist underneath your car.
Of course it isnt all Lark Rise to Candleford - not so many heaving breasts for a start. Or snakes under the wood pile, goodness how I laughed at this weeks episode. (Totally off subject here I note they arent going to make any more of LRTC as they are quitting while they are winning!)
Guess I had better stop all this meandering and will quit before I lose the plot. Cheers.