“For some reason from about my early twenties I was obsessed with buying a Scottish island and it had to be both of these things – it had to be Scottish and it had to be an island.” We can all relate to that, one way or another, I think. The above quote is from Robert Devereux, owner of a private island just off the coast of North West Scotland, whose story, and home, feature in this article in The Scotsman.

Image: Liam Jones

Why am I bringing this up, you may ask? Am I just sitting here googling ‘islands for sale scotland’ or something? Well, yes, that does form a large part of my daily routine, but also I’m off to stay on this particular island soon. I’ve booked a week away in a little cottage looking over the sea, with no leccy – just how I like it. Unlike the bothy, however, this place has not only a bathroom but also a bed. As I’m hoping about 68% of the holiday will be spent asleep this seemed like a minimum requirement. (more…)

Real reveal: Bathroom and bedroom

I was waiting to have hung the perfect shower curtain before unveiling the big bathroom renovation project (with tagged on bedroom paint job), but that might take me all year. And so here it is, my bathroom/bedroom/dressing room. I’m going to walk you through it as though you were  here, so we’ll start in the […]

Ooops: another obsession

A weekend of rummaging in junk shops might have brought on a new thing to obsess over and start collecting. Oh dear. This hideous beauty is a Dartmouth Pottery jug, variously known as a Gurgle, Gluggle or Glug jug. I’ve noticed in a distracted sort of way a mini trend for dark green vintage crockery, […]

Stereotyping

Aren’t you tired of it? People  forever putting people in categories, writing off whole cultures or peoples based on a small group of extreme or, in the perceived view, badly behaved. This photo series by Iranian artist Nafise Motlaq depicting Iranian Fathers & Daughters seeks to defy some of the stereotyping she encountered as an Iranian […]

Trend or travesty: Stoned?

Today at 8.30 in the morning, the new HAY concession opened on the fourth floor of Liberty. I made it by 9.30 and the shop was eerily quiet, it being before opening time. I felt like I was poking around a big grand house with only nice stuff in it. I imagined it to be […]