John and Kate have retired to Isle of Skye, Scotland, with their two kids, James (3) and Faith (1). They have a beautiful home with 110 acres including: lawns; a walled garden with roses, herbs, fruit and veg; a wilderness garden; grazing fields, pool house, gardener's cottage, hiking paths and breathtaking views of Strathaird Peninsula and the Cuillin Hills. It's an amazing place for kids (and adults).
Their home was formerly owned by Ian Anderson, the flute rocker from Jethro Tull (eat your heart out, Steve Kerby). He has moved beyond one-footed flute-playing, and makes millions from his salmon farms in the area.
Inside, the house had more rooms than we could count. The highlight: a fabulous oil-fired AGA stove. Besides keeping us warm, it was used to make some fabulous meals, including the afore-mentioned haggis (quite yummy), roast chicken, venison stew (from a deer killed nearby) and black pudding (a really rich blood sausage). A vegetarian heaven!
We had a blast hiking the grounds - ducking for cover between sun, torrential rain, hail and sun again. We visited the local town, with one store, and saw the boat taking tourists out to view the seals and scenery. Looked a bit chilly out there.
We had an amazing time - we felt like Fresh Air Fund kids out for the summer. We can't wait to go back and explore some more. Andy wants to go to the Talisker distillery and hit some Scotland links.
See all our photos here.
1 comment:
Highlander is not ridiculous... It's the best movie ever and won an Oscar.
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