Sitting off the Ayrshire coast, 10 miles west of Girvan, the volcanic plug we know as Ailsa Craig strikes a familiar sight. On the evening of this year’s summer solstice, the immensely vibrant vermilion sun was a breath-taking backdrop to the Craig or ‘Paddy’s Milestone’, the halfway point between Belfast and Glasgow. In Gaelic, Ailsa … Read more
Wednesday Reflection: Mouse The manse garden is a true delight and blessing; it is thoroughly therapeutic. In these days of extended lockdown, I am acutely aware of how fortunate I am to have access to a garden so beautiful and peaceful. The vibrant fire-like colours of the azaleas have almost gone, and so too the … Read more
Everyday and commonplace, the sight and sound of a blackbird is familiar and strangely comforting. According to Irish folklore, if we place blackbird feathers under someone’s pillow, they will tell us their innermost secrets. For some, blackbirds symbolise reincarnation. In the Christian tradition, a lover of nature, the 7th century Irish saint, Kevin, let a … Read more