Jim Malcolm

“I can tell you that the Flowers of Edinburgh aren’t in the floral clock on Prices Street..” Some snaps from a family visit to Edinburgh on the last day of the Festival.

( I had to explain this joke even to Susie, so here goes: A Jambo is the supporter of the  ‘Jam Tarts’ slang for Hearts, being Heart of Midlothian Football Club. In Scotland hearts is often pronounced hertz. phew!)

Just getting down to posting some pics from over the summer. In July we went for a few days to the Outer Hebrides, after a gig I had up in Ullapool. We stayed near this seafood plant for a couple of nights on the Island of Grimsay. A seared scallop on top of a slice of famous Stornaway black pudding is to die for…

I was very taken with the Machair, which is a strip of very fertile land along the western side of the chain of islands. The sandy soil has a very high shell content and was traditionally the  breadbasket of the Hebrides. It’s famous for its wild flowers…

We got as far down as Eriskay famous as the island in Whisky Galore. We were advised to seek out the ponies that live wild on the island. Sandy was the first to spot them. That’s the Cuilins of Skye in the background.

Beth chooses a couple she wants to take home..

Susie, Sandy and I went to the East Neuk of Fife to do the Elie Chain Walk. This involves scrambling over rocks and up and down chains along a section of rocky coastline near Elie. It was an absolutely cracking day, warm and still.

Sandy shot off ahead like a mountain goat so I got no pictures of him, but here’s one of Susie in action. It’s a great place for both adults and kids who find different aspects of it challenging.

There are rocks there quite similar to those on Staffa and the Giants Causeway..
Finished off the afternoon at the famous fish and chip shop at Anstruther which was queued out the door..

DONT TELL DONALD..
Doug Martin smacks a ball towards the 4th fairway on the Hebredean island of Iona. Not a course that golf aficionados will have heard of – infact there are sheep and cows grazing over the entire course! It’s what golf must have been like in Scotland hundreds of years ago. On the other side of the small island lies the hallowed Iona Abbey, established in the seventh century by St Columba, and where the Book of Kells was written. Around the Abbey lie the graves of sixty Celtic and Viking kings. Most people who visit the island don’t get this far but Doug and I hiked over during the September tour round Scotland. We were very glad we did. Just don’t let Donald Trump near the place, although he might be a bit busy running for Prez to ruin this place.
Just putting the finishing touches to my latest CD which was recorded in Perth last month. A big thanks to all those who made it along to cheer me on. It will be released at the end of October.

Our June tour of Scotland went extremely well and for some who had never been there before it started with a bang at Edinburgh Castle. Why do they fire it at one o’clock?- so they only have to use one shell!

We had a great concert in Edinburgh from the wonderful traditional singer Emily Smith and her talented husband Jamie MacLennan.

We went to the Orkney Islands, which were so awesome that I forgot to take any pictures! Here is the wake of the ferry as we sailed up there from Aberdeen.

Dunrobin Castle, ancestral home of the notorious Dukes of Sutherland, who were responsible for some of the worst of the Highland Clearances. They certainly lived in style..

Potree on the Isle of Skye, with the Old Man of Storr in the background.

A highlight of the trip was a journey on the Hogwarts Express through some of the most dramatic and beautiful scenery anywhere.

The stunning ‘Kelpies’ near Falkirk. They represent water-horses which celebrate the renovation of the Scottish canal network.

I am going to be recording a new live album in August. It will be at Perth College, Crieff Road, Perth on Friday 21st and Saturday 22nd both at 7.30 pm. The concerts will be free but advanced booking must be made. To book tickets please contact susie@jimmalcolm.com