Today we are taking a walk on our island. The weather seems clement, even sunny. But actually, it is not very important because no matter what the weather is, it can changes in an instant, the clouds are constantly moving, the blue of the sky can be seen from time to time, the sun’s rays of light are breaking the clouds, the green meadows mix with orange, ocher, brown, we are in a poetic painting. We start climbing the Dun Caan, 1457ft (444m), ancient volcano, it is 11am.
The cottage is in the middle of the island, Dun Caan too. We leave by feet and follow the road for a hundred meters before taking the path to the volcano. Here is the map:
The path rises quickly enough and it is covered with stones of all sizes, it seems that it is also the bed of a stream. The view is a bit covered by clouds, it does not rain, it is a bit windy. Our sheeps graze gently and then stop, glance at us with a puzzled look and then return to their ruminations. Sometimes we have to jump from stone to stone and our feet are getting wet. But we do not car, our ancestors also had their feet wet and they continued at all costs, we too 🙂 We go quite fast, it is beautiful and oh like it smells good, a sea air and a peaty air. Gods, we are good, we savor.
We actually have no idea of the duration of the walk or its topography. We left like adventurers/thieves and besides we are fasting today, just water and two apples in the bag! Let’s burn the fat!
It’s been almost 1 hour that we walk and we arrive at the top of one hill, thinking that the grail is just behind it and that’s the case! Except that we will still have to descend a very steep path and then again up to reach the volcano Dun Caan. We do not get discouraged and in less than twenty minutes, we reach the summit where a 360° vision awaits us as well as a terrible wind that whips us back. We look everywhere, a quiet flat platform about 30 meters in diameter, then we sit against a rock that protects us delicately from the wind. We eat our apple and frankly, I enjoy it so much, back to basics, simple things, this is the goal of October in Raasay, it is our period of rest before being on the road for several months.
Here the time is suspended and at the same time it passes quickly
Time goes by quickly as we’ve been here for two weeks already. Time passes slowly because I feel to be really aware of being here, as if I could feel the time I was given. Apart from the two of us, nothing structures us, it is like as if we are out of time. And at the same time, we already leave in two weeks. And then it will be the city, the people, the traffic, the schedules. Gods, we are good and Gods, we will come back with our children.
Up there, we met walkers – much better equipped and faster than us – they come from Wales. They throw at us: “you thought you would have the volcano for yourself?” Bollucks, I tell myself, I meet people here, in this place, so reclusive, so beautiful, I want to talk to them, I want to know where they come from and what was the path that brought them up to this place. I’m talking about weather – because it’s primal, man talks about the weather to their neighbors not because there is nothing to say but because it’s inscribed in our DNA – before it was a necessity to share the climate information – and say that we are in luck as it is sunny. Oh their god they tell me, do not talk about it, you’ll bring the rain! Perhaps, but at the same time, the rain can come and go ten times a day. Then they leave, we do too a few minutes later. My knee begins hurt a bit. We go down and I suffer a little. I’m almost tempted to put my leg in the lake which looks very cold. I take arnica and massages my ankle and kneecap with essential oils, a few small breaks and we are arrive at home. Well, I guess that the ups and downs is too much for my knees. We’ll do, I must say that we are more looking for contemplation than we are in sports effort. It was a beautiful walk, we are delighted.
Love ❤︎❣❤︎ C