Scotland - The Old Manse of Bourtie

The OId Manse of Bourtie is remarkable and should be a Scottish national treasure...The place is such an accurate step back in time. It was built in 1744 and on the remaining 5 acres there is still a complete walled garden, a wild bluebell field, wild pheasants roaming the yard like chickens, ancient trees, beautiful sculptures hidden throughout... and so much old earth magic.

Marian Youngblood and Keiji own and live in the Georgian home which they have preserved. They heat with the multiple fireplaces, cook on a wood stove which also heats water in pipes which lead to both the upstairs and downstairs bathrooms. This piping system is amazingly ingenious as it gives additional warmth to the house while providing warm water where it is needed. The staircases, the stone walls, the windows, the floors, the doors are all authentic and very beautiful.

Our hosts were extremely gracious and it was a wonderful experience.

Keiji is like Gary and they found much in common and lots to talk about. The two of them went off to look at the mechanics of the house which are so completely amazing.

Marian and I on the other hand could hardly contain ourselves while we explored all of the natural features on the property. We talked of energy and trees and spirits and crystal portals and stone circles and the Picit people.

Come to find out she is an expert in all of these arenas as well as an activist in returning Scotland back to the “wild”. She showed me a treed hillside in the far distance. “I bought that property so very long ago and planted wild...with trees and other wild plants. The adjacent farmers at the time couldn’t understand why I would do such a plumb dumb thing. In fact they often were very angry with me and confused. The land is now alive - it has grown and the wild life have returned - and it has positively influenced the parcels around it. Now that the land has returned to a state of wildness those same farmers are seeing an advantage and are doing the same - planting trees. In fact there is a movement in Scotland to replant it, to bring back the wildness. Did you know we no longer have wolves? The last was shot by the prince of England.” I’ve posted a link below to her blog site.

After diner the guys continued their mechanical journey and Marion and I went upstairs to a cozy fire light living room and held the ceremony. We had initially wanted to hold it on her crystal table out in the garden... but for me the room was perfect. Candles and fireplace flickering, thick stone walls and amazing energy.

The house energy allowed me to sleep so well ... I dreamt about everything - it was great.

The next morning after breakfast Marion and I went out and sat near her crystal table - we did some ceremonial prayers and then I played the Cedar Tree Song - music which Beaverchief, Mark Nichols and I created so long ago. It rang out throughout the hill side and was amazing. Marian was kind enough to say that she thought the music had awakened the old soul of Scotland again.

A post script... Marian sent me a note, thought everyone would like to read "why" her Neighbours were really mad that she replanted wild.

Marian Youngblood....
"The reason why the Neighbours were so anti my planting that wilderness
on the 'hill' [I didn't pay to have it planted; I just personally
planted one quarter and got a grant to pay for a helper to plant the
rest .... was that in allowing it to go back to nature, it encouraged (my)
resident foxes/wildcat to prey on their neighboring sheep - not often,
but that was their fear. they expected me to shoot it/them. I would
pretend to look into it & then refused to let a gun in. !!! In 22
years I now see that not only do they no longer raise sheep, but in
planting their own neighbor/additional trees - we are consolidating
that little enclave of the earth together AND the foxes/wildcat have
kindly decimated the rabbit population which caused an imbalance
anyway (eating my wee trees and their spring growing barley crops).
Redressed the balance. That in itself is reward enough. Plus it is now
technically an outpost of Scotland's regenerating Caledonian pine
Forest - see"
http://www.treesforlife.org/