~ Tombae Church, Glenlivet ~

Throughout 2020 and 2021, when most of the world was in lockdown, I have been extremely fortunate to have been completely locked down and self-isolating in a tiny glen in the Scottish Highlands. I’ve painstakingly removed old flaky putty, cleaned the zinc frames, re-puttied and re-painted every single piece of glass. The wooden frames have also been fully restored, rubbed down and re-painted

It’s been a real, slow, long-term isolation project, for which I was given use of the owner’s restored farmhouse to stay in for the duration of the project, for which I am extremely grateful.

Working during COVID has meant long periods of working completely by myself, or being unable to work alongside other teams, such as masons and roofers. Periods of inactivity were consequently inevitable.

The work is ongoing, following a winter break, into 2021. What should have taken six months, has been spread out to another year.

I have been extremely impressed by how much everyone involved has adapted and coped with the ever-changing rules and restrictions. I can not think of a better place to have self-isolated for weeks and months on end.

The project has a fixed budget, which was agreed before COVID was even discovered. I have kept to that agreement, and just simply enjoyed the slower, less expensive, less profitable pace of life in this extraordinary year.

My thanks to Stan and Morag Morrison, Iain MacNaughton (also Finn and Bracken – his border collie site dogs), Vivienne Kelly, Helena Turner, Julia Bray and A.W.Laings for all their help.

Also my thanks to my family, Janey and Colin Andrews, and Kev Raune for popping up to see me when Covid restrictions eased a little during the summer of 2020 – you all kept me sane