900 years and 900 geese.

We're woken at first light by a huge flock of geese flying right over the last wee house before Denmark.  They're flying low and have to pull up to avoid the chimney pots. For thirty seconds the air pressure changes with the beat of their wings. 

At the strawberry farm the Polish lady behind the counter thinks they'll be able to carry on harvesting the crop until mid-October. Seems it's not been hot enough for the plants to have been stressed so they continue to fruit away, quietly and profitably. The strawberry farm have diversified and have now started to sell their own potatoes which are as different from supermarket potatoes as it's possible to be.

Sunday was a 'Doors open day' around here. All sorts of places that are usually closed to the public are opened up.  In the late afternoon we stop off at the little church by the air base. It's almost five and we half expect the place to be locked and the guides to have gone home.

To our surprise the place is still open. An extremely lucid lady and a knowledgeable gentleman of a certain age in a beige linen suit are closing up.  To save time they suggest that we ask questions and they'll do their best to answer them. We discover that

1) The church was built around 1150 on a hill in what was then a swamp

2) It is one of a handful of Romanesque churches in Scotland

3) It is built of white limestone that was shipped all the way from from Caen. 

4) The tower is at the East rather than the West End which is exceedingly unusual.

5) A fine collection of 900 year old gargoyles are still in place scaring away evil spirits.

On the inside the kirk is a bit like Rosslyn Chapel. Old, unusual and with the wry  feeling of a place that's hiding a great secret. It seems tiny to modern eyes but 900 years ago the architecture would have seemed breathtakingly large and modern.

We spend an hour being shown around by the two parishioners.  They have a love for this strange old building that suggests its future is - for now at least - safe.

This being Scotland there are no signs to alert the passing visitor to this architectural treasure. History in these parts is quiet and uncommercial. 

Some 'fun' in the Scottish heartlands. To sit by the river is heaven  :https://www.thetaybank.co.uk/

Atlanta finally gets a world class hotel :https://forthatlanta.com/

Sometimes a bit wordy but this substack always makes me think. This Elon Musk/Donald Trump take on elite human capital is worth reading :https://www.richardhanania.com/p/elite-human-capital-is-not-just-iq

Danish music on the car radio :https://youtu.be/MWoJ7KpTXjw