Scottish Meet Up!! - Archive

[Toddy]

Okay; dates.
I can manage 1,2,3 July
15,16,17 July
12,13,14 August
and then I'm working every weekend until September.

Can I approach the Crannog managment and ask about the15/16/17th July?
Is that acceptable to most people? I'm sorry Troy, I know it's earlier than the dates you suggested. However, it might be feasible to do another minimoot the following month if the first one works out. I'll also check about canoes and the like. (I've got three in the lock-up, but they're white water boats, I was taught to canoe on the River Awe )
If the plans for a canoe recce work out we might have choices to make for other dates too
Had a thought about Corrour Station. There's an excellent youth hostel site a hike away from there.....might make a good base for a big, family style moot at some point; not everyone is happy in the wilderness, unbushcrafty s.o.'s might like to have a jaunt too, but with a bed, loo and shower handy

Cheers,
Toddy

 

[Doc]

15th-17th July or 12-14th August would be ok with me.

I must say that a wee trip to Corrour sounds very tempting (after the midgies are gone)
Thinking ahead a bit, in the off season, you can rent an entire youth hostel for group use. I know many would rather camp, but on the other hand there is much to be learnt from meeting and blethering with like minded people regardless of location. Cordage, carving, medical, sharpening, navigation theory and many other topics can be covered in any location. And good for families.

Approximate prices are £250 a night for a hostel sleeping 50. Even if we only had 20 people it's only 12.50 a night each.

 

[troy]

the dates in july are OK with me toddy - just bring some beers, its my 40th on the 18th (just hope the saying it true).

Doc, will be at the BASC tent at 14.00 (its not a beer tent is it)

ref areas for us to go to, I must admit, I have not venture much into areas below glen coe, ben alder - spent most of my time around areas like skye, knoydart, an teallach, torridon, cairngorms etc - glen etive is isolated and got a nice sea loch, and if things go bad we can always see if 'jim will fix'it'.

for now I.m quite happy with the 16, 17 july at Crannog just for a basic gathering to smell each other out, to see whose good at what and best see how we can help each other to enjoy our pastime - plus a few wee drinks!

 

[Toddy]

the dates in july are OK with me toddy - just bring some beers, its my 40th on the 18th (just hope the saying it true).........
for now I.m quite happy with the 16, 17 july at Crannog just for a basic gathering to smell each other out, to see whose good at what and best see how we can help each other to enjoy our pastime - plus a few wee drinks!

Age is one of those mind over matter things.....if you don't mind, it doesn't matter. There are always idiots who will only see a number instead of the person, but for some reason all the 40+ folk I know are thoroughly enjoying life
I've got some home made sloe gin that could do with a good excuse to open. I've just started the Elderflower champagne brewing too.

I'll contact the Crannog and see what can be arranged.
In the meantime if anyone else is up there, maybe post some pictures?
Cheers,
Toddy

 

[troy]

sloe gin, nettle beer, elderberry champas - yes by far the more refined way of enjoying our native wild plants, especially on such nobel occasions - cheers toddy

 

[MagiKelly]

15,16, 17th July are okay with me.

I am all for a canoe meet as well. Just back from a night at Loch Lomond, just off Balmaha and it is certainly a possability for a mini Bushcrafty meet. There is also a camp site on one of the islands but it has a maximum of 15. For an out of season meet I am sure we could get the whole site. No idea of the cost though. Also we need to have a think about how much paddling there will be and also make sure it is easy enough for the non canoeists that are making up the numbers.

 

[Eric_Methven]

15th - 17th July is fine with me as well. I've marked it in the diary. As I have a biggish van, I'll be bringing a pole lathe, a couple of shave horses, my spoon carving jigs, spoon knives and sycamore blanks as well as other parephenalia for anyone to have a play with (with instruction if needed). I'll be going over to the lakes soon to cut ash bowstaves for August and if I can get enough spares I'll also bring my bowyers bench (15th century design) and some staves. What's everyone else bringing?

Eric

PS Nearly forgot. I'll be travelling up through Newcastle, Jedburgh and Edinburgh on the Friday afternoon so if anyone wants a lift from near any of these areas, let me know. I have two spare seats up front in the Transit (the back will be full of gear).

 

[Toddy]

Sounds good Eric
I thought I'd just take natural cordages and firestart materials for folks to play around with. I'd really like to see what other people use as well.

Cheers,
Toddy

 

[MagiKelly]

I am really looking forward to this. As everyone seems so knowledgable I have decided that I am willing to teach nothing and just learn as much as possable Obvousley this is not due to my lack of knowledge just my desire to provide an interested student

 

[troy]

wow Eric, thats quite a shave horse you have there, puts my rickity old thing to shame - think its only held together these days by the saw dust and sweat. Would like to get my hands on one of your ash stave's, due to location theres not realy alot around here (not enough to just chop down for a bow), mostly use boards and a stave would be a real treat - perhaps we can barter or something.

as for some thing to bring with me - I have plenty of dyed rawhide (bark,nettle, walnut), could bring some strings for braiding/weaving and of course the bass wood - had thought of bringing a carcas from my skin supplier, but I guess this is the wrong location for that sort of thing.

see you all later.

 

[Eric_Methven]

I'll do what I can with the staves but I can't promise. This is the wrong time of the year to be felling anyway, it's just that I was asked only last week to run a course in August and I don't have anywhere near enough material. I'll cut what I can and cleave most of it into staves then bind them to a fencepost to let them dry a bit as straight as possible. Those that have any twist in them will be made into ash hurdle fences and animal pens.

It depends on what wood is available at or near the campsite, and whether we can have access, but if anybody wants to make a shavehorse to take home, it'll be a real possibility (I'll bring the chainsaw to speed things up). We'll see, it's early days yet.

MajiKelly, you just bring yourself along. All you'll need for a great weekend is an open mind and a sense of humour. You'll probably go home with information overload, but that doesn't weigh much. Pen and notepad might come in handy though. I know I've got tons to learn from others so I'll be coming armed with both pen and notepad and a dictaphone as well. So many times in the past has someone told me a trick or technique round a campfire and when I've gotten home I can remember the subject, but not the technique. I'm not missing this opportunity to glean as much knowledge and information as possible.

Here's some of the gear I'll have with me (and the means to make it) although I won't be in costume.

Really looking forward to meeting up with you all.

Eric

 

[match]

15/16/17th of July would be fine with me also - thats the first weekend after my birthday, so I'll join in any celebrations (with appropriate alcohol quaffing as necessary

My only issue is transport - I'll be coming from Edinburgh, and am happy to get a train/bus to anywhere if I can get a lift the rest of the way.. except I've lost track of where the choice for this date was? Can someone do a 'this place, this date and time' post for me?

For what its worth, I'll be bringing bow drill kit, and a good knowledge of wild plants and their uses, as well as a strong desire to both learn and teach/share with others what I know!

(depending on how I'm travelling, I might bring some extra stuff, like wood-carving tools, a storm kettle, etc)

 

[Eric_Methven]

Match, you can jump in with me. I'll be passing Edinburgh coming up from Durham via Jedburgh and hitting the bypass. I can easily divert to anywhere in the City to pick you up. I'm driving a Transit van so there'll be plenty of room for kit.

The event is on Loch Tay and I'm intending to leave Durham around 10am so I should be at Edinburgh around 1pm or so depending on traffic. Is that OK for you? I'll be staying till the Sunday evening and will drop you off at home as well if you like.

Let me know by PM if this suits.

Eric

 

[JFW]

I'm hoping to be there from the friday to the sunday, have cleared it with the boss just need to make sure I haven't got any gigs that weekend. Will sort that tonight.
I have no skills or knowledge, just things I can do - just like John - I hope to learn lots and try out toddys midgie recipie. I hope that of all the things I can do someone will learn something from me.

Cheers

JFW

 

[Doc]

Any news from the Crannog people about 15-17 July Toddy?

Anyone else going to the Game fair at Scone this Saturday? So far looks like me, Troy, possibly Sandbender, possibly Magikelly. I will be with the family so maybe I won't have much time for a blether, but good to put names to faces nevertheless. And it is a good day out. Lots of places selling green clothing, midgie nets, edged tools, fishing tackle, leather goods, boats, etc, etc. If the weather is good you can lounge around munching venison and watching the falconry.

Shaping up to be a good meet at Loch Tay.
I know a little bit about lots of things (archery, astronomy, wilderness philosophy, wilderness literature, wildfowling, arrow making, and navigation for instance) but a lot of this knowledge is rather superficial. Medicine/first aid I hopefully know pretty well and I'm used to teaching it. Can also provide a crash course in gold panning (takes 5 minutes to learn the basics) if anyone is interested.

 

[JFW]

Anyone else going to the Game fair at Scone this Saturday?

Doc, going camping with my kids this weekend so wont be at Scone unfortunately.

Can also provide a crash course in gold panning (takes 5 minutes to learn the basics) if anyone is interested.

So we could all come home rich then

Cheers

JFW

 

[troy]

(hope no one gets affended by the following))

I can see it now - some one finds a nugget and we're stuck there for months - tobby making rope to hold together the water channel eric makes, the doc is out busy collecting greens, match is ligting the fires, sandbender is canoeing for fish, magikelly is cungering up more gold, I'm hunting for meat and everybody else is busy searching for the faintest glint of gold.

Gold Fever - once you've got it, your Doomed!

 

[JFW]

Sounds like fun, the Crannog tourist numbers will go up if we strike it lucky.

Cheers

JFW

 

[Eric_Methven]

I'll add to my list of things to bring, a bag of pebbles and a can of gold paint. I'll hide the 'gold' and anyone finding a 'nugget' will win a Mars bar or similar.

Eric

 

[match]

Match, you can jump in with me. The event is on Loch Tay and I'm intending to leave Durham around 10am so I should be at Edinburgh around 1pm or so depending on traffic.

That sounds great! That would be the Friday, right?

Just need to organise getting time off work then, but it shoudln't be a problem...

*goes to book leave and dig out all his heavy kit*