Snowdrops at St Ethernan's

Grey Granite and rufus went to Rathen in expectation of finding snowdrops. We chose a cold frosty morning when the grass in the kirkyard was greyish with hoar frost and there was ice on the puddles in the lane over Gallows Hill.



The morning sunshine was just starting to melt the frost in the kirkyard when we embarked on our snowdrop hunt. We found small clusters of snowdrops under the ivy clad trees in the NE corner. The Victorians often planted snowdrops, a symbol of purity on graves. It seemed appropriate that we found them growing in the furthest, most forgotten corner of the kirkyard which always feels redolent of a more peaceful era.



Ivy, along with the snowdrops, provides food for insects tempted out by winter sunshine.

The snowdrops were growing in bare patches of earth and had been besmirched  by mud spatters during yesterday evening's heavy rain.

Rathen: autumnal afternoon sunlight

Twice recently Grey Granite and Rufus have  visited Rathen on sunny afternoons, the first visit was in the company of their friend, Dr Anne, who has family connections with the area. On both visits the afternoon light was superb, creating a subtly different ambience in St Ethernan's kirkyard from that of Grey Granite's more usual morning visits. Grey Granite and Dr. Anne spent some time in the kirkyard before walking over Gallows Hill to Rathen Station then looping round to re-enter the village by the school.

Dr Anne and Rufus by the graves of Dr. Anne's Hay relatives who farmed at nearby Lootingstone and Concraig in the 19th century.

The deserted grave yard is a remarkably tranquil place, the peace only disturbed by geese flying overhead.

The afternoon sunshine transformed the wall of the south aisle, highlighting the inscriptions. That above the door reads, 'Alexander Fraser of Philorth, patron.



A sandstone effigy of a human face on the gable of the aisle, the features are hardly visible when the sun is not casting shadows.  There is what appears to be a ram's head on the opposite gable.                      

The copper weather vane on the old church caught the sunlight and seemed to glow. Grey Granite has applied a glowing filter in this image.

The new Parish Church, designed by William Smith, replaced St Ethernan's in1868. The patterned stone Gothic church has a tower capped by a broach spire which forms a conspicuous landmark easily seen from the roads leading down into the village.

Golden bracken in the lane leading out of the village by the school; a reminder that despite the temperature of 17c on Grey Granite's second visit we are in mid October.

Both Grey Granite and Dr Anne were struck by the number of houses in the vicinity which fly saltires.

Grey Granite particularly like the light on this row of leafless beech trees close by the new kirk and the wide open aspect of the countryside beyond them.