It's so relaxing and interesting to go on your trips with you, Helen. What a kind and indulgent husband you have, to go off with Pearl and take her photo for you 😅. Thanks for the reminder about and link to the crocheted pouch idea - I'd like to try some of those. If ever viewers were rewarded for watching to the end, this was the time - what a fun and inventive poem... I giggled several times, for example at the lines about the spider's constitution😂 Just delightful, and I love the way you read📖👌🤗
Thank you so much for coming along on our travels! Phil is certainly very kind to me. I am so glad you enjoyed the story poem about the spider, too! xx
I save your podcasts for quiet times when I can savor them. They are rare treats! Columba is very well-named, and such a bold friend! Thank you for sharing his story with us!
Lovely episode ,,Helen,,,,, Thank you,!! Such a lovely spot,,,and story of lighthouse,,,,,So interesting,,, Look forward to more,,,, Stories,, and travels,,,,, Spider story was fun!!! Elaine 💚💖🍁
Another lovely adventure! Columba must be a long distance relative of the spider that lives in the door well of my Mazda! Mr E won't ask him to leave and so I put up with my hitchhiker who luckily stays in place while I go about my drives in the car. Who knows what he lives on, as unless he can squeeze through the closed edge, only gets to see daylight once or twice a day! All the best! Jane xx
Such a small island. But very nice vistas and sounds like you were able to set a very relaxed pace and enjoy. I bet that lighthouse had some terrifying storms blow past. I couldn't imagine living out there. I love the ocean and could spend all day on a beach picking at the rocks, listening to the waves. I'm with you, as long as you can get out of the weather, and it isn't dangerous, a bit of wind and rain is part of the adventure. My gosh, that spider! How crazy he just hung out in his cave all over Scotland and back. I hope you wrote your story in a journal with plans to illustrate it, if only for your own delight. It really tells the story of your own travels, too. (Spiders outside are fascinating🤔. Spiders in my house, or worse -on my body, not so much.😬) Thanks for sharing your campervan adventures. I've so enjoyed seeing the places, flora and fauna, and the food! And hearing the stories. See you next week!
Thanks, Karen, for joining us on this latest part of the trip! I think lighthouses are just incredible things, aren't they? Those lighthouse keepers were very hardy indeed. I will definitely be spending more time working on the spider story and having a go at some illustrations! See you next time! xx
Hello Helen I enjoyed tagging along on your wonderful trip. Scotland is so beautiful, even in the rain. I was so happy to hear Columba's travelogue. He is a hardy soul, isnt he! Thank you for your time and trouble in sharing. Lovely! X
Thanks Helen for another fabulous video. Great music, interesting places to hear about and finishing with your wonderful story. I love spending time with you. X
Another wonderful journey with the camper van. The story about Columba was delightful; had I heard that story as a child, spiders might not be as scary as they are to me today. Might there be a “woolly” Columba joining your journeys in the future? Till next time, happy adventures🕸 and crafts🧶
Another fabulous travel adventure Helen. The weather was certainly wild at times and/but with incredible views. I loved the history of the lighthouse and how great of Phil to actually capture it. I can’t imagine it was much of an existence for the lighthouse keeper, out in that wild lonely spot. The bakery looked great too. I would definitely have indulged too. Home made type bakeries are the best. And then the spider poem. I’m not a fan of insects. I think it really shows your heart that not only didn’t you clean out the ‘cave’, that you celebrated him with a lovely story and allowed him to continue life rent free. You are indeed a special soul. The story was very clever, great rhyming. And still one more travel video to come. I’m sure there will be a crafty one between, because we haven’t to see Hazel completed yet. I always look forward to more content 🤗
Thank you, Isabel - I just love being able to take you along! I am in great awe of lighthouse builders and lighthouse keepers. I'm glad you enjoyed the spider story - he just needed to be celebrated! Yes, I'll do a crafty podcast for next week when I will show the completed Hazel, then the following week I'll be taking you off to the Highlands! (and the trip will actually continue after that for at least one more episode!!!) xx
HELEN!!! You need to publish that adorable story!! I'm 100% serious. It's so clever and beautifully written. Your talents always blow me away!!! You're so talented you could probably illustrate it too. I wish I knew the name of a children's book publisher! I'd recommend you right away!! Thanks for sharing such a fun campervan trip.
Thank you, Margaret for all your kind words! It's definitely on my to-do list to have a go at publishing a story or two... and yes, I'd like to have a go at illustrating, too! xx
What a gloriously beautiful island. So remote, but peaceful and relaxing. Such varied landscape I bet the winters are harsh though, but residents probably adjust. Lovely food available. I have not heard of the croft scheme before- sounds like part of heritage preservation. I think you need to write and illustrate your stories and share with others as you are incredibly skilled at this. Look forward to seeing a spider join your travels. Lisa ❤
Thank you, Lisa - it truly was a beautiful place to visit. I think you're right, that the residents become acclimatized to living there. I will definitely be spending more time working on my stories and having a go at some more illustrating! And I think there definitely could be a little woolly spider appearing at some point... xx
Wonderful podcast this week. I loved your tour round Tiree. It was very interesting. Your poem story about Columba, the spider was enchanting. I hung on every word! 😊❤. Looking forward to the next instalment. I see another book in the offing about adventures in the campervan!!! ❤😊❤
Hi, I too love spiders and they are such friendly little chaps if you're not afraid of them. What a super poem, it just flows from you as it does from every good poet! Lovely maps, history and I felt like I was experiencing a trip away myself. Thanks so much for all the effort it takes to put the films together. Much appreciated. xx
My daughter has become less afraid of spiders since she decided to give each one that she encounters a name! They really are friendly things and I was so proud of Columba!!! And thank you - I love being able to take you on some of our travels! xx
I really enjoyed watching your adventures in your campervan. I love that you share so much information about each place you visit. Washing your hair in a bowl ....exactly what I do in our van 😊 all part of the fun! The spider story was wonderful and made me smile 😊 xx
Thank you! I love it that when we're away in the campervan, a routine thing like hairwashing becomes a special event! I'm glad you enjoyed the story, too! xx
Oh, Helen, what a brilliant, warm, and happy story! We don't have what you call midgies in the US, but we do have No-See-Ums. I would love to load up a box of them to send to Columba. Those little beasties are not our friends! Your videos are thr BEST, ❤❤
Thank you, Vicky - I'm so glad you enjoyed the story! What a lovely name 'No-See-Ums' is for such nuisances!!! Columba the living spider is no longer with us, of course, but I do now carry a little crochet version around in my pocket! xx
Oh how wonderful to visit such a beautiful island. Beaches, waves, wind, and the smell of the sea - - - is there anything more wonderful? I have a bit of an “indelicate” questions which is alright if you don’t choose to respond! If your campervan and your campsites do not have toilet facilities, how do you cope? Are there such things as camping toilets? And do you carry one with you? (Sorry for the question, but I just keep thinking about that as I watch your lovely films.) The story at the end was absolutely perfect! I hope you make your stories into (handwritten and illustrated) books for your family to enjoy. You are a delightful storyteller and author. Thank you for sharing. salam wa sa’aadah
Thank you, Linda - it really was a wonderful place to spend some time! I certainly don't mind the "indelicate" question - we do have a couple of toilet options that we carry with us, and in an isolated place we even have a pop-up toilet tent!! But I think I will have to answer this question in a podcast soon because I'm sure there are others who have wondered the same thing! I'm glad you enjoyed the story, too - I have such fun writing them and reading them out! xx
I preferred Tiree. Lovely beaches and there seemed more to do without being “touristy”. Loved the poem about the spider. My husband had a spider who lived in his scaffold truck wing mirror so he went on numerous journeys too. You are such a talented writer. You definitely need to get a book published. Looking forward to the next instalment. Have a lovely week and weekend. Lesley x
I think you've summed Tiree up very well - I definitely preferred it to Coll, though it was good that on Coll we didn't feel any pressure to go off visiting lots of places! How lovely that your husband had an adventurous spider travelling with him! And thank you, Lesley - I'm glad you enjoyed the story - I will definitely look into possibilities for publishing a book... Take care xx
Hi Helen. Really enjoyed the camper trip. Such beautiful scenery. The beaches are stunning. Fancy taking the spider on a holiday of a limetime. With an all-inclusive midge buffet. Think many of his spider cousins are living in our house. We're decorating at the moment and seem to have disturbed all the spiders. Will be seeing grandchildren tomorrow, it's granddaughter's birthday. They'll love to hear Spiders' tale. Have a lovely week take care. Xx
Hi Angela - I'm so glad I could take you along on this part of the trip! I was so amazed by that little spider that came with us. Not so good finding all those spiders in your house, though! Have a lovely time with you grandchildren, especially having a birthday to celebrate! Take care xx
Thank you - it’s a really lovely place to visit! I’m glad you enjoyed the poem, too - I was just amazed that the spider stayed with us all that time!! xx
Thank you - I think a wing mirror is rather a nice place for a spider! Sadly, Columba has not been seen for a little while now - but at least he will live on in the story! x
So love all the adventures, sharing places I have never been and will never be. Tyree was so interesting, the thing that struck me the most, was the lack of trees. Were there any? How are the homes heated? Are the homes there, which are gorgeous, all built with the same rocks that are on the island? Oh Helen, your lovely stories, I could listen to them everyday. Your sweet, gentle voice is so calming. Thank you again for another wonderful adventure, looking forward to the Highlands!
Thank you, Carol - it's my pleasure to take you to these places! There were very few trees on the island - I think mainly because the trees that were cut down many years ago haven't been replaced. I'm not sure how the homes are heated. There are definitely stone houses but much older houses were built from peat and thatched with heather. I'm glad you enjoyed the spider story, too! x
Hi Helen,just been catching up on your camper van adventures,it’s been really lovely seeing all the interesting places you have visited along with the fascinating historical details you have shared ,thanks for all the time you’ve spent making these videos it’s really appreciated ❤The story of the travelling spider is just delightful you really have a great talent for writing,I’m looking forward to the next episode.
Thank you, Tracey - I do love being able to take you along - and it just enriches our visits to places to find out a bit more of the history. So glad you enjoyed the spider story, too! xx
Another interesting and beautiful trip. Always wait and enjoy your podcast whilst having coffee and a biscuit after returning from my Monday morning keepfit session. Never realised that Robert Louis Stevenson was part of the great engineering family, every day is a learning day 🤔
Hi Helen, what a lovely trip. It's so nice to see the landscape with all the beautiful sheep just roaming around. The wind surfing was something else! Those folks must have a healthy constitution to be out there in the cold like that. It was fun to watch. I was wondering if you would ever consider doing a video about your piano playing and your music? I just love all the pieces you play. Well have a great week and thank you for your beautiful video.
Thank you joining us on our travels! The windsurfers must definitely be hardy folk! I will definitely consider doing a video that focuses a bit more on the piano and the music I love to play - thank you for a lovely suggestion! xx
Tiree was most definitely different than Coll. So many beautiful vistas of beach and sea and rolling green fields. I’m always fascinated by the stories of lighthouses. Yay for Columba and his adventure.
Thank you, Debbie - it is certainly a beautiful place. I'm glad to know that you are fascinated by lighthouses - they really are quite incredible things! And I'm glad you enjoyed hearing about Columba too! xx
Hi Helen I just watched your podcast about your birthday last year and just realised, you have the same birthday as my husband, although he is quite a lot older than you, I have been binge watching all your podcast on the camper van and having a great time going around with you and Your husband, and watching all your new friends you make, sending blessings from Scotland
Hello Helen just saw you pod cast. And you adventures around Scotland again. Decided to watch you on any podcast comes on my phone. I did enjoy that, it's is lovely to come with you on a trip. I loved your Spider poem well done so witty and clever words chosen well Happy traveling dear xx ❤
I really enjoyed this episode with all your beautiful adventures and especially you reading that lovely story. I’'m afraid of spiders but really liked your story and could imagine Columba spending her days on your campervan ❤ Thank you Helen!
Thank you for sharing your lovely trip to Tiree. I have never been there but it looks absolutely lovely and completely unspoiled! Strangely when you showed the information pack at the start of your trip the camper on the picture was the one we used to have for our adventures! An Auto-sleeper Executive! How co-incidental was that! X
Tiree is so beautiful! I have loved this and enjoyed it so much. The beaches are wonderful. I'm glad you were able to keep from blowing away! I really enjoyed your story poem about Columba, I always marvel at how you are able to write like that! Thank you so much for sharing ❤
Thank you, Shari - it's always my pleasure to be able to share these beautiful places with you! And I'm so glad you enjoyed the story poem about the little spider! xx
Another lovely video Helen, scenery is so wild. I do love spider story. Have you ever published any of your work?. You told it so beautifully. Thank you. Phill is a good sport taking pearl for a walk to the beach. I know my husband would have drawn the line at that. Thank you ❤❤ julie Tasmania Australia ❤️❤️
Thank you, Julie! I self-published one story via Amazon (A Tale from the Enchanted Wood) although it turned out that it wasn't available to buy worldwide... so I won't go via that route again! But if you want to hear the story, here's a link to me reading it... studio.th-cam.com/users/videofTEW0dtHOUE/edit I would love to find a way of getting some of my stories into print... it's on my to-do list! xx
So worth the wait: Tiree was beautiful and the two islands so different, I see why you made two videos. What a special place. Anything to do with lighthouses and their history fascinates me. Thank you too for your story-poem which gave such a sense of Columba and his resourcefulness - I enjoyed his point of view, his "spider-cave" the humans camper van. Do hope you publish this tale. Great Pearl got to Maze beach. This video is another "view-over-again": looking forward to the Highlands.🕸🕷💐
Thank you, Helen! There really was quite a contrast between the two islands. I'm so glad that you are a lighthouse enthusiast, too! And happy that you enjoyed hearing my Columba story - it would be lovely to turn it into a book - I will add it to my to-do list! xx
What a lovely story Helen, notuch for spiders though, but he was a stalwart fella😮lovely trip, such an enjoyable time. Amazing how those people live on those islands. Can be harsh I'm thinking, but what a life. Thanks for the trip and take care😊❤
Wonderful story and beautifully read. You mentioned the duke and duchess of Argyle went to the sod turning for the light house, has princess Anne been there too as she's a big fan of lighthouses I think?lovely trip, thanks Helen and Phil.
Thank you, Maude! I actually googled to see if Princess Anne has visited the Skerryvore lighthouse and she actually did in 1998!!! I found the story here if you want to read more: www.heraldscotland.com/news/12256563.princess-scales-lighthouse/
@@mousiemakespod Helen, thanks for looking that up, never occurred to me, I read the story and Princess Anne sure is a trooper, and what a great patron the lighthouse group has in Anne.
I enjoy watching your travels in Scotland, somewhere I have never been. With such awful weather a lot of the time do you ever get the desire to go somewhere hot and lay on a beach?😄
Hi there, I have just found your channel and I am really enjoying the content. We have had a motorhome for nearly 2 years and struggle to find time to get out and about with work and family commitments lately. I am in the North Island of NZ and although we have a stunning country I wish we were attached to Europe 😂 . I also watch Strawberry Patches which is also a lovely podcast.
Hi Shannon, and thank you for spending some time with me! I really love watching Marina on her Strawberry Patches podcast! I know what you mean about struggling to find time to go off in your motorhome... life's commitments can very easily get in the way! I would love to visit NZ one day! x
Thank you Helen for sharing the next part of your adventure. We were in Scotland ourselves visiting family and found myself keeping an eye our for your van. Alas, I didn't spot you! Love your story of Columba. I too have a pet wing mirror spider. Do you think it's a particular adventurous species?
Thanks, Patricia - you are very welcome! I would have loved you to bump into me and say hello! I think there must be an especially adventurous species of spider that likes living on vehicle wing mirrors! xx
Thank you for taking us on your wonderful trip. We also have a campervan, a VW T 5. The most days we have stayed overnight was 3 and two of those were electric hook up. We have only had the van a few months. We don't have a heater in the van but great sleeping bags 😁How do you manage electrics when you are off grid for days at a time? By the way, I always leave my spiders webs too 😊
Thank you, Jackie - and great to know that you also have a VW campervan! As long as we do a certain amount of driving at some point during the day (maybe a minimum of about 40 minutes), we have managed to go many days without having to hook up to electricity - in this Scotland trip, we were away for 16 days and only had electric hook-up once, when we were on Coll (which was on about Day 4 of the trip) . Ah yes, very important to have great sleeping bags! We were very cosy in our sleeping bags in our van last December when it was below freezing outside!
Hi Helen, I have just found your podcast and may I say I really enjoyed it so much that I have been bin watching a lot of them, and loved the ones on the islands, also I tried buying The animal book, but can’t find it, can you please tell me where you bought it,if you don’t mind, looking forward to your next podcast, sending blessings from Scotland
Thank you, Margaret, for spending time with me - I’m glad to know that you’ve been enjoying catching up with me! Is the animal book you mention called Mouche and Friends? It’s available from Daughter of a Shepherd daughterofashepherd.com/collections/books-1?page=2 (if you mean a different book, do let me know!) See you next time! x
What a delightful podcast!!! I loved the story about Columba. I think children would too. Thank you :)
Thank you so much! I'm so glad you enjoyed the story of Columba! x
It's so relaxing and interesting to go on your trips with you, Helen. What a kind and indulgent husband you have, to go off with Pearl and take her photo for you 😅. Thanks for the reminder about and link to the crocheted pouch idea - I'd like to try some of those.
If ever viewers were rewarded for watching to the end, this was the time - what a fun and inventive poem... I giggled several times, for example at the lines about the spider's constitution😂 Just delightful, and I love the way you read📖👌🤗
Thank you so much for coming along on our travels! Phil is certainly very kind to me. I am so glad you enjoyed the story poem about the spider, too! xx
I save your podcasts for quiet times when I can savor them. They are rare treats! Columba is very well-named, and such a bold friend! Thank you for sharing his story with us!
Thank you for spending your quiet time with me, Mary - I'm glad you enjoyed the story of Columba! x
Best story ever. Thank you so much for sharing your travels and stories. XOXO
Thank you, Jean - I'm so glad you are enjoying them! xx
Could not leave without leaving praise on your poem, thanks for the show!
Thanks so much - I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Lovely episode ,,Helen,,,,,
Thank you,!!
Such a lovely spot,,,and story of lighthouse,,,,,So interesting,,,
Look forward to more,,,,
Stories,, and travels,,,,,
Spider story was fun!!!
Elaine 💚💖🍁
Thank you, Elaine - I love being able to take you along on my travels! Glad you enjoyed the spider story, too! xx
I like spiders and go out of my way to preserve their web; so what a story poem to commemorate Columba's adventure. Thank you.
Thank you, Sandra - I'm glad you look after the spiders, and that you enjoyed my story! x
What a beautiful poem! I loved it , The trip, the rain, the food. Thank you 😊🥰
Thank you, Dianne - it was my pleasure! xx
What an amazingly gifted storyteller you are! Love this podcast and especially the spider story SO much!
Aww thank you so much, Shelly! x
Columba’s story was the best of a great trip!
Ah, thank you! xx
Wow Tiree looks like a beautiful area to visit, I love everything about Scotland. Thank you for taking me along. What a lovely story. 🥰
Thank you - it's my pleasure to be able to take you along! Glad you enjoyed the story, too! xx
Another lovely adventure! Columba must be a long distance relative of the spider that lives in the door well of my Mazda! Mr E won't ask him to leave and so I put up with my hitchhiker who luckily stays in place while I go about my drives in the car. Who knows what he lives on, as unless he can squeeze through the closed edge, only gets to see daylight once or twice a day! All the best! Jane xx
Thank you, Jane - and I loved hearing about your resident car spider, too! xx
Thank you Helen. Not feeling too good at present but your videos are so gentle and you are so very soothing . Thank you again
Thank you, Claire - and I hope that you are soon feeling much better xx
Lovely countryside! I especially loved your story of Columba and his feast of Scottish wildlife!
Thank you - I’m glad you enjoyed it! x
My husband and I very much enjoyed the lovely report on your Tiree visit. We loved your story of the spider, marvellous❣️❣️
Thank you - I’m glad that you both enjoyed today’s trip to Tiree, as well as the spider story!
Such a small island. But very nice vistas and sounds like you were able to set a very relaxed pace and enjoy. I bet that lighthouse had some terrifying storms blow past. I couldn't imagine living out there. I love the ocean and could spend all day on a beach picking at the rocks, listening to the waves. I'm with you, as long as you can get out of the weather, and it isn't dangerous, a bit of wind and rain is part of the adventure.
My gosh, that spider! How crazy he just hung out in his cave all over Scotland and back. I hope you wrote your story in a journal with plans to illustrate it, if only for your own delight. It really tells the story of your own travels, too. (Spiders outside are fascinating🤔. Spiders in my house, or worse -on my body, not so much.😬)
Thanks for sharing your campervan adventures. I've so enjoyed seeing the places, flora and fauna, and the food! And hearing the stories. See you next week!
Thanks, Karen, for joining us on this latest part of the trip! I think lighthouses are just incredible things, aren't they? Those lighthouse keepers were very hardy indeed. I will definitely be spending more time working on the spider story and having a go at some illustrations! See you next time! xx
Hello Helen
I enjoyed tagging along on your wonderful trip. Scotland is so beautiful, even in the rain.
I was so happy to hear Columba's travelogue.
He is a hardy soul, isnt he!
Thank you for your time and trouble in sharing. Lovely! X
Thank you, Christina, for tagging along! I'm glad you enjoyed the story of Columba, too xx
Thanks Helen. Another wonderful episode. The Scottish tourist board should employ you!
The story is nothing short of enchanting.
Kate x
You are very welcome - thank you! (Apologies - I had forgotten that you were Kate not Catherine!) xx
Oh don’t worry!
Good morning Helen ☕what a lovely Campervan trip thank you so much for taking us along ❤ I loved everything and your story 🕷Have a lovely week x
Thank you, Michelle - it was my pleasure to share our travels - and the spider story - with you! xx
Thanks Helen for another fabulous video. Great music, interesting places to hear about and finishing with your wonderful story. I love spending time with you. X
Thank you, Margaret! It was my pleasure! x
Another wonderful journey with the camper van. The story about Columba was delightful; had I heard that story as a child, spiders might not be as scary as they are to me today. Might there be a “woolly” Columba joining your journeys in the future? Till next time, happy adventures🕸 and crafts🧶
Thank you, Trudy. Columba was definitely the friendly type of spider! I love the idea of a woolly Columba... watch this space! xx
I am so glad that you could golm this. What a Beautiful country. Thank you for sharing this. You do a great job of filming. Your story was wonderful
Thank you, Lisa - I'm so glad you enjoyed it all today! xx
I loved the story of Columba! You should team up with an artist and create a little book. What a special treat at the end of another lovely adventure.
Thank you, Patti - I'm glad you enjoyed the story! It would be lovely to turn it into a little book! x
Great spider tale and poem! Wonderful traveling with you seeing the country. thanks!
Thank you - I'm so glad you enjoyed it! x
Another fabulous travel adventure Helen. The weather was certainly wild at times and/but with incredible views. I loved the history of the lighthouse and how great of Phil to actually capture it. I can’t imagine it was much of an existence for the lighthouse keeper, out in that wild lonely spot. The bakery looked great too. I would definitely have indulged too. Home made type bakeries are the best. And then the spider poem. I’m not a fan of insects. I think it really shows your heart that not only didn’t you clean out the ‘cave’, that you celebrated him with a lovely story and allowed him to continue life rent free. You are indeed a special soul. The story was very clever, great rhyming. And still one more travel video to come. I’m sure there will be a crafty one between, because we haven’t to see Hazel completed yet. I always look forward to more content 🤗
Thank you, Isabel - I just love being able to take you along! I am in great awe of lighthouse builders and lighthouse keepers. I'm glad you enjoyed the spider story - he just needed to be celebrated! Yes, I'll do a crafty podcast for next week when I will show the completed Hazel, then the following week I'll be taking you off to the Highlands! (and the trip will actually continue after that for at least one more episode!!!) xx
Beautifull Tiree Helen but your story about Columba had me enchanted,you really are a magical story teller 😊❤
Thank you Elaine! I am so glad you were enchanted by the story! xx
Beautiful!!! The spider story was especially creative and delightful!!
Thank you, Evelyn - I'm glad you enjoyed the story! x
HELEN!!! You need to publish that adorable story!! I'm 100% serious. It's so clever and beautifully written. Your talents always blow me away!!! You're so talented you could probably illustrate it too. I wish I knew the name of a children's book publisher! I'd recommend you right away!! Thanks for sharing such a fun campervan trip.
Thank you, Margaret for all your kind words! It's definitely on my to-do list to have a go at publishing a story or two... and yes, I'd like to have a go at illustrating, too! xx
It is so nice to travel with you to places I would love to go, but probably never will be able to see. And thank you for the lovely story!
Thank you so much - I love being able to take you armchair travelling! I’m glad you enjoyed the story, too x
you are loving your campervan Helen.I love any place with open skies.xx🐝🐝
Absolutely - I have never loved a vehicle before but I am definitely in love with the campervan! And open skies are just a delight. xx
Another delightful story and a lovely way to start my day x
Thank you, Joan - it was my pleasure! x
What a gloriously beautiful island. So remote, but peaceful and relaxing. Such varied landscape I bet the winters are harsh though, but residents probably adjust. Lovely food available. I have not heard of the croft scheme before- sounds like part of heritage preservation. I think you need to write and illustrate your stories and share with others as you are incredibly skilled at this. Look forward to seeing a spider join your travels. Lisa ❤
Thank you, Lisa - it truly was a beautiful place to visit. I think you're right, that the residents become acclimatized to living there. I will definitely be spending more time working on my stories and having a go at some more illustrating! And I think there definitely could be a little woolly spider appearing at some point... xx
Wonderful podcast this week. I loved your tour round Tiree. It was very interesting. Your poem story about Columba, the spider was enchanting. I hung on every word! 😊❤. Looking forward to the next instalment. I see another book in the offing about adventures in the campervan!!! ❤😊❤
Thank you, Linda - I'm so glad you enjoyed your trip round Tiree! You could be right about a book of stories about campervan adventures! xx
Hi, I too love spiders and they are such friendly little chaps if you're not afraid of them. What a super poem, it just flows from you as it does from every good poet! Lovely maps, history and I felt like I was experiencing a trip away myself. Thanks so much for all the effort it takes to put the films together. Much appreciated. xx
My daughter has become less afraid of spiders since she decided to give each one that she encounters a name! They really are friendly things and I was so proud of Columba!!! And thank you - I love being able to take you on some of our travels! xx
The midges in some parts of Scotland can be ferocious so you were fortunate to have little Columba as a travel mate! x
We were definitely cheering Columba on as he was catching all of those midges in his web! x
Another wonderful journey. The spider story was delightful. I hope the spider and his human friends have many more adventures and feasting on midges.
Thank you, Daphne! I loved being able to take you travelling - and I'm glad you enjoyed the spider story, too! xx
Thank you for sharing that nice trip and the lovely spider story😊.
Thank you, Marlies - you are very welcome!
I really enjoyed watching your adventures in your campervan. I love that you share so much information about each place you visit. Washing your hair in a bowl ....exactly what I do in our van 😊 all part of the fun! The spider story was wonderful and made me smile 😊 xx
Thank you! I love it that when we're away in the campervan, a routine thing like hairwashing becomes a special event! I'm glad you enjoyed the story, too! xx
The story of Columba was amazing! You would make a wonderful Children's author! Tiree looks lovely, may have to visit next year.
Thank you, Lorraine - I'm so glad you enjoyed the story! I highly recommend Tiree as a place to visit! x
Another great video! I can even get my husband to watch the camper van ones!!!
Thank you, Linda - it’s good to know that your husband enjoys the campervan videos! x
We always make friends with our wing mirror spiders! 🕷 😁😊
Ah, that's great to know! xx
Oh, Helen, what a brilliant, warm, and happy story! We don't have what you call midgies in the US, but we do have No-See-Ums. I would love to load up a box of them to send to Columba. Those little beasties are not our friends! Your videos are thr BEST, ❤❤
Thank you, Vicky - I'm so glad you enjoyed the story! What a lovely name 'No-See-Ums' is for such nuisances!!! Columba the living spider is no longer with us, of course, but I do now carry a little crochet version around in my pocket! xx
Oh how wonderful to visit such a beautiful island. Beaches, waves, wind, and the smell of the sea - - - is there anything more wonderful? I have a bit of an “indelicate” questions which is alright if you don’t choose to respond! If your campervan and your campsites do not have toilet facilities, how do you cope? Are there such things as camping toilets? And do you carry one with you? (Sorry for the question, but I just keep thinking about that as I watch your lovely films.) The story at the end was absolutely perfect! I hope you make your stories into (handwritten and illustrated) books for your family to enjoy. You are a delightful storyteller and author. Thank you for sharing. salam wa sa’aadah
Thank you, Linda - it really was a wonderful place to spend some time! I certainly don't mind the "indelicate" question - we do have a couple of toilet options that we carry with us, and in an isolated place we even have a pop-up toilet tent!! But I think I will have to answer this question in a podcast soon because I'm sure there are others who have wondered the same thing! I'm glad you enjoyed the story, too - I have such fun writing them and reading them out! xx
How beautiful x tiree looks so tranquil and the houses are pretty x
Thank you, Helen - we really did have a wonderful time there! x
I preferred Tiree. Lovely beaches and there seemed more to do without being “touristy”. Loved the poem about the spider. My husband had a spider who lived in his scaffold truck wing mirror so he went on numerous journeys too. You are such a talented writer. You definitely need to get a book published. Looking forward to the next instalment. Have a lovely week and weekend. Lesley x
I think you've summed Tiree up very well - I definitely preferred it to Coll, though it was good that on Coll we didn't feel any pressure to go off visiting lots of places! How lovely that your husband had an adventurous spider travelling with him! And thank you, Lesley - I'm glad you enjoyed the story - I will definitely look into possibilities for publishing a book... Take care xx
Oh Helen. What a fun trip and what a wonderful story. What a talented lady you are❤️🇺🇸
Thank you, Priscilla! We certainly did have fun - and I just couldn't help writing down the spider's story! xx
Now I really want to visit Tiree. I love your camper vlogs. You do them so well. X
Tiree really is a wonderful place to visit! I'm so glad that you enjoy my campervan videos - thank you Anita! x
Wonderful spider story!
Thank you! xx
Hi Helen. Really enjoyed the camper trip. Such beautiful scenery. The beaches are stunning.
Fancy taking the spider on a holiday of a limetime. With an all-inclusive midge buffet.
Think many of his spider cousins are living in our house. We're decorating at the moment and seem to have disturbed all the spiders.
Will be seeing grandchildren tomorrow, it's granddaughter's birthday.
They'll love to hear Spiders' tale.
Have a lovely week take care. Xx
Hi Angela - I'm so glad I could take you along on this part of the trip! I was so amazed by that little spider that came with us. Not so good finding all those spiders in your house, though! Have a lovely time with you grandchildren, especially having a birthday to celebrate! Take care xx
Brillant podcast Triee is beautiful and your storytelling is so relaxing and i must make a crochet pouch ❤
Thank you, Shirley, for joining me today! I hope you have a go at the crochet pouch! xx
Hi helen 😊 thankyou for taking us to tiree it looked beautiful and enjoyed the lovely poem too 😊
Thank you - it’s a really lovely place to visit! I’m glad you enjoyed the poem, too - I was just amazed that the spider stayed with us all that time!! xx
Thankyou for sharing your trip Helen. I so enjoyed it. I have a few gnomes, not handmade but I love them. 🥰🇬🇧
Thank you, Jan - it was my pleasure! And good to know that, like me, you are a fan of gnomes! x
I love your spider story, hope Columba is safe there still. I have had many wing mirror riders, a good excuse for not washing the car!
Thank you - I think a wing mirror is rather a nice place for a spider! Sadly, Columba has not been seen for a little while now - but at least he will live on in the story! x
So love all the adventures, sharing places I have never been and will never be. Tyree was so interesting, the thing that struck me the most, was the lack of trees. Were there any? How are the homes heated? Are the homes there, which are gorgeous, all built with the same rocks that are on the island? Oh Helen, your lovely stories, I could listen to them everyday. Your sweet, gentle voice is so calming. Thank you again for another wonderful adventure, looking forward to the Highlands!
Thank you, Carol - it's my pleasure to take you to these places! There were very few trees on the island - I think mainly because the trees that were cut down many years ago haven't been replaced. I'm not sure how the homes are heated. There are definitely stone houses but much older houses were built from peat and thatched with heather.
I'm glad you enjoyed the spider story, too! x
Loved the poem! You are very talented.
Thank you, Sheila - it's my pleasure! x
Hi Helen,just been catching up on your camper van adventures,it’s been really lovely seeing all the interesting places you have visited along with the fascinating historical details you have shared ,thanks for all the time you’ve spent making these videos it’s really appreciated ❤The story of the travelling spider is just delightful you really have a great talent for writing,I’m looking forward to the next episode.
Thank you, Tracey - I do love being able to take you along - and it just enriches our visits to places to find out a bit more of the history. So glad you enjoyed the spider story, too! xx
What a lovely trip. I live in New Zealand and I have never been to Scotland. It looks amazing.
Thank you, Meryle - Scotland is certainly a fantastic place to visit. I would really love to visit New Zealand! x
Another interesting and beautiful trip. Always wait and enjoy your podcast whilst having coffee and a biscuit after returning from my Monday morning keepfit session. Never realised that Robert Louis Stevenson was part of the great engineering family, every day is a learning day 🤔
Thank you, Lin - I'm glad to keep you company at coffee time! The Stevenson family were really quite incredible in the things they achieved! xx
Hi Helen, what a lovely trip. It's so nice to see the landscape with all the beautiful sheep just roaming around. The wind surfing was something else! Those folks must have a healthy constitution to be out there in the cold like that. It was fun to watch. I was wondering if you would ever consider doing a video about your piano playing and your music? I just love all the pieces you play. Well have a great week and thank you for your beautiful video.
Thank you joining us on our travels! The windsurfers must definitely be hardy folk! I will definitely consider doing a video that focuses a bit more on the piano and the music I love to play - thank you for a lovely suggestion! xx
Tiree was most definitely different than Coll. So many beautiful vistas of beach and sea and rolling green fields. I’m always fascinated by the stories of lighthouses. Yay for Columba and his adventure.
Thank you, Debbie - it is certainly a beautiful place. I'm glad to know that you are fascinated by lighthouses - they really are quite incredible things! And I'm glad you enjoyed hearing about Columba too! xx
Hi Helen I just watched your podcast about your birthday last year and just realised, you have the same birthday as my husband, although he is quite a lot older than you, I have been binge watching all your podcast on the camper van and having a great time going around with you and Your husband, and watching all your new friends you make, sending blessings from Scotland
Thank you, Margaret - I'm glad you've been enjoying catching up with a few of my past videos! xx
Hello Helen just saw you pod cast. And you adventures around Scotland again. Decided to watch you on any podcast comes on my phone. I did enjoy that, it's is lovely to come with you on a trip. I loved your Spider poem well done so witty and clever words chosen well Happy traveling dear xx ❤
Thank you so much for joining me on the latest adventures! I'm glad you enjoyed the story poem about the spider, too! xx
I really enjoyed this episode with all your beautiful adventures and especially you reading that lovely story. I’'m afraid of spiders but really liked your story and could imagine Columba spending her days on your campervan ❤ Thank you Helen!
Thank you, Ann - I'm glad you enjoyed our travels - and the story, too (apologies for the spider photo though!) xx
Thank you for sharing your lovely trip to Tiree. I have never been there but it looks absolutely lovely and completely unspoiled! Strangely when you showed the information pack at the start of your trip the camper on the picture was the one we used to have for our adventures! An Auto-sleeper Executive! How co-incidental was that! X
Thank you, Heather - it was certainly a beautiful place. What a coincidence that the same camper that you had was on that leaflet! xx
Tiree is so beautiful! I have loved this and enjoyed it so much. The beaches are wonderful. I'm glad you were able to keep from blowing away! I really enjoyed your story poem about Columba, I always marvel at how you are able to write like that! Thank you so much for sharing ❤
Thank you, Shari - it's always my pleasure to be able to share these beautiful places with you! And I'm so glad you enjoyed the story poem about the little spider! xx
Oh Helen you really are a wordsmith love Donna wymondham Norfolk xx
Thank you, Donna! xx
Another lovely video Helen, scenery is so wild. I do love spider story. Have you ever published any of your work?. You told it so beautifully. Thank you. Phill is a good sport taking pearl for a walk to the beach. I know my husband would have drawn the line at that. Thank you ❤❤ julie Tasmania Australia ❤️❤️
Thank you, Julie! I self-published one story via Amazon (A Tale from the Enchanted Wood) although it turned out that it wasn't available to buy worldwide... so I won't go via that route again! But if you want to hear the story, here's a link to me reading it... studio.th-cam.com/users/videofTEW0dtHOUE/edit I would love to find a way of getting some of my stories into print... it's on my to-do list! xx
So worth the wait: Tiree was beautiful and the two islands so different, I see why you made two videos. What a special place. Anything to do with lighthouses and their history fascinates me. Thank you too for your story-poem which gave such a sense of Columba and his resourcefulness - I enjoyed his point of view, his "spider-cave" the humans camper van. Do hope you publish this tale. Great Pearl got to Maze beach. This video is another "view-over-again": looking forward to the Highlands.🕸🕷💐
Thank you, Helen! There really was quite a contrast between the two islands. I'm so glad that you are a lighthouse enthusiast, too! And happy that you enjoyed hearing my Columba story - it would be lovely to turn it into a book - I will add it to my to-do list! xx
What a lovely story Helen, notuch for spiders though, but he was a stalwart fella😮lovely trip, such an enjoyable time. Amazing how those people live on those islands. Can be harsh I'm thinking, but what a life. Thanks for the trip and take care😊❤
Thank you, Yvonne - I'm glad you enjoyed joining us on this week's travels! xx
Wonderful story and beautifully read. You mentioned the duke and duchess of Argyle went to the sod turning for the light house, has princess Anne been there too as she's a big fan of lighthouses I think?lovely trip, thanks Helen and Phil.
Thank you, Maude! I actually googled to see if Princess Anne has visited the Skerryvore lighthouse and she actually did in 1998!!! I found the story here if you want to read more: www.heraldscotland.com/news/12256563.princess-scales-lighthouse/
@@mousiemakespod Helen, thanks for looking that up, never occurred to me, I read the story and Princess Anne sure is a trooper, and what a great patron the lighthouse group has in Anne.
@@maude5160 I was really impressed with Princess Anne after reading the story! Definitely an excellent patron! x
I enjoy watching your travels in Scotland, somewhere I have never been. With such awful weather a lot of the time do you ever get the desire to go somewhere hot and lay on a beach?😄
Thank you! That's a good question - but strangely, I rarely wish to be somewhere hot despite the sometimes unpleasant weather in the UK! x
Hi there, I have just found your channel and I am really enjoying the content. We have had a motorhome for nearly 2 years and struggle to find time to get out and about with work and family commitments lately. I am in the North Island of NZ and although we
have a stunning country I wish we were attached to Europe 😂 . I also watch Strawberry Patches which is also a lovely podcast.
Hi Shannon, and thank you for spending some time with me! I really love watching Marina on her Strawberry Patches podcast! I know what you mean about struggling to find time to go off in your motorhome... life's commitments can very easily get in the way! I would love to visit NZ one day! x
Thank you Helen for sharing the next part of your adventure. We were in Scotland ourselves visiting family and found myself keeping an eye our for your van. Alas, I didn't spot you! Love your story of Columba. I too have a pet wing mirror spider. Do you think it's a particular adventurous species?
Thanks, Patricia - you are very welcome! I would have loved you to bump into me and say hello! I think there must be an especially adventurous species of spider that likes living on vehicle wing mirrors! xx
Thank you for taking us on your wonderful trip. We also have a campervan, a VW T 5. The most days we have stayed overnight was 3 and two of those were electric hook up. We have only had the van a few months. We don't have a heater in the van but great sleeping bags 😁How do you manage electrics when you are off grid for days at a time? By the way, I always leave my spiders webs too 😊
Thank you, Jackie - and great to know that you also have a VW campervan! As long as we do a certain amount of driving at some point during the day (maybe a minimum of about 40 minutes), we have managed to go many days without having to hook up to electricity - in this Scotland trip, we were away for 16 days and only had electric hook-up once, when we were on Coll (which was on about Day 4 of the trip) . Ah yes, very important to have great sleeping bags! We were very cosy in our sleeping bags in our van last December when it was below freezing outside!
Hi Helen, I have just found your podcast and may I say I really enjoyed it so much that I have been bin watching a lot of them, and loved the ones on the islands, also I tried buying The animal book, but can’t find it, can you please tell me where you bought it,if you don’t mind, looking forward to your next podcast, sending blessings from Scotland
Thank you, Margaret, for spending time with me - I’m glad to know that you’ve been enjoying catching up with me! Is the animal book you mention called Mouche and Friends? It’s available from Daughter of a Shepherd daughterofashepherd.com/collections/books-1?page=2 (if you mean a different book, do let me know!) See you next time! x
Thank you Helen, yes it was that book, will have to go order it , I said no more books, aww well, will start tomorrow 😂😂
@@margarethastings6010 Ah great! You won't regret having that book! xx
Don’t interfere with nature, spider over flies any day!🎉
@@richardsracingmad Definitely! I love spiders! 😂
@@mousiemakespod ….its better than dying from Fly Killer Spray inhalation😄
Where do residents buy gas for vehicles?
Good question! There are a couple of small filling stations on the island.