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Notes from society member, Courtney McKay Stevens, during her 5 week sabbatical in Durness, Scotland Thursday, September 12, 2002 Highland Notes I admire Katie [Kay, NHS district nurse and midwife] more every day I’m with her. We went on a home visit today to the croft house where we had made the visit in the rain on Saturday night. It has a beautiful view out to a loch. Following that we went to Kinlochbrevie for afternoon home visits. One of our patients told us that 1000 boxes (or crates) of fish had been brought into port that morning – a good catch. We stopped for REAL “fish and chips” for lunch. Fish doesn’t get any better than that and what a WONDERFUL flavor! After coming home I stopped by the store and found out the dairy delivery had been made, so I stocked up on cottage cheese. I’ve learned to “carpe diem” with desired products or there won’t be options until next week. When the hand-painted sign goes up for FRESH FISH, get it then or wait until next week (or go fishing yourself!). Friday, September 13 I thought I was going to “have a quiet evening at home” to catch up (and write my husband!) but at 8:45 my nursing colleague knocked on the door and asked if I wanted to “come along for a wee ceilidh at the pub.” She and ... and his brother were going to play their accordions. It was GREAT fun. Most of the tune titles were in Gaelic but the brother’s wife translated for me. Her husband played the older button type accordion which is much more difficult to learn that the key type, though I wonder how wither type could be learned, much less sound so good. I got home at midnight and set NO alarm! I’M A LOCAL! On the way home from Balnakeil a car stopped and a Dutch- or German-accented man asked me where “a Mrs. MacKay (pronounced the American way) lived.” I chuckled and said “Most everyone in this village is a MacKay!” (using the Scottish pronunciation). He produced a B&B reservation slip for Glengolley B&B and I knew right where it was because I’ve walked by it every day. It was real nice to feel like I finally knew more about the village than somebody here! Saturday, September 14 6:30 pm: I have just seen the most amazing sight. The heavy fog is rolling rapidly in from the sea. The sun was covered but somehow got through at such an angle that the rock coast and mountains on the east ridge looked as white as glaciers! It looked like pictures I have seen of Alaska! A couple next door from France and I just stood there and watched until the fog overtook even that sliver of sunlight. Now it is cold (to me) again as the wind makes the wet towels on the line horizontal to the ground. These off-peak heat storing “heaters” cannot be regulated. It is always 60° in my room in the morning. I heat tap water to wash dishes in my tea kettle. Everything has TWO switches and I seem to remember only one – either the wall switch or the appliance switch. When something “doesn’t work” I remember the second one. Or after a shower I forget to turn off the heater and heat water all night or day long – that is going to be expensive I’m sure! [Her rent is “plus electricity”] After the morning fog cleared it was a beautiful day here. I again walked the half mile down to Balnakeil with a fresh supply of film to take snaps at the graveyard and write down some of the inscriptions. A woman who used to own an award-winning hotel here showed me where iron age artifacts have been found and where a well-preserved Viking skeleton and sword were found which now reside in the British Museum. The walk back up the hill at least warms me up! Monday, September 16 I hope I have not used up my allotment of sunshine for my visit. Last week was amazingly beautiful, but yesterday and this morning are “typically Scottish” – overcast, drizzling, and blustery. I’ve learned to get a warm washcloth by microwaving a wet wash cloth (Thank You, airline flight attendants!). I wash up dished by using the left over tea pot hot water. Since I am right next to the Health Center, and it has a cattle grid at
the driveway entrance which makes a LOUD noise when a car goes over it, I
know when anyone comes and goes! Last night I heard a car come in about
9:00 am – Clinic opens. Katie is doing a B[lood] P[ressure] screening clinic this morning so I take the information sign over to the grocery store to be posted, and while there make a travel bus reservation to go over to Tongue this weekend to attend “the MacKay’s church” there [St. Andrew’s, Church of Scotland]. It is a busy morning in clinic – dressings, BP screenings, prenatal visits and well child check-ups. Then Katie makes two home visits before lunch! I stay behind, since I’ve already been several times to these homes, and talk with the Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (called a Health Visitor here) about her practice. She is a highly energetic midlife woman who is very committed to child, adolescent, and family building nursing practice. 8:00 pm ... I can’t get away from this front window – The sky is constantly changing and I don’t want to miss a single moment of it since I don’t know what surprise there might be next – like yesterday evening’s rock cliffs turning into glaciers and the rainbow over the waters of this this afternoon. The hills directly in front on the left where the sheep turn all different shades of green as the light changes; it looks like the pictures I’ve seen of “The Emerald Isle.” There was a bad fire last night out but the [Loch Croispol] Coffee Shop Bookstore – totally gutted the home – it was started by a candle in a teen’s bedroom. They use a “bucket brigade” volunteer system. I heard no sirens. I don’t know if they have any real fire equipment. I do know there is only one police officer in town and when he is off duty or away police service comes from several towns away. Today in the clinic was great fun. Professional issues are exactly the same here as in the States – just different names and faces to the story. The early afternoon was spent setting up appointments with the local school’s headmaster, newspaper writer, and distributing more surveys. The fog line is rapidly moving inland. Saw a brief but wide rainbow. Tuesday, September 17 I’m getting into a routine — Tuesday is trash day, Friday is market fishday (except with big catches like they had last week – they came home early so it was Thursday!) Wednesday the butcher comes to town. Also on Tuesday the Bank of Scotland unit comes to the village square. Well, we not only survived our three mile [hike] up Scottish “hill” and over dale, we thrived! Wait ‘til you see the pictures; you won’t believe that we did this! It was a magnificent view. Fortunately it did not rain; had it been any wetter on the rocks at the last climb, it would have been unsafe for us. Going down was of course harder because of how wet it was, but we had walking sticks and I held on to trees and rocks as needed. Katie took a little slide down and SHE was the one in hiking boots! I sure wished I had had my cleated L. L. Bean boots I had last summer when I didn’t need them. The [expectant] family [in the house at the end of the hike] is absolutely beautiful. I sat with them at the Music Festival the first night I was here so we already knew each other. It seems at this point the baby is in posterior position, so Katie gave instruction on how to encourage the baby to turn. Otherwise, all indicators are healthy. She does PLAN to go to hospital to deliver [in Inverness, a long two or three hour drive southeast] because of their isolated location and the fact that cell phones do NOT function there. However, she had a short first labor, so as Katie says, “You just never know!” Otherwise, she would be a perfect home birth candidate and would want that. Tomorrow I am going over for the newborn home instruction visit with the family who sent the e-mail picture to me. They are another ideal family, and I’m looking forward to seeing them again. I have dinner invitations for Thursday and Friday evenings and this weekend I’m taking the bus over to Tongue so I can go to St. Andrew’s Church where the MacKay Laird had his elevated pew box in days of yore. To be continued ... regards to all, especially to those of you who have written! J September 27 Communication here is amazing! On my first day out with Katie [district nurse and midwife], Clan Mother, de facto, Dottie knew every house we had visited by the time I got home! Yesterday when I went in to report about my weekend at Tongue, she already knew I had found Mackay tartan to buy! My weekend 30 miles away in Tongue had been a real “iffy” thing. The last minibus trip for the season was to be Saturday when I wanted to go but that left me with no way to get back on Monday. Then my new senior citizen friends put their heads together and figured out that one of them was not going on the lunch route trip to Tongue on Monday and I could have her seat on the Senior Citizen’s transport bus. They made a couple of phone calls, and it was “a done deal!” Another phone call by me obtained the LAST room in the moderately-priced hotel there and it had a BATHTUB in the room – PTL! My main purpose in going to Tongue was to attend a Sunday service at St. Andrew’s Church of Scotland – the historic “Mackay Church.” I was not disappointed. It was a vibrant, alive congregation. Although the pastor was away “on holiday’ the substitute minister was a woman who, with her husband who is pastor of the Bettyhill congregation, served as a missionary in India. She is a tiny, lovely lady with thick gray hair; she wore a Celtic broach on her black vestment and a pewter cross on her blue ministerial collar blouse – quite stunning. She gave a delightful children’s sermon and a thoughtful adult one. The Presenter – elder who called the church into worship and gave notices (announcements) was wearing a kilt and day jacket.J It was very special to worship with that congregation. Following the service I was able to go into the Mackay Laird’s family box area which was also a special experience. One of the numerous members of the congregation who greeted me was one of the district nurses for that area. The next day I visited her community health site and will return on Friday to do a continuing education program for them based on my research findings. This really makes me happy! The weather cleared in the afternoon and I decided to attempt a climb to see Castle Varrich ruins on the hilltop beyond the hotel where I was staying. I made no promises to myself regarding reaching the top, but just wanted to get closer during an afternoon walk. Q: How do you eat an elephant? Q: How do you climb to touch the stones of Castle Varrich? It is a magnificent sight to look out to the Atlantic Ocean at the top of the hill (“where the lochs reach the sea”). The “castle” itself is only a stone tower ruin, but still impressive. Several locals commented that the last climb at the top is quite steep – AMEN! The next time I come to Scotland I’m bringing one of those L. L. Bean folding walking sticks and my hiking boots. (Katie is finding some boots for me for our next scheduled prenatal visit to Ardmore [the place three miles up a hill] on October 4. On Monday I spent the morning at the Senior Center and Health Center; both were informative and interesting visits. On Friday, September 27 I am returning to Tongue at the request of the District Nurses to present my previous research findings and lead a staff discussion about women’s health issues.J I now have an adequate number of surveys returned and plan to spend most of next week doing some in-depth interviews about community health issues here. I am now able to recognize most of the people I see on the street and know about the complex health and economic issues facing tiny rural Scottish Highland Villages. I am now past the “postcard stage” but will always treasure those magnificent views behind individual Scottish faces. Postmarked Tuesday, October 1, 2002 Highland Happenings, Vol. IV Another busy week. After returning from Tongue last weekend, I got back into the routine of visits with Katie. The most interesting events of this week have been teaching a parenting class with Katie and on Friday being invited back to Tongue to do a continuing education program for all the district nurses in this area. On Wednesday we had a long day at the Kinlochbervie site (22 miles from Durness). The best part of that site is that we are near the wharf and go over to the Fisherman’s Mission for the world’s best fish & chips for lunch. The fish are right from the waters there. We get a CHILD’s plate, and it is my main meal of the day. In the afternoon was prenatal clinic check-ups. On Thursday we returned to that site for a parenting class on preparation for labor – a delightful experience. Little did we know that one of the young women in that group, expecting her first child, would put that information into use the coming weekend! She went into premature labor and Katie made an ambulance run with her to Inverness (2½ hours away), the primary referral hospital. They later transferred the mom to a Neonatal High Risk Hospital still further away. There was good news by Sunday that a little boy was born weighing in at 5 lbs., very good for 33 weeks gestation and was doing well. The sad news was that the dad was at work on one of the North Sea oil platforms and did not get back in time for the delivery although a helicopter was dispatched for him. I do hope the baby gets home in time for me to go on a home visit before I leave. Some of you have asked about cost comparisons here: LIFE IS EXPENSIVE because of the travel costs. Example: A square box of Kleenex tissues, made in the U.K., costs $3.25/box! A 4 oz. carton of cottage cheese is $1.40. Katie tells me things are considerably less expensive in Inverness but most people go there for “big shopping” only every 2-4 weeks. The elderly and those without a car must pay the prices here. In addition, when contractors come to the area to do speciality construction work, overnight stays in a bed & breakfast are added to the costs of a job. The second big event of my week was being invited back to Tongue on Friday to present my Women’s Health research and lead a discussion on Women’s Health Issues. We had a great time. There were seven of us in the group. Unfortunately, after all our time together, Katie was not able to go that far away because she was taking call for two areas of the district. The others made it a fun time as well as an educational event by having a luncheon first. It was also a welcome back time for one of the nurses who had been away for a year, and it was the birthday of the nurse manager of the group. It was really a nice way to end the week. However it was a LONG day for me – we left at 8:00 in the morning, got back at 6 pm and I had previously scheduled an interview with the local school principals for that evening so I finally got back “home” to my abode at 10:15! On Saturday I was being observed, unknowingly, by my honored Clan Mother
here as I was walking back up the hill. On Sunday after Church when I
stopped by to check on her (she had had a chemotherapy treatment on Thursday
at Inverness hospital) she said, “I saw you walking back up the hill
yesterday. You are tired; you need to get some rest.” We
both decided we needed a “wee nap.” I came home, laid down at On Monday I visited the primary school to learn about the interaction between the educational system and the health system. Nan, you would LOVE this school. I did more in-depth interviews in the afternoon and arranged my Focus Group schedule for this weekend. Tomorrow I’m off to Bettyhill through Wednesday. Thursday I visit the primary and high school at Kinlochbervie and Friday we make the [infamous 3-mile] climb again to Ardmore for another prenatal visit there. On Saturday Katie has arranged a community gathering where I’m to learn Scottish Country dancing – I am REALLY excited about that! I will also REALLY miss this place, but all good things must come to an end and I’ve arranged my post bus transportation to head back to the lowlands next week. Monday was weather “like home” I kept saying to folks – no wind, rained only once, and it was WARM for here. I wore only three layers. Tuesday the sun is out and it is calm still. A perfect day to go to Bettyhill. Wishes Indeed Come True Today was an amazing one. First of all it was warm! Yesterday and today I kept telling people: this is what autumn is like in Pennsylvania! It feels really nice to only wear three layers of clothes and to have the sun out all day long although now in the evening it is raining and blowing again. Yesterday I returned to Tongue at the gracious invitation of a young woman who is director of the Seniors’ Center there. We had gotten to know each other last week when I invited her to join the district nurses for the continuing education conference I did for them. She volunteered her “mum” to take me again to visit the Mackay Museum at Bettyhill. Getting to Tongue was a real adventure in itself. The Senior’s Center bus made it to the top of the hill outside of town and then we pulled off the road. Some part had become disconnected and the engine would not accelerate properly. After some alternative plans were made for transporting the seniors, the driver said he needed a piece of strong string or wire to temporarily patch the faulty engine piece so that PERHAPS we (staff) could get to the garage in Tongue. I had a paperback book with me which had in it a bookmark with a polyester ribbon fringe. I offered it because it seemed quite strong and voila – it worked! I even had a handiwipe for his very oily hands. Nurses do know how to improvise don’t we! The bus limped along across the mountains and safely made it to Tongue. While chatting with my hostess, I mentioned how last summer we had driven to Tongue House (ancient residence of the Lord Reays of Mackay) and how much I had enjoyed seeing the walled garden there although the Countess of Sutherland had not been in residence at the time. Ellen quickly said, “Would you like to go over to meet her?” Would I?! That was a wish which I had only dared to hope for as a minute possibility. It turns out, Ellen’s family had been the farmers for the estate and the Countess had made it possible for Ellen to have the land for her new home. I further learned from Ellen’s mum that the Countess had even been present at St. Andrew’s Church the Sunday I went over to services there, although she was up in the Laird’s Loft (private family box elevated above the congregation) and I would not have known that at the time! So, after some arrangements made by Ellen, I had morning coffee with Lady Sutherland and her charming husband [Mr. Jensen] who has served in the diplomatic corps. During my entire visit here I have been pinching myself to see if this whole adventure was real; well, this morning I should be black and blue! It was beyond my wildest expectation. The Countess was elegant and most gracious. Mr. Jensen was dashing and charming, and the gardens were lovely. I was also invited to see the Mackay room which houses the outside adornments of the original Mackay estate which must now be protected from the elements. What a privilege to see them in person and in such circumstances. The gardens, having been walled for protection from the harsh weather and especially the winds here, were still splendid. The dahlias were at their peak in spite of the first frost last week and also last night. I will be forever grateful to Ellen Mackay Campbell for making all of this happen for me. Now for a bit of reality: I was so pleased to be in such a lovely, new, full-sized shower last night with forceful water. I was washing my hair and relishing in the experience and all of a sudden, with shampoo in my hair, I had used up ALL the hot water! Oh well...! I am also told I missed a spectacular Northern Lights display last night. We just had no reason to look outside last night, and I was in bed by 10:00. I do hope I might get to see them before leaving the far North (we are at the same latitude as Alaska here.) Saturday, October 5, 2002 A Highland Fling Farewell I cannot imagine a more touching closing to my time here in Durness,
Scotland. Katie put together an afternoon ceilidh (pronounced káy-lee) so
I could learn some Scottish dances and have the opportunity to say goodbye
to the community in a gathering. Holding it in the afternoon made it
possible to “pull it off” in a short time, include lots of
‘wee lads and lassies, and minimize alcohol intake. We had a
great time. Probably a hundred or more people were there for at least
parts of the ceilidh. The dancing was great
fun – my favorites were; “June
Clover,” “Stripping the I was given the opportunity to address the folks gathered there to express my gratitude for their willingness to allow me into their homes and hearts during my five weeks among them and for the women’s participation in my research project. The timing was perfect. It took some organizing, but I was able to ensure that de facto Clan Mother of the Mackays, Dottie Mackay, was there. She had just returned the previous afternoon from a two-day chemotherapy session at the Inverness hospital two and a half hours away, so we were not sure of the possibility of having her there until the ‘last minute.’ But all went well and Dottie and entourage arrived at 3:20 pm with the award planned for 3:45. I had decided to present the beautiful community gift provided by Dr. Mazzeno [President of Alvernia College] to the two women Highland Games Chieftains who would probably be at the event (see the picture on the Durness website at http://www.durness.org/, page http://www.durness.org/durness%20highland%20gathering.htm, picture captioned “1999 Durness Highland Gathering chieftains Angus Robertson”) rather than the chairman of the community council. I was after all there to conduct WOMEN’s health research, and it was their participation that made my visit among them worthwhile! So I explained the source of the beautiful engraved crystal bowl, and asked for the women chieftains to receive it on behalf or the community. My scheme worked: Dottie, the longtime community leader and Madge Campbell, a retired district nurse who spent her entire career in Durness, received the gift. I had brought along bags of various Hershey chocolates to fill the bowl. It was a great hit! Following the community gift I made a presentation on behalf of Clan Mackay, USA. I donned my new full-sized Mackay tartan shawl and presented to Dottie MacKay a rosette of our tartan with a jeweled American flag to hold it in place – a symbol of our unity as Mackays. She seemed very touched by this extension of clan friendship.
The final dance was “The Virginia Reel”, and then the image I treasure: everyone crossed arms and held hands and sang Robert Burns “Auld Lang Syne” – young and old across the age continuum and two in wheelchairs equally included in the closing dance – a wonderful sight and a wonderful memory. Shalom. C. |
