Out Slumming It!

[thebrookster]

I received my orders for this vacation home, and was told we had to have a holiday.

So packed up the tent and truck, and a long weekend is in progress. As I get older, I prefer camping in a touch more comfort, so the Bell tent makes it's appearance 

On a nice wee campsite on the shores of Loch Tay. Tomorrow is a visit to the Scottish Crannog Centre, been on the wish list for a couple of years.

[RogerH]

Nice and comfy - hmmmmm

 

Roger

[PeteStupps]

Looks like a nice setup Phil - was the weather kind all weekend? Saturday felt like a winter's day down here.

[Escadrille Ecosse]

I like Loch Tay and this is a perfect weekend for it.  The crannog centre is supposed to be excellent. Enjoy

[thebrookster]

Was an excellent weekend all told. Weather held out nicely, cool at night but warm and sunny during the days (SWMBO came back with a nice bit of sunburn lol).

Crannog centre is well worth the visit. They haven't actually built a Crannog yet, that is planned for next year, but they have a replica iron age village housing all the various trades that would have been necessary for building a crannog, with practical demonstrations of said crafts. Really illustrates the work that went into them, I aim to go back to see the various stages of the crannog build when I can! No photos I'm afraid, too busy taking it all in.

Had a pleasant dinner on the shore of Loch Tay, view was definitely passable.

[JohnD]

Camping can be great, Phil, good weather is a big help and I'm glad you had a good time.

On archaeological reconstruction, I was at  the Stonehenge Centre last year.   Next to the Centre, which is some way from the Henge, they have a reconstructed village  based on the Durrington Walls site, which is believed to be where the people lived who built and maintained the Henge.    When I was there, a team of researchers were trying various ways to work out how these Stone Agers had embroidery.    Bone needles have been found, and they had discovered that taking a sheet of bone (eg  shoulder blade) it is best to pierce the thread holes first, then divide up the sheet into strips and carve them into  needles.     Doing it the other way around, which might be how I might have  tried, piercing strips or carved needles, leads to too many failures and just bone fragments.

John

[RogerH]

So the world started with engineers (to build structures and needles) and then a long time later came the bean counters and politicians.

And we haven't built a decent henge since.

 

Roger

[Nick Jones]

4 hours ago, RogerH said:

And we haven't built a decent henge since.

 

No, perhaps not. But one could suggest that they moved on to other religious structures such as churches and cathedrals. I may not approve of the waste of effort and resources on such things, but I can still appreciate them for the sheer engineering and craftsmanship that have gone into them.

Then there are more useful (and yet still often beautiful) structures ports, stations, libraries, hospitals, airports and bridges (especially bridges, I love bridges) which celebrate the works of architects and engineers in spite  by of the bean counters and politicians.

[JohnD]

I was at the V&A a couple of weeks ago ( recommended!  Especially the free tours!)   They haveva collection of heads, copied from Salisbury Cathedral.  All thought to be portraits of locals and colleagues.   Except possibly, this one.