I'm going Doon Hill today

I took the day off work today to recover from the massive pancake breakfast which I was anticipating. God job too - I consumed half my body weight in buttery pancakes with maple syrup!

In a bid to burn off some of the breakfast, I took the wee man and the dog for a stroll up Doon Hill in our old stomping ground of Aberfoyle. So for those of you who don't know the story, Reverend Robert Kirk used to walk up this hill every day for exercise. He was a published author on the subject of fairies and the "little people", so when he died on the hill in 1692, his story became legend and he was said to have been taken away to the fairy world.

The hill is widely regarded as a spiritual place and people come from far and wide to tie their wishes, written on bright fabric, around the trunk of the large pine tree which crowns the hill. Over the years, the surrounding trees and bushes have become covered in these fabric strips and all manner of charms and keepsakes.

It is quite overwhelming the first time you come across it, and it is a fantastic place to take your kids - they love the whole adventure.


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