Solitudinem faciunt ...

There's a speech that the Roman writer Tacitus puts into the mouth of Calgacus, the leader of the Caledonian confederacy, before the battle in 84AD at Mons Graupius which contains the famous epigram "Where they create a desolation, they call it peace" *- and it came into my mind this afternoon, in Latin (pretentious? moi?) as I looked down over Loch Tarsan from this high track and then rounded the corner and saw the industrial-looking rocky platform and the acres of felled ground, looking like a battlefield and utterly, utterly silent. It's a great walk, however, involving a steady pull uphill and a pleasant walk back down it - and much less tiring on legs and back, partly because it wasn't a tarmac road and partly because I had my boots on.

My extra photo comes from the box I've been exploring, and shows me, aged not quite three, with my father. It's not one I've been aware of seeing before, and I rather like it. I also like the fact that this photo binge has reunited me with one of the boys I used to play with in Brodick on our family holidays, when several families would end up renting the same houses year in, year out, for a month or two in the summer. We looked forward to playing with the same "holiday friends" each year, and sometimes met them in Glasgow during the year, as Brodick was a favourite place for the Glasgow middle classes. I sent him an email on the off-chance, with the photo attached, and hit the right address. (Simplified by the fact that he's now rather eminent in his field - otherwise a miracle after 55 years). 

We look forward to meeting up when we're allowed out to play again ...

*Ubi solitudinem faciunt, pacem appellant.