Hamish the Highland Haggis (2024)

07/03/2024

Hamish has been too busy living the life to post recently. He was at me this week to share more of the magic of his story.

He has been with me in Torquay the last sixteen days looking after my dad. While out for a walk, look what Hamish and I found lying on the pavement. Hamish thought it was hilarious as it has echoes of a book, I wrote several years ago called ‘The First Santa.”

Hamish says magic happens when we are present and each of us is a gift!

14/01/2024

Hamish had the best festive season. Here he is helping to set a table for the Christmas Day festivities in the local cafe, the Aurrie, in Lower Largo.

We are both grateful to live in a village where community comes first. Hamish helped me to tell a story to those that gathered to celebrate on Christmas Day. We sang songs, shared stories, laughed and played together in a heartfelt way!

We hope you enjoy these photos of our celebrations!

24/12/2023

HAMISH IS OFF TO DECORATE AND WANTS TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO THE AURRIE & THE CHIEF!

This afternoon, Hamish and I are off to be helper elves and decorate and prepare the setting for tomorrow’s Christmas offering in the Aurrie.

The photos here are of Hamish with dear friends, Helen and David and their son Torin. Helen and David run the Aurrie, the local café in the village of Lower Largo, where Hamish and I live, they are helped by a fabulous staff team who together, along with the owners and patrons, have created a central heartbeat in our village, a centre where people from far and wide can enjoy great food, purchase unique, local, artistic wares, revel in great company, and enjoy a variety of entertainment from music, comedy, films, storytelling, poetry and more.

A piece of that more is what Hamish, and I are involved in. For the second year running, thanks to sponsorship from local groups and the willing hearts of David, Helen, and their staff team, the Aurrie will be opening its doors to the community for anyone who would like to share in a complimentary Christmas feast, fun, games, songs, stories, and laughter.

I grew up with community and to have found a community that has such caring roots here in Scotland is the greatest blessing. Hamish and I will delight in helping set the scene today and tomorrow Hamish is going to help me tell one of the stories I have prepared.

Hamish is tickled pink that since May he has met Santa, a King, and a Chief. There is a picture in the feed of Hamish with Santa, his meeting with a King will come with photos and a story soon, here he is meeting the Chief, who is Helen and David’s bouncing beautiful baby, Torin. For those who do not know, the name Torin means Chief!

21/12/2023

HAMISH GETS TO MEET THE HEAD ELF

I have always believed in Father Christmas. It was a joy to celebrate his arrival into the village through singing carols, dancing, and sharing in the spirit of the season with the Lower Largo Friendship Group.

What a beautiful vibrant community comprising of adults with extra needs, along with family and friends who provide loving support to each other. What a fabulous gathering of heart centred shining souls!

We were invited to share stories with the group in November which was a whole lot of fun. The first photo is from that event. And then there are photos of the party and of course, of Hamish with Father Christmas himself.

Hamish enjoyed the faces of those spotting Santa’s arrival!

On this longest day, Hamish and I wish on all of us to see the wonder and magic more clearly through our eyes, to carry a flame of authentic joy in our hearts and to speak more flowing words of love from our lips.

May the returning light bring each of us clarity to live life with more purpose, kindness, and generosity.

Many blessings on your festive season, Hamish, and Andrew 🥰

19/12/2023

HAMISH & THE CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTS

I was expecting to be posting in a linear fashion through Hamish’ year to date, however, Hamish isn’t linear, and he was too excited to wait to post from last week.

I am forever grateful to Nicola Mcfarlane Young for asking me, and I then asked Hamish, if I would M.C. and then turn on the Christmas lights in the village. I don’t know who was more excited, Hamish or me.

As a boy I loved the bright lights and magic of Christmas. It was made more magic by my parents who hosted a games party every year. My dad had grown up with parlour games. We would play murder in the dark, sardines, pass the parcel and other gems that dad would dig up from somewhere. My uncle also hosted one of these parties, the Christmas season became a time that was full of parties, laughter, dress up and song. To top things off I was chosen to play a lead role in a full-on British Pantomime. We Brits have a love for the slapstick, cross dressing, interactive mayhem of Panto, oh yes we do! It was such a rush; I had also played Tiny Tim in ‘Christmas Carol’ that year, it was also on at the main theatre in town, the Theatre Royal in Bury St. Edmunds.

The wonder and magic of that particular year makes my heart glow with pure joy. This year took me back to this time.

With this being Hamish’ first Christmas with me, I love how it is shaping to be one that connects me with my roots. It is also my first Christmas without my mum on the planet. She loved Christmas. I spoke of her at the tree lighting ceremony, she loved singing carols, Hamish, and I belted out a few in the Crusoe Hotel afterwards, it was a lot of fun. The 12 days of Christmas was Hamish’s favourite, it’s always a rib tickler!

We live in an incredible community, three villages, Lower Largo, Upper Largo and Lundin Links, makes a powerful trinity. The village has the Yarnbombers who make fabulous woollen scenes to go atop the post boxes, the Lower Largo Friendship group is a heartfelt group who support adults with extra needs, we have a theatre group who put on two fab plays each year, two arts festivals, one in the summer, one in the winter and our café, The Aurrie, is hosting Christmas for all who would like to join in a community day of songs, stories, games, food and fun.

Hamish got to share in the living of a childhood dream of mine, as together we pressed the button for the Christmas lights to go on!

We were approached afterwards by a beautiful little girl who wanted Hamish to know she is named for where Hamish was discovered, Iona. With Iona’s mum’s permission she is seen here smiling with Hamish.

05/12/2023

HAMISH’S FIRST BUS TRIP

Hamish took his first bus trip with me when we returned to Kingdom of Fife this summer. It was a first for both of us as I turned 60 and now get free bus travel in Scotland!

We headed to the seaside town of Anstruther where I had an appointment at the Physio. More about that visit anon. Today, Hamish is keen to share his bus adventure. He thought the colour scheme of the bus seats complimented his clothing. What do you think?

02/12/2023

What's a Faerie House without a swing and a see-saw? Who amongst us still loves to jump on a swing at the park? I know I do, Hamish loves the see-saw. Here he is with his good friend Dr. Herbie Yarrow having fun on it!

Hamish is dedicating this post to Shelagh Pritchard's granddaughter Charlotte. Charlotte loves faeries and is enjoying Hamish's page. Hamish hopes you enjoy seeing him playing at the entrance of the Faerie House Charlotte 😃🧚‍♂️

30/11/2023

HAMISH DECORATES THE FINISHED ROOF

This was undoubtedly Hamish's favourite part, collecting fallen petals, stray feathers, adding more bling, spot the Elven brooch from LOTR, and flowers pruned from the next door neighbours gardening exploits.

Scattering petals inside brought colour and joy to the Faerie House!

28/11/2023

HAMISH ADDS FURNISHINGS & STARTS TO LAYER THE ROOF

The next stage of the Faerie House was building both inside and out. Constructing benches for the table while beginning to layer the roof. Hamish was like Goldilocks, checking out all the seating for the comfiest place to get to some porridge oats, an offering placed in the cauldron on the table.

Can you spot other offerings adorning the structure? There's a Greenman pendant, a gift from my friend Sue Stover Petersen, that I have had for many years, a dragon stone, a silver birch ogham pendant, carved by the talented Denis Lockhart, which was gifted from the standing ones who once stood proudly as Gateways in a Wild Hunt circle that we took down in Aberdeenshire in 2015, a silver bookmark that has a raven on it, that was a gift from my daughter, a doorway to the dreamworld, gifted by Megan Woodland Hewitt, and other trinkets that Hamish thought the Fae would enjoy, which of course includes dreamkeys.

Hamish enjoyed hiding the dreamkeys as we built. I wonder how many you can spot.

More updates on the Faerie House construction coming soon!

26/11/2023

HAMISH BUILDS THE FOUNDATION FOR A FAERIE HOUSE

I promised Hamish that we would build a Faerie House in the garden once home from Iona. Some of you may be very familiar with how to build a Faerie House, for others this may be a totally new concept.

I have built many over the course of my life, however, none quite as grand as the one Hamish had planned.

I had read Hamish a book, Joy of Faeries, that I wrote and that has been beautifully illustrated by Jon Carraher, who is also from Hamish’ homeland of the USA, and Hamish was keen to build something similar.

We discussed building etiquette. Here are a few guidelines that we agreed upon.

1. Ask permission of the land and all the building materials before beginning construction.
2. Use natural materials only NO PLASTIC
3. Sing and have fun while building.
4. Once built, invite the Fae to come sing, dance and play in the house honouring all life on their highest good.
5. Make offerings while building, we poured whisky as the Fae love a drop of the good stuff.
6. If you live close by, visit regularly, and make offerings each time you visit.
7. Take your time, build magically so you avoid trying to get done, otherwise it becomes a chore. Hamish will tell you, there will always be repairs, renovations and more decorating needed for every house, albeit for Faeries, Foxes, or humans!

What fun Hamish and I had. You will see that we offered a wee dram into each hole that we dug to put in strong branch poles to hold up our house.

Hamish thought an altar stone for offerings ought to be the first furnishings in the house, and next a large table for the Fae to feast around.

Having read Joy of Faeries, Hamish loved the idea of dream keys, magical keys, that the Fae find, to take them through the roots of trees to the Dream Isle on a full moon night. So, we gathered keys to hide in the structure of the house as we built.

Here are a few pictures of our first morning’s work in preparing the Faerie House. Stay tuned for how it evolves from here!

23/11/2023

Welcome to the page of Hamish the Highland Haggis.

It feels very appropriate for Hamish to make his first appearance on social media today as it is Thanksgiving Day in the USA, and Hamish comes from the USA.

Hamish and I have a lot to be thankful for. Our meeting has brought so much joy into both of our lives!

Hamish made his way into my life on the dark moon of May this year, 2023, when I found him on a beach on Iona.

I wonder how many people crossed his path that day. He told he was told by the faeries of Iona, to stay camouflaged until someone who was a great joy to the Faeries came strolling by.

I feel blessed to have been selected by Hamish and he in turn is overjoyed that he met me, for the most amazing adventures have unfolded since I read the painted inscription on his belly.

‘I am a Highland Haggis,
You can keep me or hide me again!!
J.L. 2023 USA’.

Hamish hopes that one day J.L. will get to read these posts for J.L. will be pleasantly surprised to see, hear and catch up with the magic that has transpired in both Hamish and my life since that fateful day in May.

When I held him in my hands for the very first time, my heart leapt with joy. I looked at his radiant face and upon his beautiful tartan coat, and I knew that I didn’t want to keep him or hide him again!

Let me explain, I have the cosmology that all beings have a right to sovereignty. To keep Hamish would indicate he was mine, he is definitely his own being, so to keep him would indicate he was mine, so that wasn’t an option, and I wasn’t ready to end a relationship that was just beginning, by hiding him again.

It was during this exchange that he told me his name is Hamish. Now I know some of you may find it perplexing that a stone talks. Us humans can be very ignorant when it comes to other sentient beings and their languages. Quite simply put, so many of us never stop to listen, we have boxed ourselves up and separated ourselves from the natural world. It is only by immersing ourselves in nature that we may find that the song, music, dance and poetry of stars, trees, birds, water, wind, insects, animals, and rocks can be understood, for all beings have stories to share.

Sound weird? Life is weird. When we are fully present and tune into our senses, we can hear, see, feel, experience, intuit and imagine so much more than what our ordinary world studies have taught us.

What I offered Hamish that day was an opportunity to travel with me for at least a year and a day. I promised him we would build a Faerie House together, that he would go everywhere with me, with pilgrimages planned, plus a holiday to boot, and some unexpected travel upon the horizon. Hamish jumped into my life, creating even more authentic joy and playfulness than I think either of us could possibly have imagined.

If you are called to know more of his story, please tune into his page, where every week he will share his adventures, which include journeys as far north as Skye and as far south as Cornwall, local trips in the Kingdom of Fife to meet a physio, a photographer, a King, and a massage therapist. Hamish is a hoot with a loud voice to boot. He loves his photo taken, he has many to share, along with some rib-tickling tales to tell to delight the child within us all. He has already brought joy to so many humans on his travels. Both Hamish and I hope you enjoy his words of wisdom, his inquisitiveness, playfulness, and his sparkling personality.

On this Thanksgiving Day, I say a huge thank you to Hamish, whose presence in my life is a truly a most magical gift!

Hamish the Highland Haggis

07/03/2024

14/01/2024

24/12/2023

21/12/2023

19/12/2023

05/12/2023

02/12/2023

30/11/2023

28/11/2023

26/11/2023

23/11/2023

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