Auldearn Antiques - Day 15

 Up after a good nights sleep... aided by the fact that it is so quiet here! Feeling better and hope to have more energy today. Figured out the coffee machine and enjoyed a cup. 

Part of the antique business over here is to know your prices and also, as Roger points out, have a buyer already lined up for items that you purchase.  I had the chance to watch him bidding during an online auction. It's not as much fun as being in the room but you can get some good deals. He also has to buy enough to fill the company van in order to justify the drive to go pick up the items. Lots of interesting tidbits on the antique business. 

We went into Nairn and visited the beach area. It's quite cool with the overcast skies and the wind but there were some hearty souls out swimming.  Not a chance for us! 

 

Beach visit in Nairn... looking East

 Up to High Street to walk the shops and pick up some items for dinner. Kelly managed to find a bakery and they had buttries (morning rollies) so we bought most of them :-)

A stop at Clark & Sons Butcher Shop for some steaks and we then headed back to the Antique Shop. It was a quick ride back to the residence where we managed to get a couple geocaches close by the house. We dropped a couple travel bugs that we had from Australia and New Zealand.

Main display hall.

 

 Vicki prepared Auntie Doris’s dinner and Roger took it over to her house a short drive away. They do one meal a day for her and do a catch up.  As both of us have a cough, we thought it best to wait a day or so before going over to visit with her. 

 We had a great dinner and Roger gave us a recap of the history of their move up to this area and how the rest of the Milton family followed. They first came and looked at a run down old mill property that Doris had sent them to see. It needed lots of work but Roger and Vicki where keen on it. They bought it and spent the next 18 months living in a caravan on the property while they went about rebuilding it. 

 

Eventually Willie and Doris moved up and had purchased an old church with livestock outbuildings and a manse. They soon turned into the antique shop that became Auldearn Antiques.   

 

As Willie and Doris wanted to reduce their workload within the shop, they bought a cottage in the village and sold the antique business to Roger and Vicki. They in turn, made the mill into a rental accommodation and it's been very popular. It is called Drumduan Mill and it's details are here

 

Although Willie has long past, Doris still lives in the cottage... which we hope to visit tomorrow at some point. 

 

Euan finally came home after rugby practice and I got to meet him. We enjoy a bit of scotch and told a few stories around the table.  Such great hosts. 

Steps -  8600

Weather - 17ºC with light winds & broken cloud