Meet Ann and the family

I am surely considered a local now, having lived in Plockton for over 45 years! In a previous life, I was a physical education teacher, travelling around to the many small schools in the region.

I love B&B and have done it for many years, until 2004 with my late husband Dolan, who WAS a Plocktonian through and through.

Yes, I even like it first thing on a cold morning, when everyone wants breakfast at once. Mind you, when it rains all day and I can't dry the washing outside, I sometimes wonder...

This is me at the front gate with my previous dog, Yarrow, who died in 2007. I have kept his own page, as he was a real favourite with everyone.

My new dog is Ruah, a gorgeous spaniel. She has her own page too!

(Thanks to Sam MacKenzie for this photo)

Dolan always said it's no good being the best sailor in the fleet if you can't row out to your boat! So our family has presented the Plockton Rowing Trophy to the Plockton Small Boat Sailing Club, for Dolan. It will be raced for annually.

Sponsorship money goes to the Chemotherapy Unit at our local hospital, McKinnon Memorial Hospital in Broadford, on the Isle of Skye.

Here's Sam holding his Papa's trophy.

My granddaughter Catriona, lives in Edinburgh, but is able to visit me in Plockton frequently.

This photo is one I love, when we fitted Ruah with her very own lifejacket!

Catriona also loves to go out with Dolan's cousin Calum MacKenzie on his seal-watching boat, Argus.

My four grandchildren are pictured at home in Edinburgh - Catriona,Sean, Sam and Daniel.

It's quite scary to see how fast they are all growing up.

They are mad-keen Hibs (football) supporters.

As regular readers of my newsletter will know, the two older ones Sam and Catriona come up to stay with me quite frequently in Plockton.

This summer they worked hard improving their rowing skills, in my boat "Piglet", as this photo shows.

Sam also progressed with Topper Sailing and was very successful crewing for Dolan's cousin Calum too.

(Thanks to David Duke for this photo)

SPONGE my cat thinks he owns the place!

Despite this photo, taken on a lovely day in the front garden, he's a very inside cat, and loves to curl up on a bed or on the sofa.

He now has Ruah for additional company, and after a wary beginning, they are now good friends and will cheerfully share a cushion.

CHEQUE the tortoise was always a lot of work, as hibernation was tricky and escapology was part of the game in the good months!

Each summer I seemed to spend every day searching for her outside, on hands and knees. She invariably was tangled in the prickly berberis hedge - Cheque's pink marker bottle just disappeared in the undergrowth.  Often I feared for her and I wondered too if she was a lonely wee being......

So Cheque has gone went back to her breeder and now lives in Alyth.