Sunday 01 August 2004, 9pm
By John Cameron

Letter from Little Venice, London

John and Yukima Cameron, taking well earned breaks from their work, are currently traveling in Europe after attending the summer wedding of Yukima's uncle Robin Payne in Scotland. The followng letter was sent to Virgil's Diary recently.

John and Yukima Cameron stand at Da Nello, St Peterport, Guernsey - of which inhabits the Channel Islands and is simply delicious. (Photo: Courtesy John Cameron)

We have now arrived in London, staying in Michael and Natasha Brennan's apartment in the very beautiful 'Little Venice' district near Paddington.

We had a wonderful week in Guernsey staying with Yuki's grandfather Sir Norman, spending the days gently adjusting to GMT in the sun, flowers, beautifully quaint streets, many-star restaurants and picturesque cliff walks that the peaceful island (part of the British isles, but not part of the UK) offers. Guernsey reminded me of a giant Ardoch Green, and I often thought of Zayda as we walked through the cobble-stone streets lined with pots, gardens and hanging-baskets of brilliant flowers.

Uncle Robin's wedding to the lovely Rachel (and her two children, Robert 11 and Anna 9) took place in a grand country manor-cum-hotel in the rolling farmland and woodland of central Scotland. We stayed there for two days. It was special for me to finally meet the rest of the entire Payne clan, including Grandma Lady Pamela and the uncles, aunties and cousins from England and South Africa.

Robin Payne, his wife Rachel Hellings, her daughter Anna and Yukima. (Photo: John Cameron)

Afterwards, Yuki and I stayed for a few days with Robin and Rachel and family (including Badger the giant cat, once mistaken for a panther by the neighbors) in their stone farmer's cottage on the beautiful moors. We went for some never to be forgotten walks in the glen and the moors, soaking up the sunshine and refreshing ourselves in the brisk breeze, immensely enjoying Robin's company and natural history knowledge and loving the opportunity to get to know Rachel, Robert and Anna.

We took Robin's car for a two-day tour up to Inverness then down the Great Glen. The silver sun shone kindly through dramatic clouds as we passed the massive Loch Ness (no sign of Nessy). We stopped off at Fort Augustus where we visited a Ceilidh (pronounced kay-lee, a Scottish dance) on the barge Fingal of Caledonia that was moored there. Yuki caught up with her friends on the Fingal where she had spent a week in 1997 and I had a Haggis and Black Pudding dinner (delicious!). We spent the night with the owner of the boat in Fort William and met his wife and 1 yr old boy.

Clan Cameron castle at Achnacarry, home of the Clan Chief, Cameron of Lochiel. (Photo: John Cameron)

Nearby Achnacary was the home of the Cameron clan, and the next day a beautiful canal-side drive took us to the Clan Cameron museum where we discovered some of the fascinating history of our name’s past, including how the clan Chief helped bring Bonnie Prince Charley (of ‘speed bonnie boat’ fame) back to Britain from his banishment in France. The clan castle stands in rough and wild countryside, amid plantations of pine trees and dark green giant beech and oak woods that lead down to the calm waters of Loch Lochy.

Yukima and Glen Coe, on the drive up to Rannoch Moor. (Photo: John Cameron)

Driving back inland from Fort William we passed through some of the most breathtaking scenery I had ever beheld, as we entered the real highland country. The ribbon of highway rises up and snakes along the valleys between cloud-peaked masses of stone and earth. Thread-like cuts of cascades tumble down birch-forest lined cracks in the escarpments, and tussock-clad bowl-like valleys race up to sheer once-glacier-massaged slopes. The air was crystal-clear and seemed to magnify the intense vertical elongation of the summits, and I was nearly dizzied by the proportions and closeness of the beautiful land. Then we were on the top of Rannoch Moor, driving through the seemingly-undisturbed highlands of low heath and tussock grasses, bogs and open waters marked with Japanese-garden-perfect islands decorated by twisted and stunted birches. Simply amazing.

Scenery near Glen Sheil, Scotland. (Photo: John Cameron)

Some more beautiful scenes, haggis, explorations of tumbled castles and the gastronomic discovery of an absolutely giant forgotten cherry tree (bigger than the 369 Warrandyte Oaks!) dripping with succulent ripe fruit. We returned, tummies full and bags laden with cherries, to Robin and Rachel’s home yesterday night.

Today we flew from Edinburgh to London. Double-decker red buses and Natasha Brennan met us at Victoria Station. We are now having a lovely reunion with our friends Michael and Natasha Brennan.

Wedding clothes . (Photo: John Cameron)

Loch Ness. (Photo: Courtesy John Cameron)

Thoughtful Robert (son of Rachel) at Glen Sheil. (Photo: John Cameron)

Seiki Payne and Grandma Lady Pamela at the wedding. (Photo: John Cameron)

Yukima and Sir Norman at Robin and Rachel’s wedding. (Photo: John Cameron)

Luxury in the Lands of Loyal Aylith hotel room - location of Robin and Rachel’s wedding. "A lovely room, too," says John. (Photo: John Cameron)

Glen Sheil. (Photo: John Cameron)

Yukima in La Seigneurie’s garden, Isle of Sark, near Guernsey. (Photo: John Cameron)

The Cherry tree laden with ripe fruit. "Yes, the big one behind Yukima, the tallest tree in the photo," says John. (Photo: John Cameron)