Off the Hill B&B has closed for the 2021 season, and we don’t have guests due in again (well at the moment anyway) until towards the end of March. So what do B&B owners do for their “5 months off”… well as a started for 10, we frown at those folks who think we “have 5 months off”.
Do we: swan off to Thailand for 5 months; wake up at noon & watch daytime tv; or, are out every day for cake & coffee with friends? The short answers are: I wish, occasionally, sometimes!!!
It is also something that guests ask me, and is usually tied in with a conversation about “What are the winters like up here, weather wise?”.
Once we’ve had a few long-lies, done a few DIY projects (small and large), visited family wherever that might be, planned for next year, admin and The Tax Return, many of us have a creative hobby or side hustle. Painting, pottery, knitting, sewing, writing a novel (I’d love to think I have one in me), weaving, baking, jewellery making, wood carving - either way it’s something to keep our hands busy, minds ticking over and occupy our time when we are into our fourth consecutive day of horizontal rain.
My “thing” is photography, in particular landscape photography, and we have a lot of the component parts in abundance – the landscape, the weather and ever changing, rich (and sometimes illusive) winter light. I’ve been on Skye for over 7 years, but have been photographing its landscape for about 14 years, having worked up here prior to running the B&B, visiting for holidays and seeing friends. It is well and truly under my skill now. Here’s just 4 photos taken in the last couple of weeks.
You can see more of my images at www.elainesmithphotography.com or on Facebook
You can follow more of my and Maisie’s out of season life at the OTH Facebook page