Or should I call this edition "Friday Coo Blogging"?
This pretty mama was at Cardhu Distillery in Banffshire, in the area known for its Speyside whisky. We toured the distillery on Tuesday, a day when the Scottish sun was shining for all it was worth. As we were leaving after a tour, the woman at the till told us this "coo" was out in the field with her mate and newborn calf. I found her by the fence, but she didn't seem too happy. She was content to let me pet her and take her photo, but she never once made eye contact with me, even when I tossed her an apple, and then a digestive biscuit. I think she's shy; my cows would have been all up in my business after an offering like that.
Later I saw her baby and her mate, and the three of them ran back and forth along the fence for some exercise.
Mama running along the fence with baby and Papa following.
Seeing the "coo", as the Scots pronounce it, was one of the highlights of our tour of the distillery. (For me at least. The others enjoyed the wee drams of Scotch they sampled later.) Cardhu Distillery was pioneered by a woman, Helen Cumming, who was distilling spirits illegally back in 1811. Three times she was caught by the revenue and customs men, and each time her husband John, a farmer who had nothing to do with the distillery, went to jail since, back then, women weren't jailed. (At least not for distilling whisky).
After her death, her daughter-in-law, who took over the distillery upon the death of Helen's son, sold the distillery eventually to John Walker, who is now known for the Johnnie Walker label. If you've ever had Johnnie Walker, you've had Cardhu, since it's one of the whiskies used in the blend.
The River Spey, the Caingorms in the distance
The tour was entertaining, even for someone who's not fond of whisky. The drive along the River Spey was beautiful, and of course, the high point of any visit to the countryside is the chance to chat with a cow. Even a slightly shy coo.