Inspiration

Such utterly captivant photography and narrative! Charlie’s garden is a marvel, the house looks wonderful even before the renovations and I need a Johnny in my life to supply those delicious lobsters!!! Lucky, lucky you!

Yes, white! Sometimes the classic choice really is the best. IMHO it will be very pleasing to the eye as you approach the island.
As for the pond, I’m sure any change would be a major undertaking. I perceive two options. Extend what appears to be the short side and put in a Japanese bridge over the pond in line with the path or move the pond entirely out of the way of the path. Option two allows you to move it to some place that you’ll believe it will be more perfectly situated.
Thanks for all the photos. I very much enjoyed them. Good Luck 🍀

Such glory and generosity. Thank you.
Now we know that Rousay is the Sunset Capital of the World!!

But which white? Oh no 😮

Hi Ben. – that pool of yours is such a tantalising structure; it seems such a weird thing to have built over what is a natural, direct pathway down to the sea.
It seem to me that is might have been built like that to accommodate something else which at the time could not be easily moved, for either practical or emotional reasons, such as an old beloved tree or a memorial of some sort. or perhaps it was just that when they were halfway through they encountered solid bed-rock…
I’d be tempted to invite those archeologists back to do a dig!

Thank you for all the effort it must take to make this blog, it’s much appreciated. Following along here and on your Instagram is like being on an adventure in a dreamland. Enjoy the rest of your summer.

I love your house and surroundings!! You and Charlie have a beautiful life there!! I can’t believe how fast his garden grew!! The four legged kids are adorable!!! It’s so refreshing to see the landscape there as I live on the west coast of Florida completely opposite to your environment there. Keep posting we love seeing everything!! BTW Charlie’s desserts always look heavenly!!!

Thank you for sharing your enchanting adventures, Ben. Storybook worthy. The scenery is utterly amazing and love the color choice! Charlie and that garden should be a documentary. He truly has talent on loan from God! Actually, a documentary on the island and Westness history would be amazing! Perhaps a book is in the works?! And those pups are the luckiest in the world. Your posts are always food for the soul. They capture a time long ago showcasing simple living at its best. Love to you and Charlie always. Thanks for the ride. 🩵

Thank you for sharing these incredible pictures (that vegetable garden!!!). As for the paint colour, I think the answer lies in the colour of the shells you picked on the beach. Wishing you a wonderful summer. x

All very beautiful and full of happy sentiments. Very inspiring to make dreams come true. Thanks for sharing.

Lovely, lovely. Thank you for sharing!

(And I think the house color choice is perfect.)

It’s another world, like going back in time! So beautiful! Thank you.

l’office du tourisme va pouvoir vous rémunérer… après la lecture de ces pages nous avons tous envie de déménager et de s’installer sur cette ile paradisiaque!!!
L’evolution du jardin , les merveilleuses photos font rever. Merci pour toutes ces impressions poétiques.
Pour la couleur de la maison , comme je vis au Pays Basque, avec ses maisons blanches, c’est un bon choix, surtout en hiver!
Merci pour ce Blog, Christian du Pays Basque.

So many questions to ask you…..but this comment would then ramble on for a while.
What a beautiful,peaceful place you have found to settle in. I can hear the silence;just like here in Northern Gers where we moved to just over a year ago (The husband followed somewhat reluctantly but now seems content)At this time of year we are almost completely surrounded with fields of sunflowers.
Scotland in the sunshine takes some beating.You have both created something rare and special.
Charlie,please shave off the moustache!🙏🌻

Just WOW what a dream! You have truly landed in a slice of heaven, every picture tells a story of beauty, love and intention. I wonder though if the off centre nature of the pool is in fact an example of the Wabi Sabi Philosophy: Nothing Lasts, Nothing Is Finished, Nothing Is Perfect. Just so you stay grounded!!

Thanks Ben….I’ve loved watching all of your updates from Westness over on Instagram. Feel quite envious of your guests ! PS. I’m convinced there is a team of gardeners ‘behind the scenes’ you are not showing us ? Can’t believe what Charlie has accomplished.

Ben, of all the people I follow on instagram, I am most thrilled when I see a new story and can be transported to Orkney and Westness house. I know the characters now and love to see what they are all up to, with the sea and sky being characters too, and all ever changing yet the same. A feast for the eyes and heart. I love Nancy too, and seeing what Charlie is wearing or what’s for lunch. So relieved on the white decision – clear and fresh, like your world. Best wishes from western Canada.

It’s all so beautiful! I keep waiting to see a photo of the fountain filled with water and splashing, as water features are my favorite thing in a landscape (though with the sea right on your doorstep, you’re fairly covered for water features). I have of course wondered why those who placed it, did so off center, but at the risk of preaching to an actual expert, I’d say why not leave it? If the grass path above and below it were to be mown as a meandering path rather than a straight one, the asymmetry might not be so jarring, the lines would all be softened. That’s what I’d do, though maybe that’s just because I wouldn’t want to go to the expense and effort of doing anything more than mowing a different path through the grass. :)

Thank you for this lovely and inspiring post.

Thank you all of your beautiful posts & photos, truly magical!

I absolutely love your wonderful blog, and beautiful home. It’s a ray of sunshine in often dismal times. Thank you, Ben.

Your pictures and text are stunning! Please don’t move the pond! wabi-sabi

The waiting is over. Do you know what a balm your blog is, Ben, in these troubled times? Your lightly-dressed pictures of that heavenly place. Charlie’s garden that beckons for a closer look, a wander through the rows. The dogs. The dogs! Already looking forward to the next visit.

OH YES YES YES … WHITE .. so perfect.
Cant wait to hear about the off center fountain. its very curious.

What a dream house and location – thank you for sharing so much with us… we are lucky

the owl

aren’t you both mr clever drawers – completely magical -all of it.

love that the house is going to be white as it once was and with not a whiff of look-at-me-look-at-me.

Utterly divine Ben…every element! And as for Charlie’s vegetables…my eyes are out on stalks…it’s heaven, pure heaven…the dreamiest of all vegetable gardens :)) I am though…longing to know how he’s going to reach the lettuces in the middle of the rows…except for eating the end ones first – knowing my luck…the first to reach readiness would be the one in the middle! X

Ah , white , a great choice , pure and classic …… but what white I wonder ? I love Windborne white by Farrow & Ball . It’s the colour of milk and looks good in any light . As for the pond …… could you rotate it ? It would look good running lengthways towards the sea . That view from the doorway is so beautiful , but the pond situated off to one side would drive me nuts. I’m sure you’ll find the perfect solution. As always the photographs are stunning. The big skies and the quality of the light are gorgeous. The Parsonage was a hard act to follow , but your new home is absolutely breathtaking.

OH lovely, lovely. I was missing the blog and now I can look at it and look at it again until the next one… The vets on Shetland drove VW Beetles in the 1960s, rust flew off them as they went along. The general opinion was that the engine and wheels would still be going when the body no longer existed.

Always look forward to your posts, seeing the world and garden and sea through your eyes. And I’ll admit color choice of the house had me very curious – now can’t wait to see all the light reflections in the white !
PS – the off center pond had me pondering as well. Excited to see your creativity even it it means off center it shall stay !

Such a lovely visit to your Westness. It does my heart good to see all it’s natural beauty! Bravo on your color choice. Can’t wait to see it reflecting different light. PS I loved the original ferry art by Rupert and the one below.

When you both left Dorset I thought how could you bare it, but Charlie has worked miracles in the new garden and it seems you both create a little Paradise wherever you go. Yours is one of the few accounts I still follow on Instagram & the blog was just a delightful little wander into your world. Thank you so much for sharing 🤎 (bonus points for all the Corgi side eye pics-we have one too & they’ve perfected it to an art form lol)

Oh my Ben and Charlie. It is always such a treat to visit you via your blog. Your pictures, as always are a sight for the eyes……but I do have one question. Does your dear Charlie every sleep? haha. I can’t believe what that man can accomplish…it is “bedazzling”
Best wishes from across the pond.
Jo

Another wonderful trip into your new life on the island .
The pond : perhaps extend into correct alignment and have a bridge over …..?

I follow all your posts and so so happy to see that you have the most heavenly spot in the world.. the best move ever for anyone I know and what brilliance from Charlie you are a legend and a totally gifted man.
The paws all have adjusted so well and look so contented and happy what joy which is just the best for anyone who follows your blog and posts. Thank you for such moments of great contentment and happiness.

Dear Ben, thank you so much. Your last beautiful blog came the week we said goodbye to my lovely and loved sister. This one as we approach her birthday. Same effect, you have calmed, encouraged and delighted me with beautiful pictures of nature. A great reminder that there is always beauty to be seen, we just need to look.

An inspiring start to a cold and grey winter morning down under. One word sums it up ….heaven.

Hi Ben, love your blog. Have been following since you moved to Rousay, I live in Orkney and for 8 years we lived over the water from you in Evie, although we moved into Stromness 2 and a bit years ago. We loved Evie, and we also love Stromness, how can you not!.

I was really interested in your decision about what colour to paint your house – our house also gets those awful black streaks on the grey render when it rains. I’d thought of painting it a darker colour but white does sound like it might work. I think I may try a patch at the back, see how it goes! So glad to see you bringing Westness back to life and so spectacularly, Orkney really is a wonderful place to live.

Best wishes, Hayley

Now we need to know what shade of white and from which company! :-)
My house was a dirty brilliant white when I bought it, which looked ghastly against a coniferous Dorset forest, so I painted it a heritage white, which mostly looks a soft white, but which can appear a pale minty green or pale honey colour depending on the light.
I look forward to your updates.

Seems to me the thing to do with the pond is to dig up the end bits and lengthen it so it’s symmetrical, then restore the ends. I guess you’d have to move the urn too…

Enjoy all the beauty, symmetrical or not—you have found your small piece of Paradise.

Those iris !!That vegetable garden is absolutely fantastic,& so productive in such a short space of time,I am so envious!I must confess I thought you were mistaken to have left beautiful Dorset & the parsonage!but seeing your fantastic photographs makes me understand everything,now!!Looking forward the the next instalment of Orkney life!

Great post! You kept us in paint colour suspense. Will the next episode include a pool cliffhanger? Have you considered enlarging the pool to ‘centre’ it? Enjoy the remainder of this lovely summer.

Wow Ben what wonderful photos yet again, just when I thought how do you top the last post!
Well done to Charlie, the garden is truly an amazing achievement considering you started at ground zero. I’m sure you’ve waved a magic wand or something, but I can appreciate how much hard work has gone into what we see today( your soil looks great too).
I’m just imagining the garden when the house is painted white – pretty magical I’d say.
I was getting rather annoyed with the fence post that’s visible through the gate to the sea until I saw the owl perched on it.
Can’t wait to see how the pond situation develops as it does make one feel uneasy that it’s not placed centrally – silly but still..
It all looks so wonderful and I for one are truly grateful you are sharing your journey for us all to enjoy and pour over.
Loving the four legged friends too😊

So heavenly, it’s like reading a novel and white my favorite color..thank you so much for sharing..blessings to you and the animals

Blissful days & nights, inside & out! Thank you, what a treat x

White would have been my choice too. Congratulations Ben for such a great post!

So missed your blogs, but this one was so fantastic. The garden is magnificent and Nancy, seems to like to spend some time gardening with Charlie. Lovely to see your guests and your time spent with them cooking lovely meals and walking in this beautiful scenery. So happy you are painting the house White, it will look so beautiful and not the other colours. So nice you neighbour brings you those Lobsters. Thank you for making my day with this beautiful blog.

Love all the pics of Nancy. She looks wonderfully integrated into the pack. I was drooling looking at that vegetable garden. So nice to be able to pick it fresh like that — cheers to Charlie for the splendid job.

Wonderful! Thank you!

Bravo Ben & Charlie,
Your pond dilemma has been keeping me awake nights! At risk of preaching to a very experienced choir, I’d suggest keeping the same size and firm, and just run it parallel to the centre line, rather than perpendicular, providing that doesn’t interfere with any tree roots. Here ends the lesson for today.
Cheers
Darryl

The house is lucky to have you both – wishing you many happy times ahead.

Thank you.
And how wonderful to sit and ponder the off-center pond – with a glass of wine in the evening.

My gosh, I’ve loved every word and every picture of this blog post. The pictures of your visiting friends, particularly the ones of the Beata et al visit, reminded me of photos of the Bloomsbury group at Charleston.

One thought came to mind regarding your off-centered pond. Why not find a sculpture to place to the side, such that taken together visually, it will feel as a whole centered, and even dare I say, a deliberate if kinda kooky/fun placement of the pond?

Can’t wait to see what the rest of summer holds for you!

This reminds me so much of Sweden. Beautiful and atmospheric….

Thank you

Another wonderful blog reading and those sunsets!
Wonderful veg garden also.

What a wonderful read. Thanks so much for continuing to share your inspiring words and photos, which always make me view my own beautiful surroundings with renewed appreciation.

What a wonderfully evocative post. How beautiful it all is. How great that you and Charlie took the plunge. You all look so happy .

Like a cool summer breeze your pictures and words soothe.
Thank you Ben for this beautiful pause in life

Living the dream, we can’t wait to see what you two do next. Charlie, you’re not just a Gardener, you’re a Magician, we know because we garden!

Respect!

You take the most beautiful pictures. Obviously, the settings, the people, the food, the decor, the dinnerware….they all help! Thanks for sharing.

Love seeing all your photos Ben, it is indeed an enviable life up there!

Absolutely stunning… I’m a little out of breath! Thank you. I can see why the color of the render was on everyone’s mind. I think the white will be perfect!

Love, love, love your posts.
Each photo is a beauty unto itself- I look forward to following the journey of your home restoration.

Your photos are just amazing!! Thank you for sharing!

Seems you left Dorset and ended up in heaven!!!
Simply beautiful.

What a heavenly special place you have found! Clearly providing you both with much joy.
Love the photos thank you. In no particular order love the kilt, Winifred Nicholson, the irises, greenhouse and tomatoes, chapel, your welcoming dining table and bounty, sunsets and Morris Minor (my first car), dogs lots of lovely dogs. Are you tempted to have a pony and trap as portrayed in the old photo?
Sorry for rambling on. Enjoy your summer in your magical place.

What a heavenly special place you have found! Clearly providing you both with much joy.
Love the photos thank you. In no particular order love the kilt, Winifred Nicholson, the irises, greenhouse and tomatoes, chapel, your welcoming dining table and bounty, sunsets and Morris Minor (my first car), dogs lots of lovely dogs. Are you tempted to have a pony and trap as portrayed in the old photo?
Sorry for rambling on. Enjoy your summer in your magical place.

This was a lovely post. Thank you.

dear Charlie and Ben,

Have been following your blog for ages….always meant to comment but somehow events overtook me.

Well done to you both.

That garden is an inspiration and a thing of rare & special beauty.

And well done on the house colour. She is a lady of dignity and grace,

She presides over the landscape….perhaps with a hidden beady eye,,.

But she presides. No room for equivocation or any nonsense.

Hence the colour choice being so appropriate.

Not to mention clarity & purity,

Thank you for keeping us in the loop. You are such an inspiration to all of us who live vicariously through your journeys.

She chose well don’t you think ?

Kind regards,

Biba

I absolutely adore your home, location and stunning views. I, like Charlie, am a Kiwi (living in Los Angeles though) with a lot of “Scot” in me and I feed off of your photos!
I have a question regarding Charlie’s garden. Regarding the mini white greenhouses, did he make them or can one purchase them? Also, to the yellow obelisks, the same question.
Thanks for the soulful, inspiring blog!

So glad you have chosen to go with the white, instead of one of the orange hues:). Lovely photographs as usual. Living the dream—-you and Charlie and all the wee dogs. Long may it continue!

Ahhh…I love that you’ve decided on white for the render. It’s how I pictured your lovely home all along and I can’t wait to see it come to life. Thank you for sharing your wonderful photos with us—they’re a breath of fresh air!

You might consider adding a dollop of pigment to the white; not to alter the colour, but take the sting out of it. Pink, for instance; very very little.

Your blog posts are lovely. I always feel like I’m visiting you and Charlie. Armchair travel at its best. Thank you.

Lovely to hear from you this Monday morning! I was just thinking of you and Charlie and wondering where summer was going. Clearly it is going well! Thanks much for the update and bringing some peace. Your post brings to mind the Yeat’s poem
The Lake Isle of Innisfree
BY WILLIAM BUTLER YEATS
I will arise and go now, and go to Innisfree,
And a small cabin build there, of clay and wattles made;
Nine bean-rows will I have there, a hive for the honey-bee,
And live alone in the bee-loud glade.

And I shall have some peace there, for peace comes dropping slow,
Dropping from the veils of the morning to where the cricket sings;
There midnight’s all a glimmer, and noon a purple glow,
And evening full of the linnet’s wings.

I will arise and go now, for always night and day
I hear lake water lapping with low sounds by the shore;
While I stand on the roadway, or on the pavements grey,
I hear it in the deep heart’s core.

May the summer days continue to bring joy and friends to your door.

All heavenly – love Charlie’s garden and that little chapel – and white xx

Most beautiful sunsets…. Love your table settings for all your meals… such a cozy atmosphere… and the garden… out of this world wonderful … you must have to share some of the produce…. Dogs are precious… loving Nancy…. Looks like she is loving her life….thanks for the post… I feel almost like I’ve been there….Teresa

So glad you chose white for the color. And what a wonderful blog! I am always so soothed after looking at all the photos. I appreciate the peace and the calmness of your surroundings. I can’t wait to see what you are planning to do with the inside of your lovely home. Please keep posting. Nancy is still adorable.

With each photo I thought oh that’s my favourite, but then the next was my favourite and so on , all stunning . The views of the sea, the vegtable garden’s evolving changes, the darling dogs, Charlie in his many clothing choices especially his kilt. Dining tables set for friends and all the luscious food Charlie cooks , I would kill for a slice of that sponge cake !!!!
Westness House in all its glory , the overall sense of real contentment and permanence of your new home.
Thank you Ben for the wonderful blog.

A good decision in my view – but presumably not pure brilliant white?

What a cornucopia of delights! Sunsets, lunches picnics, the incredible vegetable garden, guests and dogs. Just marvellous!