Dunvegan Castle progress

Previous Dunvegan progress: https://timeslipsblog.wordpress.com/category/dunvegan-castle/

While Eric is lost in his memories of a long past, (We will get back to him soon, I promise!), work continues on the Castle restoration and Brennie has a few memories of her own. Brennie has not called the Castle home for quite as long as Eric but she has been there for quite a few centuries! Some of those centuries were more pleasant and or more memorable than others. She arrived during the 1400’s when much of the Castle as it stands today, did not exist. For a long time, it remained rather small and more of a fortress for defense. It was during the 17th and early 18th centuries that the Castle came closer to it’s present day appearance.  Unfortunately for Brennie, those were also some of her more difficult years. Prior to that time, in the medieval period, she had less problems finding ways to fit in as a female and a vampire. Those earliest years were difficult in terms of sheer survival but they did allow her a bit more freedom from social judgements on her appearance and behaviors.  Over the centuries as the Highland Clans were being more integrated into the politics and the regimes of the rest of the country and losing their individual identities and freedoms, life became much more regimented and governed by the social customs and rules of the larger world around them. Eric and the other men found it less difficult to find their place and fit in as warriors, soldiers, clan leaders or land owners. Brennie would have had a far harder time coming to terms with the restrictions and rules placed on her as a proper “young” lady of good standing. 

 

Even in her earliest years at the Castle, she struggled with being the “Lady” of the Castle. She was not raised in such an environment and had never desired to be in such a position of authority and leadership. It took her many centuries to adjust to it and even in the present day, she was not comfortable with all that running such a place entails. She did learn early on that one thing was essential to the Castle’s running… That was to have a  person who did know how to run a Castle! As Eric’s clan and the Castle took on more importance, Brennie realized that image was and is everything. She needed a person who could help her present a proper image to the rest of the world, who knew what had to be done, how it had to be done and when it had to be done, even if she herself had no real idea?  Somewhere or when during that time, she found just such a person in the form of one Mistress Minna MacGuinn.

 

Every Castle has it’s version of Minna… Castle Leoch for instance has Mrs. Fitz. 

 

Our  Dunvegan Castle has Mistress Minna MacGuinn or just Minn if she likes you well enough?

There was a period of time when Brennie was not necessarily  on that well liked list and would be the first to admit that she was downright skairt of the woman!

 

 

Who’s Kitchen is it… It’s Minn’s Kitchen, Who runs the Castle… Minn does, and best ye not forget it lass!

 

All of the upstairs kitchen, as well as other improvements were more due to Minn’s suggestions… or demands than anything Brennie would have thought of during that time. Once Brennie sorted things out and came to an understanding with Minn, understanding as in it’s Minn’s way… Well, after that Brennie left much of the day to day running of the Castle up to Minn and they got along fine!

 

Minn’s kitchen, and best ye not forget that!

 

Minn was instrumental in a number of changes and improvements. The back room behind the kitchen would eventually become a large alchemy/medicinal and herbal room. And, Minn was also responsible for added garden space outdoors… Shortly after her arrival, she shrugged and tsked at the lovely outdoor gardens and made a comment to Brennie. “Achhh and sure it’s a pretty place for entertaining and all but what would ye be needing that for seeing as ye’re so skairt of them such things now aren’t ye?” She was right about that… This was during a time when Brennie was having such a difficult time of adjusting to the world that she avoided people as much as possible and her reason for having Minn was so that she didn’t have to face any of the many guests that often frequented the Castle. Minn was having none of that, and she was the one who helped push Brennie back to the outside world.  Minn would get her working garden and Brennie would get her life back during that time as well!