From the rugged Scottish Highlands to the flat Fens: my latest bangle collection celebrates the beautiful Sound of Mull

Fabulous friends give you flowers. But it takes a really special mate to handpick and dry your favourite wildflowers and transport them 500 miles.

Luckily for me, I have that one in a million friend. 

The lovely Helen was happy to oblige during her annual trip to see family in the stunning Sound of Mull in the Scottish Highlands.

The stunning Sound of Mull. Picture by Helen Bennion

She gathered a posy of crocosmia, purple loosestrife, sea campion, red campion, red clover, bird's foot trefoil, sea aster, silverweed, valerian, meadowsweet, heather, ferns and moss from her family's property.

Wildflowers and ferns from the Sound of Mull. Picture by Helen Bennion

The delicate foliage was carefully dried before being transported 500 miles or so, from the rugged West Coast of Scotland to the flat Fens in the East of England.

I am so very grateful to Helen for these exquisite blooms! 

They were an absolute delight to put into a variety of bangles, which are now available in my Etsy shop.

The rugged coastline in Helen's photos and the delicate blooms, ferns and moss that are indigenous to this phenomenal coastline remind me of some of the scenery in New Zealand. Considering the climate and Lord of the Rings-esque landscape, this isn't entirely surprising.

The Sound of Mull. Picture by Helen Bennion.

I haven't been to my other home (New Zealand) in five or so years and I miss it terribly. With little sign of the Covid situation improving anytime soon across the globe (NZ being one of the most impressive countries to control its spread), it doesn't look like a visit is imminent in the near future.

I haven't visited Bonny Scotland in many years either. I have fond memories of spending a week or so with my parents and sister in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Loch Lomond when I was a teenager, staying in a family friend's dilapidated cottage in the middle of nowhere!

My last and very fleeting visit to Scotland (still a while ago) was a highlight from my former career as a club journalist: I was sent to Edinburgh and Glasgow to cover the MTV Dancefloor Awards for Club On magazine! What an incredible night that was (not that I remember much of it!).

One day, I plan to visit the Sound of Mull to experience this imposing landscape for myself. Meanwhile, I can look at my bangles and dream...