June is always a wonderful month even though the weather in Scotland can sometimes disappoint. But not this year. We have been enjoying two weeks of almost unbroken sunshine with not a drop of rain.
The Cathedral is certainly a little thirsty but the trees and the wildflowers in the Nave have held up surprisingly well in spite of the dry conditions. Looking up through the fresh leaves of the maple, you really do get the sense of a giant stained glass window, stirring very slightly in the breeze.
Our new woodland path – winding from behind the altar, above the Peace Garden and back to the Cathedral entrance (approx. 700 metres) – has some new points of interest.
The first is the Birch Spiral. The Spiral is an enduring form which we find in so many things from the tiny shell of a snail, to spiralling galaxies. It is there in the growth of the runner bean, in the daily journey of the sunflower, in the staircases that take us up great heights and in so many other places. There is something mystical about the spiral that lends itself to ritual and tradition. One such takes place at the Winter Solstice and involves walking to the spiral’s centre where you leave the things/thoughts/sorrows of the dying year. Then journey back out, un burdened and ready for lighter days and the coming of spring.
At the end of the path just before you reach the Cathedral entrance, is an area of newly planted native species – Cherry, Rowan, Oak and more. The occasion of the planting was a visit by several generations of Swedish cousins, all descendants of Alexander Mackay, the creator of the Cathedral of Trees back in 1921. The area is now named The Swedish Copse.
We hope these two areas, as they grow and mature over the years, will give added interest and enjoyment to all visitors.
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