Ballater

A long day, but very rewarding.  A train from Edinburgh to Aberdeen, followed by a bus from Aberdeen to Ballater and a taxi from Ballater to Gairnshiel Lodge where the group was all set up and ready for me.  It's always enjoyable when a booking gets me out of town, though - a different environment keeps everything fresh and creative.

Gairnshiel Lodge is a beautiful place.  A Victorian hunting lodge with views of Glencairn and Ben Avon.  It was built in 1746, so I was left a little curious about any connections it might have with the aftermath of the Jacobite rising.  None of that mattered, though, when I was posed against a window with spectacular views of an amazing environment.  A lot of the girls took full advantage of that and included the scenery in their drawings.

I was asked to start out partially dressed for this class in case full nudity from the outset was a bit too shocking for some of the participants, so I took along a pair of pyjama style trousers that had been a present from a friend in America.  They really looked the part - black, with red, flaming hearts.  Colourful and extravagant - they seemed to go down well.  Two poses later, they came off and underneath them I was wearing tight boxers, but when that extra layer was revealed, there were some protests - so they came off, too.  The nudity was well received and we moved on to the next pose with renewed enthusiasm.

The only real disappointment with the day was the weather.  We had been assured of plenty of sunshine and if that had been delivered, the location was perfect for holding the class outside.  It was nicely remote, so little chance of anyone stumbling upon us unexpectedly.  But it was just a bit too drizzly for that, so we stayed inside the lodge.  That was a shame.  I haven't posed outside so far, and it would have been fun to do that for the first time in such a great location.

After the class, I got dressed and was given a glass of champagne, then was kindly taken back into Ballater - and then it was on to the long trip back to Edinburgh.  I got home at around 11PM.  Absolutely exhausted, but still buzzing from a fun class.