TO SCOTLAND WE WENT

by Ness Lockyer

This post is SO overdue, and I know a lot of you have been waiting for me to post about our trip. It feels like our feet have hit the ground running since we returned after our 6 weeks away. We had such an amazing trip. The weather was wonderful- much like our Tasmanian Spring. We would definitely recommend going during September through to the very end of October. The last few days that we were there, we even woke to snow while we were in the highlands – it was perfect.

Sunrise at The Fairy Pools – Isle Of Skye

Now, I could go on for pages about what we did, but seriously, we’d be here for days. I can however, tell you places we would recommend that we did on this trip and the trip before. I have a lot of photos and video of where we went in my highlights on my Instagram feed. To try and pick some favourite images was WAY to hard…and we’d be here all day lol! So stop over and have a look at those.

-Blackness Castle- this castle was built by my Husband’s family – The Crichton clan. It was also used for the jail scenes in Outlander. You would recognise it fro the scenes where Jamie is being flogged.

Fraser Castle- My family clan. Although this castle was not built by my direct Fraser line, the original owner was a family meme bear. I even got to sign the family book while I was there. The castle and grounds are beautiful. While you are up that way, go and see Aberdeen and

Dunnotar castle (pronounced “ Dun O tar”) this castle is amazing. A ruin, but so much more. Edged on a cliff, over looking the ocean, you can spend hours as we did there. It has become one of our most favourites.

Culross – is a sweet town with cobblestone streets and super old houses. It was also used for filming in Outlander as Cransmuir. It’s not a very big place, but well worth the stop to wander such history.

Just along form Culross is Castle Campbell. A bit of a hike, but beautiful. Streams, and woodland walks surround it and the old towns that surround it like Dollar, Alloa, Clackmannanshire are so lovely. That drive is wonderful.

Glencoe- now, I’ve made no secret of my deep, ingrained love of this place. I get teary each time we drive through it. It comes from somewhere deep in my DNA. Ive even told Mic that this is the place I want to be when I am no more. The connection I feel to that place cannot be described.

Oban- is a lovely seaside village with THE best fish and chips. You can also take the ferry out to some of the islands from here. There are distilleries about and plenty of places to eat and see.

Dornie- Dornie s the small village across from Eilean Donan Castle. It is one of our favourite castles and my Fraser family have an amazing tie to this place. We stayed here for a few nights at Eilean Donan View which was a great base to explore.

Isle Of Skye- we only had a few nights here, and we made the most of it visiting the Clan McLeod castle, Dunvegan Castle. WHile its a beautiful place to visit, I preferred the gardens more, but that was just me.

the Fairy Pools – Isle of Skye- One thing I will say about this place is get up early to go. You will not regret it. We were there at about 6:30am. We had our choice of parking (you have to pay 5 pound for parking now, which goes into looking after the site- well worth it), and there were only two other people there. By the time we were walking back to the car, there were hundreds of people. You would not get a clear photo by then. Also, by going early you will get the magnificent sunrise over the mountain. A word of caution too…please, PLEASE STAY ON THE PATH! The site is getting very worn, and it will be a huge shame if it has to be fenced off or a man made pathway put in. It will ruin it. Don’t be a sheep and walk off the path like everyone does. It is just destroying the ground, and it is too beautiful to loose.

The Old Man Of Storr – Isle Of Skye. This is another place to get up early for. It is quite a trek up the mountain, so dont wear slippery shoes like I did! If you are super out of shape, this will be hard for you. Just take your time, and you’ll be fine, but allow for extra time to get up. The views are amazing, and again, on the way down there were bus loads of people walking up. So definitely get up early.

we stayed in Staffin, at Driftwood Cottage, which we can highly recommend, which is just up from the Old Man Of Storr, and the next town along from Portree which is the main town. Just down from the cottage is a black sand beach and if you head just along, you’ll find dinosaur footprints in the stone!

The Cairngorms- there’s a lot to see and do up in the Highland and we always base ourselves at Aviemore. You’re not far away from Inveness either staying here. Nearby is the Reindeer Centre which I loved. You can feed them on the mountain side (get there early as there’s only 12 to a group and limited groups), but there is a holding area where the reindeers rest for a few weeks before going back up the mountain. So you can see them up close.

Distilleries we’ve visited are Auchentoshan, which had a great tour and sampling’s at the end. A beautiful distillery too. Also Glenfiddich (dont pronounce it with a “ich”, its more of a ”uk”). This was like its own city. Very beautiful too, and the drive out there was lovely. This was also the start of the Whisky Trail that leads you through Dufftown. Best to stay here if you’re a keen whisky drinker.

The Edinburgh Tattoo is worth every cent. We didn’t do it this trip, as we went on the last trip. It was incredible. I cried my eyes out when the mass bands came out from the castle drawbridge for the first time – I couldn’t control it! The castle is a lovely visit too, but not one of our favourites.

While you’re in Edinburgh, dont just get hung up on The Royal Mile. There is SO much more to see in the city – including Dean Village, which is the most darling village. Super old and still has the river running through it that a lot of industry was based around here. It’s a photographic dream!

Stirling Castle – Out of all of the “big” castles, this is our favourite. Not as big as Edinburgh, but more beautiful I believe. I have a connection to this castle, and always had felt it – even when I visited when I was 9! The bridge house, which was built for one of my ancestors – Robert II. I only discovered this relative through DNA that I recently undertook. It has linked up to many incredible people through Scotlands history, as well as many people across the globe. The city of Stirling is beautiful too. There is a great shopping mall there too.

Scone Palace is a definite. Especially if you are into the history of Scotland. This is where our Kings were crowned at Moot Hill, which is a sweet little chapel on a mound within the grounds. The Stone Of Destiny was originally here, and it was this stone that the Kings would be crowned on. There’s hot debate as to where the actual real stone is. The gardens that surround this palace are stunning. Complete with Highland Cattle in the paddocks.

St Andrews is a nice visit, and not too far from the central belt (Glasgow through Edinburgh). The old church ruins there are fascinating, and there’s plenty of lovely cafes and shops about too.

Culloden – Now, again, let me stress this- This is a WAR GRAVE SITE, PLEASE respect it as one. My Fraser and Stewart ancestors are among this battlefield. I have seen the terrible change in our Fraser clan stone, especially from fans of Outlander (I’m a fan too) sit on the stone, poor whisky on it and drape themselves over it for photos. It’s heartbreaking. There are signs everywhere telling you to be respectful as it is a gravesite. I just cant imagine this sort of thing happening at Arlington, or Gallipoli. It is no different. So, please stay to the path, do not sit on the stone or pour anything on it. Be respectful.

Some other places to visit are Roslyn Capel (the stonework here is utterly incredible), Melrose Abby (Where Robert The Bruce’s heart is laid to rest), Callander, Falkirk Wheel and The Kelpies, actually, I could go on like I said at the start for days! So, if you’d like to see more, please head to my Instagram stories where I have quite a few places from our last trip saved there….otherwise I‘ll be here forever – ha ha!

If you would like to ask me any questions, please feel free to send me an email to marleyandlockyer@gmail.com or leave a comment below. One thing is for sure, put Scotland on your list of places you MUST see!

~Ness xx

The hall at Blackness Castle
Hopetoun House

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Making Old Style Portraits & My Love Of Art

by Ness Lockyer

Art is part of my soul, my genetics, my being. I was born with this amazing gift, and from the first time I could hold a pencil, I could draw. My parents were always amazed, and encouraged me so much to develop this gift – and I did.

I’ve always loved it, and was never without a pencil, texta, watercolour, calligraphy pen or paint in my hand. If I was sick as a child, my Dad would always bring me a new colouring book and pencils to give me something to do while I recovered. It was always the colouring books that had a space where you could have a go at drawing the little picture beside it. I loved those pages the most.

It became a huge part of my life at school, as I took the highest levels in art, and was in the top bracket too…and believe it or not, I hated ceramics at school!

While I was at school high school though, was when my confidence was squashed. One of my teachers would always tell me how I drew was wrong. He would question everything I did. Even though I didn’t have this teacher often, it was enough to make me really self conscious about showing my work to people. I had won art awards, and won at art exhibitions, but I questioned everything I did and really lost my way with it. I would argue with him and tell him it is something I was born with – how to create this way. It shouldn’t matter how I got to the end result, as long as it looked good. It was very frustrating.

So, after I left school, I did keep drawing, but I hid away all of my work, even showing family would make me anxious! However, my husband Mic, and my parents really worked on me over the years to realise I was good enough. It took until I was about 30 to be able to show, and be proud of what I could do (even though I still get nervous about showing my work)…that was also around the time that Marley & Lockyer came to life.

Something I have always loved is old paintings. Right from the Renaissance Masters like Michelangelo, Leonardo Da Vinci, through to Salvador Dali, Brett Whiteley, and many more. My favourites are old portraits. I have tear sheets from school with examples of old portrait painters like Henry Raeburn, John Watson Gordon and James Guthrie. They were my favourites. So, of course, I thought I would paint some of my own!

The starting layers of a portrait I recently was working on
The finished piece

I mentioned I was was working on a portrait in my Instagram stories, and showed a little look at the beginnings (see above), and had so many people ask about it. Would I be selling them, or if it was just for me. You can probably guess what I was thinking….but Mic talked me into putting some in the shop as originals, and maybe making a few of them as prints on linen. SO, that’s what I have done.

I have added two originals to the store. The one above is called “Mr McKinley”, and the one below is called “Mr Finnigan”. You can find all the details by clicking on their names. There will be no prints of these ones, as like I said, I’d like to have some originals as well as prints. I’m currently working on another which will be available as a print very soon.

I am really happy with these, and I’m having a ball painting them, but I have to admit that writing this post and hitting publish on both the post and the store listings was nerve wracking. I do hope you like them, and I’d love to hear what you think. Hopefully one of you will get to have one in your home soon. Love, Ness xx

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What’s coming up….

by Ness Lockyer

This morning was. A super early start here at the farm. I’m off to Sydney for the weekend to see my family…and my flight has been delayed! So, I thought I’d catch up with you about what’s coming up over the next little while.

Over on Instagram, I’ve been posting some videos of me back on the wheel throwing some new pieces. I’ve even made a live video while I was making some of my Candlestick holders. I’m going to make an effort to post more videos of around the studio, so if that’s something you’re interested in I’d love to hear from you.

I’ve been working on some new, hand thrown pieces in a more chunky, stoneware style. Some of the pieces have come from me being frustrated by hints I didn’t have in the kitchen while I was making some cookies recently. That is how Marley & Lockyer started actually – me being frustrated by things I couldn’t find, or didn’t have…so I made them.

…and I know you probably don’t want to hear about this, but, I have been working on Christmas 2019 quite a lot. Christmas for me starts not too long after it ends actually. Planning and designing the range each year, estimating how much in materials I need to order etc is quite a full on job. Also, we will be in Scotland from September through to the end of October, so I want to be organised before we go, so custom Christmas pieces can be shipped out quickly when we return. This year there will be some new Calligraphy glass balls as well as the custom ones…and of course the custom Calligraphy Stars. I will be releasing these at the end of July, but the stars you get get right now…so many of you have already taken the opportunity to order your custom stars for this year, so thank you!

Thee are also 2 workshops coming up soon too – the Modern Calligraphy/Chalkboard Art workshop in July is filling up fast! There are only a few spots left, and then in August is the Handbuilding Workshop, which there are about 4 places left for. So if you’d like to book one of those, head to the new web shop to book.

Anyway, I best go see where this plane is! Have a great weekend ~ Ness x

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Around Here Lately

by Ness Lockyer


It’s been a crazy month for me lately, and feel like its been forever since I have posted. For the entire month of May, I have been helping a Physiotherapist out with house calls and Rehab classes, which meant I barely got into the studio to do any work at all…and I missed it.

I did manage to hold some workshops which is always a lovely time. There was a Modern Calligraphy/Chalkboard Art workshop, and a Handbuilding Workshop. I’ve added 2 more dates, one for each workshop, after lots of requests. You can find them on my web store here.

First up was the Calligraphy workshop. We had a full class of beautiful people. Such a beautiful day too.

Then it was the Handbuilding Workshop. I’m always amazed at how many gorgeous variations everybody makes from the same instructions. That’s what being creative is all about.

We have been having the most amazing weather lately. Autumn was perfect, and Winter is shaping up to be a cold one! Ive been trying to capture the light as it changes through the house.

As well as the studio. My favourite time of the year is Autumn and Spring. I love those crisp mornings and nights with the sunny, clear days. The changes in colours on the trees and the promise of new growth. Perfect times of the year!

So yesterday, our 14 year old, Kodah and I went outside to get some photos around the farm. It was misty and as the sun went down, the glow was amazing. Declan has turned into quite the photographer.

Kodah, however just wanted all the pats…we did manage to get some shots where sat still too – ha!

Also, I quietly launched a new web store. I had grown out of my previous one, and it was time to move. I didn’t want to make a big deal of it, so just did it quietly. I would love to know what you think of it though. You can take a look HERE

Now that I’m back in the studio full time, Ive been working on some brand new pieces, as well as some old favourites, like these pasta bowls below. They were one of the first designs in the pasta bowl I brought out years ago. I thought it was time to bring them back. They were always a favourite, and Ive had a huge response from my Instagram and Facebook pages about them.

Anyway, sorry for the absence lately. I’m going to make an effort to keep in touch on here. I post mainly on Instagram these days, but sometimes its nice to post a little more than a few lines.

I hope you’re enjoying the cooler weather, or if you’re in the north of the world, the longer warmer days. ~ Ness x

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Detox Update

by Ness Lockyer

The Slim By Nature Kit I received

Remember I wrote that post about needing to lose 19kgs? Well, today is day 13 (15 all up), and I just thought I would share how I’ve been doing, and answer some questions I seem to be getting a lot about the program I’m on.

So, this program is called Slim By Nature. Made by a Nutritionist and a Naturopath, it contains all natural ingredients, which was a huge tick for me. The kit I am using is called the 60 day Accelerated Detox. This is a full detox, which I needed. You can lose up to 20 kgs (44.092lbs) on this program! You get everything you need in the kit. The Detox Support Drops, Craveless spray (which you use if you get a craving – I haven’t had to use these yet), your approved food list, Maintenance drops for the last part of the program, Formula Z (amino acids), free unlimited support and more.

I’m also using the Inner Goodness Patches, which helps your immune system, and your lymphatic system. All you do is stick a patch on your stomach every few days. As well as the detox teas. There are three teas for each part of the day. #1 tea is a Liver Cleanse and energy booster. #2 tea reduces those afternoon cravings and helps burn fat. #3 tea is a gentle colon cleanse, and don’t worry…every time I mention that to someone they’ll say “what?! I don’t need one of those”. It’s not the sort of thing that will make you be on the toilet everyday, it just helps your digestion along with the detox.

There are three stages to your detox. Phase 1 is called “loading”, and you can eat whatever you want for 2 days! Your encouraged to eat. It helps set you up for – Phase 2, which is your fat burning stage. This is the part where you go full on and treat yourself with real, nutritious foods and lose your weight. Then Phase 3 is your maintenance stage where you will lock in your weight loss and how your body is burning fat.

One thing I’ve loved about this plan is the food. Above is what I cooked for lunch on the first day. It was delicious. Basically what you are eating is real food, what you should be eating – nothing processed or out of a packet. Proteins, vegetables, fruit. You do get to have a little something from a packet, but it is once a day and only if you really need it. Its really teaching you what your body can tolerate, as well as what foods will slow up your process. It’s teaching you how to eat correctly, and how much extra food you don’t need. Portions are a huge part to dropping weight. You’re helping your stomach get back to the size that it should be. I’ve been eating my meals on a side plate…which is about the portion you should be having!

At first I thought this would be an issue because I am the cook in our house, and have to cook everyone else’s meals too, but it hasn’t. Ive just made sure that my protein is individually stored in the fridge/freezer, ready to grab as I need it. Sometimes I will do my veggies and snacks like this ahead of time. It’s also made me become more creative with my meals. Sometimes Ill eat what they are eating, but only if it sticks with the plan. You can use herbs and spices and the like with your meals, and it really has taken me back to when we were doing the Autoimmune Paleo Protocol after I found out I had food intolerances and to help with Mics kidney condition. I had to get creative, and it is this method I love. Rather than being told what to eat and when, your given a list of what you can eat and how often, then the rest is up to you. It’s teaching you to have a better, nourishing relationship with food.

So, as of yesterday morning, when I posted a video on my Instagram stories, I had lost 5.3kgs (11.68 pounds) in 11 days!! I’m feeling amazing, and I have had people noticing from day 9 that I have dropped weight and am looking well, which is awesome. That doesn’t normally happen for at least 6-7 weeks before people will really start to notice another’s weight loss. I have had no stomach issues or reflux and am so happy. Ive already found my clothing is getting baggy, I’m sleeping really well, and just generally feel much, much better. My visceral fat has also dropped, which is the fat that surrounds your organs and is the dangerous fat, as well as my body fat. My muscle mass hasn’t gone down (which happens a lot with other diets and fasts) which I am stoked about. Which is showing me that I am actually losing important weight, not weight I don’t want to lose…because remember – muscle burns fat! So, you don’t want to lose that.

Ive still got 47 days left on this detox, with 13.7 kgs to lose, so it will be very interesting to see how I’m getting on because on Sunday its my birthday, as well as the 4 year anniversary since I donated my kidney to Mic. Then a few days later its Mics birthday, then his Mums, my sister, father in law, brother in law, and our wedding anniversary…right until the end of the detox in the beginning of June!! I’m also going to be working with a Physiotherapist for the whole of May where I’ll be out meeting with clients and doing rehabilitation classes, so prep will be key here. I didn’t time that very well did I? 😆

I’ll keep doing updates here from time to time. The ladies at Slim By Nature have given me a 15% discount code for you if you’re keen to try the program out. Just type in ness15 when you are going though the checkout process. If you have any questions about this, please send me an email to marleyandlockyer@gmail.com and I will be happy to answer… ~Ness x

*even though I am being sponsored to do this program, these are all my own words and thoughts, and I would never put my name to something that doesn’t work

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