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Gabriella Bennett Quotes

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Famous Gabriella Bennett Quotes

“Waking up in a hut clarifies our relationship to the land around us. The things we think are essential to living melt away and less complicated ideas take their place. All we really need is fire, a place to wash, a desk to draw or form or think. Somewhere to capture a new view of the world and somewhere comfortable to sleep.”

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Book:The Art of Coorie: How to Live Happy the Scottish Way
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“A coorie home is one that both looks and feels good. A squishy couch and a favourite mug filled with a steaming cup of tea can brighten the edges of even the most miserable day. There must be a psychological reason behind why we get attached to certain items in our homes, whether it's dad's armchair with its alarmingly permanent bum groove or a wooden spoon with just the right shaped handle. Answers on a postcard, please.”

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“The place bewitched me. You could spend weeks here, I realised, and it still wouldn't feel long enough. It was a Narnia moment: the door opening to a place that felt like an adventure playground for adults. Pull open the door, tip your head back and watch for shooting stars on an August night.”

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“One of the highlights of exploring the Scottish wilderness is spotting buildings that punctuate the landscape. They can be as humble as a doocot, as intriguing as an abandoned farmstead or as imposing as a ruined Palladian mansion. Each one will give clues to the people who have lived on and worked the land.”

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“I'm certain that our friends from around the world find it hilarious that as soon as the sun makes an appearance we rush to sit out on our patios and balconies clutching hot drinks, "Isn't it lovely?" we tell each other, our voices barely audible through the chatter of our teeth. Even in summer the Scottish weather can be so changeable that we have learned to adapt our gardens, putting up seagrass walls to shield lawns and installing barbeques in sunken courtyards in an attempt to prevent being driven inside by the wind.”

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“Coorie Tip: For a cosy light source guaranteed to withstand rain, buy battery operated fairy lights or frosted mini bulb string lights. Wind them around your hand until they're tightly coiled then wedge into a mason jar before sealing the lid shut. The result is a waterproof lamp worthy of a fairy glen.”

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“Is there any other place where a more vibrant palette of human behaviour can be observed than the Scottish pub? Our drinking holes are social spaces, shelters and, with the rise of flexible working and free WiFi, informal offices. The pub is a courtroom, a therapist's clinic, a place to let socks dry out after an arduous day orienteering. Relationships begin and end in its confines. Pub dogs become celebrities. If we run with the myth that there are languages with fifty words for snow, Scots could match that with their own terms related to the act of drinking.”

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“Scots have sat to sip alcohol with friends for centuries. The coorie roadside coach houses with space to tether a horse may since have been upgraded into speakeasies with copper fittings but the original idea endures. They are still a place to let thoughts uncoil after a tough day out in the world, where it is possible to be solitary and sociable at the same time.”

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Book:The Art of Coorie: How to Live Happy the Scottish Way
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“Coorie has long been synonymous with nestling affectionately into a loved one, but only recently has it entered everyday parlance as a way to describe a scene. One equally warm and comforting where a cosy room lit by a flickering fire provides refuge from the banshee wind and horizontal rain outside.”

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“To start, planters large enough to host quick growing shrubbery work best on terraces but think about how much light your outside space receives. Try foliage in shady spots and grasses in areas that are scorched by the wind. Once established, greenery should also provide an extra layer of shelter to protect when you're sitting outside with a morning coffee. Light sources are the final, crucial addition to coorie gardens - as they are in most ideas relating to the concept. If your outside space has a pagoda or loggia, roof-hung lighting creates a beguiling grotto effect.”

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“Coorie gardens have a common trait: there will be at least one place that encourages reflection and peacefulness. A coorie spot could be a garden grotto, blending into the scenery with trained climbers concealing its form or a basic summerhouse with space to sit. A balcony with a comfortable chair where you can turn your face to the sun and read a book is a perfect coorie space. Even a shared back court with a picnic bench can be dressed with lanterns and potted plants to conjure the feeling of coorie. Some intrepid souls might like to string a hammock out to evoke the ultimate sense of downtime.”

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