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| www.ardtornish.co.uk | March
2010 |
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| THE SPRING 2010 ARDTORNISH NEWSLETTER | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Hello from Ardtornish |
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The
birds are nest-building and daffodils nudging through the turf.
So it’s time to update you on what’s been happening since we were
last in touch. |
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| We’re
still enjoying a remarkable spell of weather. On 17th December (hours
before the arrival of 100 guests for a special celebration), a northerly
airstream, and the snow, set in at Ardtornish. The next three weeks
were exceptionally cold, and even here – despite the warming influence
of the Hebridean Sea - barely a day was above zero. We skated on
Loch Doire-nam-Mairt, improvised curling stones on Arienas, and
carried water in pails and bowsers to defy frozen pipes. |
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The
first thaw came on 6th January, bringing torrents roaring down the
rivers (and the ceiling down in my office) – and scattering this
jigsaw puzzle of hundred-weight blocks of ice, up to eight inches
thick, along the head of Loch Aline. |
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sun has shone and the stars have twinkled since. In nearly three
months, just a handful of days have brought heavy rain. |
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Not that it’s been entirely good news – with lean times for hydro,
perishing climes for the garden’s delicate shrubs, and less than
perfect circumstances for winter property maintenance and upgrades.
You’ll find more on each of these, below. |
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| This
season marks a big change for us at Ardtornish - as our first for
fourteen years without John Montgomery. John’s cheery manner, first-evening
visit, and fund of local information in the visitor centre, became
such an important part of an Ardtornish holiday. We’re enormously
grateful to John for all he did for Ardtornish. Thanks also to MacI
(‘Mackie’), who continues that tradition with his characteristic
energy and attentive welcome. |
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| We
very much hope to see you this season. |
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| Hugh
Raven |
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| Improvements
at Ardtornish for 2010 |
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| Thank
you to all our visitors who stayed with us in 2009. This winter
we reviewed the feedback you provided, and have made the following
improvements. |
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| Rose
Cottage
has all-new bathroom fittings, including a larger shower unit and
power shower. |
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| Castle
Cottage
sitting room has been refurnished with more suitable armchairs,
and Isobel and I have tidied up and cut back old growth in the garden. |
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| Craigendarroch
2
also has a new sofa and armchairs for those relaxing evenings in
front of the wood-burning stove. |
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| New
armchairs have been provided in several of the bedrooms of Ardtornish
House.
The stairway from the South Wing to the main hall has a fresh coat
of paint – making it much brighter and enhancing the workmanship
of the detailed carvings on the banister. The front entrance hall
has also been repainted. |
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| Our
catering kitchen is now functioning in Ardtornish House –
and test driven with a very successful party in December, when we
catered for up to a hundred guests over three days. We pride ourselves
in the smooth running of such events, and hope to host many similar
in future. This new kitchen enables us to cater for any size of
event or function, and allows us to be more flexible at meeting
our guests’ requirements. |
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| If
you are planning to visit in 2010, you can view our availability
and tariff page here online,
please
email
us for details. Please contact me by email - stay@ardtornish.co.uk
or telephone - 01967 421 288 for enquiries or to make a booking. |
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| MacI |
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| Loch
Tearnait Hydro Scheme |
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| Over
the winter, our contractor, Donald Macdonald from Lochgilphead,
has worked on the road to Loch Tearnait, as part of the construction
of the Loch Tearnait Hydro scheme. |
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| Progress
has been slower than anticipated, due to bank loan funding difficulties.
We’re not alone in encountering bank reluctance, but the delays
have been very frustrating. Now, with the first signs of spring
in the air, and funding in place, we look forward to seeing more
rapid progress. The intakes will be built in the early summer and
the pipeline and powerhouse in the autumn and winter. |
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| Reconstructing
the road to Tearnait without damaging the character of one of our
most popular walks has been a considerable challenge. Any building
site is bound to be a mess for a while, and we ask for your continued
patience. We have used several new techniques, and are generally
pleased with the results. |
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The
road line bends and curves in search of outcrops of useable rock
(so avoiding large and ugly quarries), following the natural landform
more closely than the old track. A particular innovation is our
technique for landscaping. Rather than leave the tidying up to the
end, we’ve landscaped the verges with native turfs recently
cut from the road line, and still living. Spring will show if they’ve
survived, and the original natural vegetation can grow in, reduce
the risk of erosion, and cover the scars of the winter’s work. |
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| The
track will continue to be open for walkers over the summer and we
hope it will become popular for mountain bikes as well. We’ll
continue to restrict vehicle access on the Tearnait track, to protect
the wild character of the area. |
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| Angus
Robertson |
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| Counting
Birds on Ardtornish |
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| I’ve been counting birds in Morvern, mainly on Ardtornish, the past three winters for the British Trust for Ornithology’s winter atlas survey. From many fascinating and enjoyable days, two recent encounters stand out. |
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The
first was on the path to Inninmore. Emerging from trees above ‘Englishman’s
Point’, I saw a peregrine hunting along the face. It traversed
back and forth for some minutes before alighting on a ledge out
of sight. |
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| No
sooner had I lost the falcon than a hen harrier, white and grey
and male, appeared above the cliff and quartered the short cropped
grass above the face. A moment or two later, descending from cloud,
a golden eagle appeared, suspended on the wind – then moving
slowly east and west before ascending back into the obscurity of
the cloud. |
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| I
didn’t know where to look, swivelling binocular excitedly
between harrier and eagle. I’ve seen all three of these raptors
elsewhere before in Morvern, but never all within the space of ten
minutes! |
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| The
second encounter also involved a raptor, this time a juvenile white-tailed
eagle at Tearnait. The vast majority of the loch was still frozen
and I was taking lunch in the sunshine outside Leacraithnaich. I
noticed a movement on the ice at the far end of the loch where the
water is shallow over sand. The eagle was busy washing over a hole
in the ice. Done with washing it lifted off to sit on a lochside
knoll to preen and dry off. If this wasn’t absorbing enough
to watch, a while later I noticed it out over the loch in hot pursuit
of a hooded crow. I’m pretty sure it was hunting and not playing.
Needless to say, the corvid escaped. |
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| On
the way back I came across a large flock of snow buntings feeding
on the flats at Strath Shuardail – a first for me in Morvern. |
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Alan
Kennedy |
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| The Ardtornish Garden in Winter | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The
views from the Ardtornish Garden down Loch Aline have been even
more brilliant than usual in the snowy, frosty weather. |
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| The
water around the head of the loch has frozen as the tide goes out,
leaving a film of sparkling ice and powdery snow. |
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| As
gardeners, Ian Lamb and I are concerned about the damage the prolonged
low temperatures may have done to precious rhododendrons. After
a night of hard frost, they hang their leaves like naughty shame-faced
Victorian children. By mid-day, usually they have recovered. |
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| The
clear days with hours of sun have enabled Ian to get on with the
essential winter work of cutting down brambles and seedling birch.
He puts the scrub through the shredder, using the chippings to extend
the paths. He is also continuing with plant naming and adding to
the database of the plants we grow. |
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| A
list of some of the trees and shrubs, including many of the rhododendrons
with their sites on a grid map, as well as a tour round the Garden,
can be found in the book I have recently published, called ‘The
Ardtornish Garden - A Highland Garden in Morvern: History, Gardeners,
Seasons and a Tour’ (available by post from the Estate Office
or telephone, price £10, inc. p&p). |
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Faith
Raven |
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| News from the Whitehouse | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
We
look forward to welcoming you to the Whitehouse during your stay
at Ardtornish. This year we shall be selling our delicious frozen
meals through the Ardtornish Information Centre – such as Ardtornish
beef casserole, Ardtornish Venison Hotchpotch and Oban-landed smoked
fish pies. |
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Our
Christmas hampers were very popular, so we shall continue them with
seasonal local produce through the year. Please pre-order for delivery
to your accommodation or collection from the restaurant. More details
are on our website (www.thewhitehouserestaurant.co.uk),
or call 01967 421777. |
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| Jane
Stuart-Smith |
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