Cold winter and a late Spring

Saturday 6th March 2010

This may have been the worst winter in over 30 years, although we haven't seen much snow in Blairgowrie. It has been very cold since the middle of December, and we are still seeing large patches of ice in the rivers. But as the saying goes "every (snow?) cloud has a silver lining" and the big bonus for us is that the red squirrels have been spending a lot of time at our feeders, keeping everyone entertained, and themselves well fed. It is impossible to tell just how many individuals we have coming to visit, but we do see two at a time some mornings. Fortunately there are two feeders, which seems to prevent many fights breaking out.

Signs of spring are finally starting to appear, with the snowdrops and hazel catkins out. Our farming friends are starting their weeks of lambing and the days are definitely getting longer, but I think it will be a bit longer before the daffodils put in an appearance or the red squirrels depart for their tree-top summer.

Skiing

Monday 11th January 2010

The Glenshee ski area is enjoying the best start to its season for over twenty years. The long cold spell has been delivering lovely powdery snow and given us a rare taste of the kind of snow usually seen in the Alps and treasured by skiers and snowboarders. And the great news is that Glenshee is only 20 miles from Blairgowrie and the Jute Store. We have availability for short breaks throughout January with prices from £343 for three nights. Why not treat yourself to a January break enjoying the winter weather either skiing, boarding or walking and come back to the restful luxury of the Jute Store for a soak in our glorious bathroom and a rest in front of the wood-burning stove?

Saving our red squirrels

Thursday 5th November 2009

The area around Brooklinn Mill and the wooded banks of the Ericht and Lornty rivers are a haven for red squirrels. So we were delighted to be contacted recently by our newly appointed red squirrel warden. The Scottish Wildlife Trust along with other bodies have launched a three year project to try and save the red squirrels, especially in areas which are free of greys or in which the greys do not have an established presence. The banks of the Ericht have been identified as a key area for this project which includes the trapping of greys and fostering land management techniques to favour the reds. The red squirrels make this area very special so it is heartening to know that their plight is at last being taken seriously.