We have had a stunning two weeks with clear skies and still sunny days. Not a ripple on the lochs.
December is a great month to get away from the build up of Christmas. Crisp fresh air for walking and viewing wildlife. At night you can have wonderful views of the Northern Lights and stunning night skies that have no light pollution.
We can see clearly now the rain has gone!! It has been a very wet month but finally the rain has gone and it is stunning. The roaring of the red deer rut in the mornings and evenings can be heard echoing around the hills above the cottages. The autumn array of colours are at their best.[/caption]
The weather in Argyllshire at the moment is stunning and set for the foreseeable future! We have cottages available for immediate use. A warm crackling fire and welcome awaits!
We are half way though gathering the hills for the lamb sales. We have 3000 breeding black face ewes so alot of tired sheep dogs this week!
We are bringing down the Carron flock next week which is a 6 mile trip down the old drovers road to Finchairn Farm. Alot of guests have joined the team to help bring them down. Many thanks to those who have been involved in the past!
We are just hoping for better prices this week as last week we averaged £26 a lamb…when you think what you pay in the supermarket!?
Nettle has now settled back into the Argyllshire wildness. We saw him last week while out walking with holiday cottage guests staying in Finchairn Farmhouse beside Loch Awe, he looked like he had wintered well. He has settled up in the woods behind Finchairn Cottage near to the Forestry Commission. This was taken last summer having his very last digestive biscuit before leaving him in his new enviroment.
A guest staying in The School House came for a weeks fishing in our 22 hill lochs. We keep the fishing only for guests staying in the cottages or in Ederline House. They caught over 50 between three of them on wednesday. The picture is one of the biggest they caught in the week. A stunning part of the estate to get away from all EU chaos!.
We have had alot of busy squirrels enjoying the sunny afternoons. Sadly only had my mobile not my SLR camera!
We are delighted to a new property- The School House. This is at the edge of Ford village and sleeps 4 in two elegantly decorated twin/superking rooms. One bathroom with large walk in shower and bath. Large kitchen with everything you would need and a large sitting room with log burner. A perfect cosy holiday home! More pictures to follow.
In June this year we had to make a difficult decision to take on a young deer. While out on my usual walks around the estate taking pictures of the Ospreys I was followed by a new born roe deer kid. I managed to increase my speed and loose it but still in site to see it settle down by a tree stump. It is so important not to touch them if you are ever in the same situation as once the human scent can be picked up on the youngster the mother will not return! The last time we had to take on a Roe was about 30 years ago so it is very rare that they need help! When returning to the tree stump the next morning he was still there lying flat, empty and listless. I can only imagine it may have been a weak twin or one of a set of triplets abandoned as it was very small. Now five months on it is nearly fully grown and is running wild again round the estate. If he spots us from the woods going on a walk he loves to come as well and has been enjoyed at close hand by many guests staying on the estate. I hope now over the winter he will travel further a field and will be consumed into his natural world!
We climbed Ben Cruchan on Friday September18th. About an hours drive to the foot from the cottages.Well worth the climb with amazing views from the top of Ben Cruchan. We left from the railway station and went up through the woods and upto the left hand side of the dam. We left the resevoir on our right then up and up!! It took us 2 hours and 30 minutes to the top. Then we went round the horseshoe and back down the other side of the resevoir, then back down to the railway station where we left the car. The return journy taking in another Munro took about four hours. It is now Tuesday and I have only just started to unstiffen but it was worth every ache!!
