highland perthshire newsletter 2015

1

Developed here in Scotland, Phonetobook is

believed to be the first of its kind (one al-

ways hesitates to say anywhere in the

world), but let’s say the team who have

developed the concept are unaware of any-

thing similar.

The concept was born after unexpectedly

requiring to stay a night in Inverness and

experiencing the frustration with online web-

based booking systems.

The Phonetobook system ?

The entire referral process works from any-

where, using an

ordinary touch-tone

landline or mobile

phone, whether you

are in the house, on the move in a train, car

or bus; as long as you have a telephone or

mobile signal, you can use the system.

Accommodation ?

1. Dial Phonetobook 01133 208108

2. Enter the dialling code for the area in

which you want to find accommodation

3. Choose the accommodation required

from Hotels, Guests House-B&Bs or

Self-catering

4. Select ‘Book for tonight’ or ‘Book

ahead’.

You will then hear details of current availa-

bility, for example;-

“The (Morton Hotel) has rooms available

from (£75) to (£100) per room per night, (2)

night minimum stay, located (3) miles from

(Inverness) town centre, with a Trip Adviser

Rating of (4.1).”

“The (Marion Hotel) has rooms available

from (£100) to (£150) per room per night,

(1) night minimum stay, located (0.5) miles

from (Inverness) town centre, with a Trip

Adviser Rating of (4.5).”

The enquirer selects the provider and is put

straight through.

There are no middle men; no mark-ups, no

hidden extra costs to the enquirer, the en-

quirer speaks directly to the accommoda-

tion provider .

Accommodation Providers ?

Registration is via the Phonetobook web site

www.phonetobook.com or by leaving a mes-

sage for a call back to register via the tele-

phone 0113 208109.

Explore Scotland News.

There have been some changes over

the last 12months.

James Rattray writes, ‘Kathleen (my wife)

and I are 65 and 64 years old this sum-

mer, Kathleen tells me the first marriage

was better, as she was a kept woman!

Where as James says he believes in equal

rights, with Kathleen having been at the

very heart of Explore Scotland and their

tourism business over the last 18 years.’

Eileen Owens retired a year ago, and we

are pleased to announce that Volpa (who

market the Enchanted Forest) have taken

over Explore St Andrews and Explore Stir-

ling. This year we are looking for some one

to take over Explore Inverness, so we will

only focus on Explore Highland Perthshire

going in to 2016.

The Explore network has Jackie and Alan

based in Tobermory on the Isle of Mull

running Explore Western Isles, Helen who

lives in Oban runs Explore Oban and Mull.

Siobhan and Kim based in Perth run Ex-

plore St Andrews and Explore Stirling,

James and Kathleen run Explore Inverness

and Highland Perthshire.

If you want to know more —

Call 01796 473335 or e-mail

[email protected]

Phonetobook - The NEW Telephone Accommodation Referral System.

http://www.phonetobook.com

2

The Loft Country Kitchen & Restaurant—Blair Atholl

Explore Inverness Tourism Newsletter 2015

Spirit of Wood — Aberfeldy

It looks like it is going to

be another busy year at

Spirit Of Wood. This year

we have added several

new ranges suitable for

accommodation provid-

ers.

Our new Lyon oak living

& bedroom collection is

extremely robust, stylish

and great value with a

25% reduction for trade

customers.

We have added new

styles of headboards and

divan beds all available

made to measure with

hundreds of fabrics avail-

able. Prices start at

£225 for a complete bed

including mattress.

Our most popular mat-

tresses are

available for

immediate de-

livery with pric-

es for a single

starting at £99.

As the main

supplier to a

variety of ho-

tels, B&Bs,

restaurants &

pubs we pride

ourselves on

giving our cus-

tomers a personal ser-

vice, combined with qual-

ity products at an afford-

able price.

We also offer free local

delivery and an installa-

tion service. For more

information please con-

tact Conor on 01887

829899 www.spirit-of-

wood.com

Proprietors: Stuart Leishman and Jennifer

Neilson

Having shared the dream of one day having

our own restaurant, my partner Stuart and I

opened The Loft Country Kitchen and

Restaurant in May 2014. We felt

that having trained and worked in

the Hospitality Industry for many

years we had gained enough

knowledge and experience to make

the dream a reality.

10 months on and we are delighted

with the success of the restaurant and the

fantastic support we have received from the

local community and visitors to the Blair

Atholl area.

We offer customers a welcoming and relax-

ing environment in which they can enjoy

Stuart’s delicious dishes and take in the

beautiful scenery that surrounds us. We

pride ourselves in providing excellent cus-

tomer service on a personal level and mak-

ing sure that each dining experience is a

pleasurable one. Stuart

dedicates his time to

creating dishes which

make use of the fantas-

tic selection of local and

seasonal ingredients

available to us and with

this in mind we change

our menus every 2 months.

We serve Lunch and Evening Meals, alt-

hough we do close after our Lunch service

to allow us time to prepare for our

Dinner service. Alongside our Lunch

Menu we offer an Afternoon Tea se-

lection which has proved extremely

popular in recent months. Afternoon

Tea does require an advance reserva-

tion and we highly recommend that

advance reservations are made for

Evening Meals, especially during the

busy summer months.

Our opening hours for the coming

year are available on our website:

www.theloftrestaurant.co.uk and we up-

date the website with our new menus as

and when they change.

We look

forward

to the

seasons

ahead

and see-

ing famil-

iar faces

as well as

welcom-

ing new

ones.

Should

you have

any en-

quiries or

wish to

make a

reserva-

tion

please do

not hesitate to contact us on: 01796

481377 or email: in-

[email protected] as we would be

more than happy to assist.

Best wishes,

“the dream of

one day hav-

ing our own

restaurant”

Edradour Distillery

UPDATE 2015 Season Opening Times:-

CLOSED Easter (this decision was taken

after Explore Highland Perthshire Guides

had gone to the printers).

OPEN for Main Season:- 20th April through to 17th October — 10am

to 5pm CLOSED Sundays.

LAST Tour 1 hr before closing Time.

Tours include a dram and video.

Tel:- 01796 472095

E-mail:- [email protected]

3

Victoria’s Restaurant — Pitlochry


Pitlochry Golf News

2014 was a great year with a prolonged

warm summer and I am sure that you all

enjoyed the sunshine and warm nights. I

would like to thank all our members, loyal

customers, local B&B’s, hotels, businesses

and visitors for their continued support. For

those who haven’t found us yet, I would very

much like to tell everyone that we are OPEN

TO ALL and a warm Pitlochry Golf welcome

awaits you. With our friendly approach to

customer service, you will be made to feel

like a valued customer as soon as you walk

through the door.

With so many golfers taking advantage of a

good summer last year, we had a very busy

season and with many great green fee deals

to be had (some including catering too) we

hope to see as many players back to pit

their wits against our very scenic 18 HOLE

GOLF COURSE sometime in the very near

future.

During the summer we also saw our new

GOLF RANGE AND ACADEMY open to the

public and we are very pleased with the

response we have had to this new facility –

it’s open 7 days a week from dawn until

As always, Fiona, Angus John and the team

at Victoria’s Restaurant look forward to

welcoming you and your customers to dine

this coming season.

At Victoria's, the dining experience is a styl-

ish blend of daytime speciality coffee house

merging seamlessly into a chic evening

eatery.

Open from 10am until late and serving

mouth-watering food from breakfast

through to dinner, menus include a wide

choice of dishes from patisserie and pasta

to steak, seafood & fajitas.

Yet again, Malwina has been excelling her-

self by providing a wonderfully tempting

array of home-baking, cakes and nibbles for

our customers to enjoy. Our coffee ma-

chine has been serviced and sits gleaming

ready to perk the perfect coffee.

The kitchen team have

been working with our

suppliers over the winter

the ensure we always

secure the freshest local

produce for our menus –

delights this year will in-

clude wonderful seafood

from the East Coast in-

cluding halibut, a real

favourite with our custom-

ers.

There have been a few

adjustments to our menus

with some dishes retiring

and exciting new ones added on such as

our pulled pork focaccia.

The terrace at the front of the Restaurant

will be busy again this year during the sum-

mer months and the addition of our new

seating and tables has made a big improve-

ment to both the look and the comfort of

dining outside. We hope you’ll manage to

get a chance to come and dine outside

when the flowers are in bloom!

At Victoria’s our aim is to make sure that

every customer has an excellent

experience when visiting us.

Our team of dedicated, long-

standing staff are once again on

hand to offer our trademark

friendly and consistently excel-

lent service and we’re looking

forward to seeing faces old and

new over the coming months.

As always, we like to keep in

touch with our customers

through email newsletters and

our facebook and twitter pages,

so if you’d like to receive news

and offers from us, be sure to

sign up through our website

at www.victorias-

pitlochry.co.uk. You’ll also be

able to see what’s happening

on Pitlochry’s Atholl Road by

viewing our live web-cam,

also available on our website.

Our loyalty card scheme con-

tinues to go from strength to

strength and it’s wonderful to

have a physical measure of

just how many guests you

send to us here at Victorias –

once again, THANK YOU! It’s

hugely appreciated.

At the start of the season we’ll be sending

you out a pack with new menus and our

ever popular wine cards. If you need a

stock in the meantime, please do email me

on [email protected] and I’ll

arrange for some to be dropped off.

We hope to see you soon at Victoria’s Res-

taurant and wish you all a prosperous sea-

son ahead.

“if you’d like to

receive news

and offers from

us, be sure to

sign up through

our website at

www.victorias-

pitlochry.co.uk”

4

Pitlochry Golf News (Continued from page 3)


dusk and is the ideal place to perfect that

golf game in such wonderful

surroundings.

With a new short game practice

area and a 6 hole, Par 3 SHORT

COURSE now open and fully

operational, we now have a su-

perb all-round facility, which in

our view creates a top drawer

destination for all golfers from

all over the world to come, see

and use for themselves.

With a fabulous clubhouse of-

fering great food at fantastic

prices, a fully stocked PRO

SHOP, 2 PGA Professional’s on

site offering top quality golf les-

sons in the new Golf Range and

Academy, equipment for hire such as ride

on buggies, electric and pull trolleys, golf

clubs and a very accessible golf course set

in stunning surroundings – why would you

go anywhere else for a relaxing day out?!

You don’t have to be a golfer to love THE

CLUBHOUSE. Socialise over drinks on the

decking with amazing views of the course

and Ben-Y-Vrackie, watch golfers playing

their approach shots to the 18th green,

enjoy tea, coffee, wine, beer, traditional

British and international food and a first

class service in our relaxing Clubhouse.

Dishes are cooked to order in a simple but

traditional way. Grilled, smoked, roasted or

marinated to enhance the flavour, whether

it is a casual bite or dining on steaks, we

use only the freshest, seasonal ingredients,

sourced locally in Perthshire for you all to

enjoy.

Throughout the year we run our very own

Curry Club. This runs every Wednesday from

5pm until 9pm, with six different curries

from around the world on offer and as it’s

an ‘all you can eat buffet’ for only £9.99

this is becoming a very

popular night.

Every Thursday is our

Steak & Grill Night

which offers a selection

of meat, fish and vege-

tables all grilled to your

liking. We also have a

very popular Sunday

Carvery for both golfers

and diners. Simply get

your family and friends

together and give mum

a day off and join us for

our traditional Sunday

roast (where there’s no

washing up!). Last year

we launched our very

own Family Meal Deal, which became very

popular, so we will keep going with it this

year. For only £29.95 we offer 2 adults

meals, 2 kids meals and a draft soft drink

each. During the season we host a number

of different events so check out the website

www.pitlochrygolf.co.uk for our Theme and

Tribute Nights.

Perhaps less known is the fact that the golf

course also has a PUTTING COURSE set

away from the main golf course facilities, at

the other site of Pitlochry on the way to the

Dam and Fish Ladder. The putting green

provides an ideal introduction to the fun of

the game of golf for all

the family.

For local B&B’s, hotels

and businesses, Pitlochry

Golf have a number of

different schemes and

initiatives to help to pro-

mote your business, our

business and the whole

of Highland Perthshire as

a great destination to

come and visit. Give your

guest the opportunity to receive 10% dis-

count in the Clubhouse and discounted golf

for only £27 to play in Pitlochry and £18 to

play in Blair Atholl. Marketing materials for

both golf courses are available for the local

accommodation providers to collect any-

time, so please feel free to visit us any time.

Keep your guests informed and busy during

their stay. They will appreciate information

about local attractions available nearby.

For more information please visit our web-

site www.pitlochrygolf.co.uk or contact:

Pro Shop: 01796 472792,

[email protected]

Clubhouse: 01796 472334, manag-

[email protected]

Marketing: 07711458260, market-

[email protected]

From the Pitlochry Golf Team

“Give your guest

the opportunity

to receive 10%

discount in the

Clubhouse and

discounted golf

for only £27 to

play in Pitlochry

and £18 to play

in Blair Atholl. ”

5

Red Deer Centre at Highland Safaris - First Year Success!


An era of change approaches for Perthshire

Visitor Centre and the whole team are excit-

ed about what’s ahead for the popular cen-

tre at Bankfoot. As I write, we are putting

the final touches to a new name and brand

and setting out an

ambitious plan for the

season ahead.

With more than two

decades of leadership

at Perthshire Visitor

Centre, Wilson and

Catriona have decided

to hang up their

aprons and enjoy their

much deserved retire-

ment whilst Calum and

Jane MacLellan (also

owners of Craigmhor

Lodge & Courtyard in

Pitlochry) are ready to take the helm and

steer the centre into a new bright future.

Whilst the centre as you know it won’t be

changing drastically – we’ll still have the

same great restaurant, shopping outlets

and friendly staff – there will be some en-

hancements to make the customer experi-

ence better.

Our aim is to offer a local focus with as

many fantastic Perthshire suppliers as we

can manage across all ranges – food, drink,

clothing, jewellery and gifts. It is our inten-

tion to bring back fresh local fruit and vege-

table produce too, which many will be

pleased to hear!

The biggest development for this year will

be the introduction of a gour-

met takeaway where visitors

will be able to pick up fresh

and tasty snacks from home-

made soups, deep filled sand-

wiches and even sushi! We’ll

also be extending the range we

stock in our enhanced Deli

with the intention of putting us

on the map as THE place to go

for a Taste of Perthshire.

We hope to welcome you and

your customers across our

doors this year and we thank

you for your support of the centre over the

years and in the exciting time ahead.

Make sure to like our facebook page – to

keep up with all the developments!

Perthshire Visitor Centre’s New Name and Brand

Scotland’s newest wildlife attraction, the

Red Deer Centre has been a fabulous addi-

tion to Highland Safaris, Aberfeldy.

The Red Deer Centre enables visitors to

discover the fascinating life cycle of this

magnificent, iconic animal in an interactive

experience led by a kilted Safari Ranger

before going outdoors to hand feed the Red

Deer herd.

Visitors also meet ‘Ossian’ the Barn Owl in a

hands-on demonstration and have fun

learning the secrets of this captivating bird

of prey.

A key feature of the Centre

is the Discovery Trail - a

short, inspiring walk featur-

ing interpretation of the

unique surrounding land-

scape and outstanding

views.

Director, Donald Riddell

said ‘We have been abso-

lutely delighted with the

success of the Red Deer

Centre. It has been a key reason for many

visits to Highland Safaris. We are continu-

ing to enhance the Discovery Trail with the

addition of a ‘Bug Motel’, Wild Flower

Meadow and a Maze’.

The Red Deer Centre has also proved a

winner with Coach groups who have wel-

comed the opportunity to come face to face

with Britain’s largest land mammal.

Alison Moore, General Manager of Lochs

and Glens Holidays said ‘Our guests are

loving the new Red Deer Centre at Highland

Safaris. We are delighted to have it on our

itinerary’.

The

‘Christmas

Experience’

including a

festive Red

Deer Centre, a

theme of Red

Deer v’s Rein-

deer and a

light filled

Discovery Trail

was also a hit

with groups

and individu-

als.

The Red Deer

Centre com-

bined with Land Rover Safaris, Gold and

Gem Panning Centre (unique in Scotland),

Mountain Bike Trail Centre, award winning

Café and Gift Shop is a truly authentic dis-

covery of everything that makes Highland

Safaris an exceptional destination.

“The Red Deer

Centre

enables

visitors to

discover the

fascinating life

cycle of this

magnificent,

iconic animal ”

“Wilson and

Catriona have

decided to hang

up their aprons

and enjoy their

much deserved

retirement”

6

Thyme at Errichel Restaurant, Errichel Farm, Aberfeldy


The Old Mill Inn, owned

and run by Fiona and

Angus John MacLellan

(who also own Victoria’s

Restaurant in Pitlochry),

continues to go from

strength to strength and

is one of THE top places

to go in Pitlochry for a

meal and a few drinks or

for live music at the

weekends.

The Inn was honoured to

receive the accolade of

Inn of the Year 2014 at the Scottish Hotel

Awards and we’re shortlisted again this

year – wish us luck!

We have a real passion for driving our busi-

ness forward and over the winter months

we have been working hard at refurbishing

bedrooms, adding a new biomass Green

Energy Boiler and improving the public are-

as of the Inn. And we won’t stop there!

Later on in the year we have plans to up-

grade the signage at the front of the Inn.

Lots going on…

The Inn is one of the best places in Scot-

Situated 2 miles above Aber-

feldy, on the Crieff Road,

Errichel enjoys a beautiful

setting and spectacular views

across Highland Perthshire. A

family business, we run

sheep and pedigree Shetland

Cattle on the hill, breed High-

land Ponies, Large Black Pigs

and keep a selection of goats

and poultry. Our pork, beef

and free range eggs often

feature on our menu.

Paul, Patron Chef of Thyme at

Errichel, creates a menu

which reflects seasonality, show-

casing the best of Scottish and

local produce, with flavours and

influences from around the

world. While the menu changes

frequently there are a number of

Paul’s signature dishes including

Thyme’s Own Beetroot Cured

Scottish Salmon with Essence of

Orange and Dewar’s Whisky and

our best-selling Puddledub Buf-

falo Steaks available all year round.

Our Cookery

School, is

launched! Paul will

be teaching a day

on Morroccan Spe-

ciality dishes in

May. We welcome

David MacCarfrae,

once cake maker

for the Royal fami-

ly, to Errichel in

September 2015

for a series of full-

day cake dec-

orating workshops.

Thyme to Eat, sup-

plies businesses with

top quality products

to retail in their own

outlets, from sausag-

es and burgers pro-

duced here at

Errichel with our own

rare breed pork and

beef, to ready meals

and baked goods. We

continue to do a small line

in celebration cakes for

special occa-

sions.

We are de-

lighted to

announce

that Fiona

Sloan, who

has been

looking after

our guests in

the evenings

on a part-time basis, will be joining the

team full time from March onwards. Our

apprentice Chef Benji Harvey is doing a

fabulous job creating starters and desserts

for our evening menu and Cathy Vass is our

invaluable Housekeeper, looking after our

guests at breakfast too.

We are available for private dining, wed-

dings and events throughout the week,

ideal for those people looking for bespoke,

private functions. If you would like to know

more about what we are up to you can visit

our website, follow us on facebook or con-

tact us direct.

Thyme at Errichel Restaurant, Errichel,

Crieff Road, Aberfeldy, PH15 2EL

Tel: 01887 829562

E: [email protected]

Web: www.errichel.co.uk

Opening Hours: April – October Open for

dinner Wed, Thurs, Fri, Sat from 6pm.

Open for lunch on Friday and Saturday from

12 noon.

Open for Easter Sunday lunch, 5 April

Regular Sunday Openings to be announced

soon!

“A family business,

we run sheep and

pedigree Shetland

Cattle on the hill,

breed Highland Po-

nies, Large Black

Pigs and keep a

selection of goats

and poultry. ”

News from the Old Mill Inn — Pitlochry

7

Bespoke Highland Car Tours — After my 1st year

News from the Old Mill Inn — Pitlochry (continued)


land to hear local and national musical tal-

ent and we have a strong following within

the live music scene. This year, we will con-

tinue to have music available every Friday

and Saturday night. Our popular Etape

festival will be happening

again this year as well as

two Beer & Live Music

festivals. To keep up to

date with all of our

e v e n t s , v i s i t

www.oldmillevents.co.uk

Our accommodation is

now better than ever with

the newly refurbished

r o o m s i n t r o d u c e d

throughout the winter. We now have five

Deluxe rooms which are hugely popular with

our guests as well as our 7 Standard rooms.

Just two rooms at the Inn remain untouched

since we took over and they are heading for

refurbishment soon too!

Food & drink continues to go down a treat

and on top of our normal menu we also

offer a cocktail menu, bar nibbles menu

and a Sunday Roast every weekend! If you

haven’t been in for a while, please do nip in

for a bite to eat – we’re sure you’ll love it!

Fiona, Angus John and the team at The Old

Mill Inn are looking forward to another busy

season ahead and

would like to

thank you for your

support and cus-

tom – you’ve

helped to put The

Old Mill Inn on the

map and we’re

very grateful. If

you haven’t yet

signed up for our

lo ya l t y ca r d ,

please do – it’s our way of saying thank you

for every guest you send to us.

Here’s hoping 2015 is a bumper season

and we look forward to seeing you soon.

My first year as Bespoke Highland Car

Tours Pitlocry, has proved both success-

ful and very interesting. It has been

most enjoyable meeting clients from all

over the world, with ages ranging from

90yrs old to 6 months old. (Now proud

owner of a baby seat! For the car)

I hope I have been of service to Hotel-

iers, Accommodation Providers and the

Pitlochry Area Tourist Sector.

I have had a varied clientele, ranging

from a Japanese Film Crew, shooting a

film on the delights of Highland Perth-

shire, to the Swedish gentleman looking

for a romantic location to propose to his

girlfriend. (Queen’s View, and yes she

accepted! Just as well as it would have

been a long tour).

A lot of my clients were

from the USA research-

ing their family history,

and I am pleased to say I

was able to assist (with

help from Sylvia Robert-

son – local historian,

and David Henderson of

Castle Menzies).

Most of my clients were visiting Highland

Perthshire and wanted to experience the

“Off the beaten track” scenery and wild-

life. Castle and Distillery tours were very

popular, with stops at other attractions

for coffee and restaurants.

With regard to the coming season I have

bookings for most months, as well as

welcoming repeat custom-

ers.

Just a re-cap of what I of-

fer.

Lots of people arrive in the

area with either no car, or

no knowledge of the area.

I can take 2-4 people on

tours tailored to their per-

fect day out including Cas-

tles, Distilleries, Gardens etc. or just

take them on minor roads to places not

normally on the tourist routes.

Tours are a minimum of four hours, but

some people book exclusively for 3 or 4

days, picking them up from their hotels

etc.

I am a retired police officer (qualified to

class 1 driver) and am fully insured with

over 10 years experience within tourism

in Highland Perthshire.

Bespoke Highland Car Tours Pitlochry,

Ronnie Owens, Personal Driver Guide,

Killiecrankie, Pitlochry PH16 5LR Tel:

01796 473934 or 07979 41283

e.mail [email protected] Fol-

low me on Facebook.

“The Inn was honoured to

receive the accolade of Inn

of the Year 2014 at the

Scottish Hotel Awards and

we’re shortlisted again this

year ”

“the Swedish gentle-

man looking for a

romantic location to

propose to his girl-

friend. (Yes she accepted!

Just as well as it would have

been a long tour)”

8

Riders of the Storm — Killiecrankie


Meet our miniature ponies — Dainty and Dexter

I would like to introduce you to the two new

additions to the Riders of the Storm eques-

trian team, sister and brother, Dainty and

Dexter. Yes they are fully grown. They are

half the size of horses most us would nor-

mally meet, a breed that was originally bred

for work in the coal mines to pull the under-

ground wagons.

We adopted them from England, as their

owner was unable to give them the atten-

tion and time they needed, due to a new

baby.

We travelled down south and collected

them bring them back on the 1st February.

You can image the stir they caused

when the large horses first met them.

As I am sure

you know hors-

es, just like

humans, have

their own per-

sonality. Dainty

and Dexter are

no exception,

they were not

going to accept any below the belt com-

ments from the large horses and soon es-

tablished themselves in the stable pecking

order.

Two months later I am very pleased to say

they have settled in well. Their role in Riders

of the Storm is to provide a totally different

service than their larger relations —that is

pony parties, visits, plus meet and greet.

Being so small they can go indoors, we have

had them at the Atholl Hair and Beauty

Rooms, at Blair Castle Caravan Park to be

groomed, with ribbons in their hair and nail

varnish on their hooves. They have also

visited Fishers View in Pitlochry, going in to

the guests sitting room, which provided

much tactile excitement.

They are the perfect party

guest, inside in the house or

outside. We have various

party packages to make that

perfect birthday wish come

true. Dainty and Dexter are

also very used to the lime-

light and can be used for

product launches, photoshoots and much

more. Call Kirsty on 07784119377 or

email [email protected] for more

information.

I am sure many of you will have heard of

Riders of the Storm, founded by myself

Kirsty McWilliam, I am a local lass having

been brought up in Highland Perthshire.

Riders of the Storm is Britain’s youngest

and Scotland’s Elite Equestrian Stunt Dis-

play Team.

We travel throughout Britain performing

displays at agricultural shows, country fairs,

horse trials and galas. I am pleased to say

we have a fairly busy program of events

planned for the 2015 season.

I am asking for your help to let your guests

know what we do, and help spread the word

for us. If your guests are interested in the

equestrian world, they might like to know

we provide lessons, experience days

which are aimed at all age groups, from

children through to adults, individuals to

families. These can be booked as a part

day or all day session. We also run Easter,

Summer and October holiday camps.

For the more adventurous, there is also

vaulting, trick riding, jousting and horse

boarding — choose anyone or a combina-

tion of any of the three of these for an

action packed day with Riders of the

Storm, at our

base in Killiecran-

kie.

People taking

part do not need

to have ridden

before, but we

ask that they are

reasonably fit and

healthy and un-

der our weight

limit of 14 stone.

I am please to

say we do have

people travelling

from all over Brit-

ain to take part.

If you would like any more information on

any of the services, call Kirsty on

07784119377 or you can watch our show

reel by visiting our website

www.ridersofthestorm.co.uk or facebook

page.

www.facebook.com/scotlandsstuntteam

“we provide

lessons, &

experience

days aimed at

all age

groups, from

children to

adults,

individuals to

families”

“originally bred for

work underground in

the coal mines to pull

the wagons”

9

News from the Scottish Crannog Centre


Iain Burnett Highland Chocolatier & Scottish Chocolate Centre

Just five miles off the A9, Iain Burnett High-

land Chocolatier offers a chocolate filled

escape from the fast lane. An international-

ly acclaimed chocolatier creates multi-

award winning truffles and pralines by the

banks of the River Tay, in the picturesque

village of Grandtully.

This continental style Choco-

late Shop with its wide

range of gifts and artisan

delicacies made using the

best natural ingredients is

well worth a visit. While

there, take time to visit the

4 Star Scottish Chocolate Centre

exhibition and relax in Legends

Coffee and Chocolate House,

which has outdoor seating in a

secluded courtyard for sunny

days. Emphasis is on fresh lo-

cally sourced produce with daily

specials. The seasonal menu

includes homemade soup and new Scottish

platters as well as scrumptious chocolate

cake, award-winning hot chocolate and the

indulgent Hot Velvet Shot of pure ganache.

Special evening openings are planned, but

please check first.

Most recently Iain was acknowledged as

one of only 50 Food Stars in the UK. He

continues to per-

fect new flavours

and create new

seasonal delights.

Already in 2015

three flavours of

the exquisitely

smooth The Velvet

Truffle have been launched

– Strawberry and Star An-

ise, Dark São Tomé and

Passion Fruit with a touch

of Mango. There are sam-

ples to try and feedback is

always welcomed.

On weekdays watch the chocolatiers at

work through a viewing window and if you

would like to learn more about the chocolat-

iers’ artistry you can choose from three

escorted tasting tours (weekdays, reserva-

tion only). During school holidays there are

children’s events too, such as the Easter

Bunny Demonstration and Easter Monday

Egg Hunt.

Car and bicycle park at the rear. Open

every day 10.00 to 5.00. Iain Burnett High-

land Chocolatier & Scottish Chocolate Cen-

tre, Legends of Grandtully, between Aber-

feldy & Pitlochry PH9 0PL

www.HighlandChocolatier.com

[email protected]

Tel:- 01887 840775

The Scottish Crannog Centre by Kenmore,

Loch Tay, offers visitors a unique opportuni-

ty to experience early Iron Age life on the

water. Dress in period clothing, enter the

high status roundhouse, try out ancient

skills like fire-making, textile working and

woodworking, and become immersed in the

archaeology of discoveries underwater.

Regular guided tours and open-style event

days promise educational entertainment for

families, individuals and special interest

groups alike. Our introductory video clip,

www.youtube.com/watch?v=i931HbTN9z4,

provides a glimpse of what we offer.

In addition to operating the five-star herit-

age centre, we are actively involved with

woodland management programmes in

conjunction with

local landowners

to provide cop-

piced hazel and other timbers required to

maintain the recreated crannog. Most of

this work takes place during the winter

when we are closed to the public but some

tasks continue throughout the year. Volun-

teers are always welcome to assist with

harvesting materials and practicing coppice

crafts like making wattle hurdle screens. It’s

healthy, satisfying and sociable while also

benefiting the woods and wildlife.

We open for the season on April 1st with

some exciting plans this year, including

revamping our website

(www.crannog.co.uk) this Spring and contin-

uing to work through the requirements for

museum accreditation with Museums Gal-

leries Scotland.

We are also

involved with

more outreach

activities in

schools and

museums. Our

public pro-

gramme in-

cludes craft

events at Perth

Museum (6th

April), Kelvingrove Museum (16th May) and

Perth Prehistory Fair (date to be confirmed).

Our first public event at the Crannog Centre

takes place on Easter Sunday featuring

prehistoric pancakes and chocolate tasters

led by Charlotte Flower Chocolates. Full

details of all events will be posted on our

website and facebook pages, or for direct

contact please ring 01887 830583 or

email us at [email protected]

“Easter Sunday featuring

prehistoric pancakes and

chocolate tasters led by

Charlotte Flower

Chocolates.”

“Easter Bunny

Demonstration and

Easter Monday Egg

Hunt”

10

‘Food in the Park’ Fish and Chip + Pizza Restaurant + Coffee House - Blair Atholl


‘Food in the Park’ Fish and Chip & Pizza

Restaurant and Coffee House in Blair Atholl

is now firmly on the map! In 2014 new

signs went up on the main road through

Blair Atholl directing customers to ‘The best

Fish and Chips in Scotland’ according to

one Trip Advisor review! And it seems that

many customers agreed, when Food in the

Park was awarded the “Certificate of Excel-

lence” for the outstanding customer re-

views in 2014!

As the summer hotted up the unique Yo!

Frooty Frozen Yoghurt and Smoothie unit,

which is now nicely positioned at the front

of Food in the Park, did a roaring trade and

also won its first award; The Healthy Living

Award rolled out by NHS Scotland. Dave

and Sally will be proudly picking up their

award in a ceremony at the end of March

this year!

For 2015 Food in the Park has appointed a

Manager for the first

time to help run the

business – Richard

Kirby re joins the team

after a successful year

with them in 2014 and

Sally and Dave are

very happy to have him

on board again for this

coming season.

Richard’s attention to

detail and customer

service is top notch

and he now knows

what it takes to keep

our customers smiling!

We have 4 very dedi-

cated assistants returning for a 2nd and

3rd season with us plus 2 new full time

staff with a wealth of previous experience in

the catering trade, so we are very excited

about being able to continue the high level

of customer service that has been enjoyed

in past years.

We will also be welcoming back Nel Da-

vidson, our scrumptious cake maker, who

delivered above and beyond last year in

terms of quality and taste on a wide range

of delicious cakes! Following a very suc-

cessful year of cake selling in 2014 we

have appointed a second baker for 2015,

Zuzanna Cwik, who will also be delighting

the taste buds!!

Food in the Park will be undergoing a make-

over for 2015, with new tables and chairs in

the restaurant and a lick of designer paint

on the walls! This is a long awaited change,

which will also include unusual artefacts of

local interest being hung from the walls and

ceiling – Intrigued?! Go and have a look!

Also, having been bombarded with ques-

tions from customers regarding the best

route to cycle, hike or run to get to Avie-

more, Braemar or beyond, the proprietors

have commissioned a huge OS map of The

Cairngorm National Park to adorn the wall

in the cafe!

To match the premises’ make over, the

staff will also enjoy a fresh, new uniform

helping to underpin the business’ profes-

sionalism.

As always Food in the Park will be catering

for and supporting quite a number of chari-

ty events that are passing through Blair

Atholl; For the 3rd year in a row they will

play host to cyclists from Lands End to John

O’Groats completing the

Wooden Spoon Chal-

lenge, plenty of Munroe

baggers, and many more

individual charity chal-

lengers for 2015!

The usual number on

which to place an order

is 01796 481484 so you

can pre-order your meal

and pick it up later in the

day or night. Bookings

can also be taken on this

number to enable you to

reserve seats in our res-

taurant, if you have a

large party. You can keep

up to date with what’s happening at Food in

the Park by ‘Liking’ them on their Facebook

Page.

REMEMBER! There is a HUGE car park,

facilities to eat in or sit outside in one of the

two alfresco areas with views of the river

and mountains, or you can take – away .

There is also a large garden ideal for kids to

run around in and work up an appetite! And

don’t forget that you can hire bikes from

Blair Atholl Bike Hire, which is situated with-

in Food in the Park!

Food in the park is open 11am until 8pm

(9pm in the Summer Holidays) 01796

481484

“For 2015 Food in

the Park has

appointed a

Manager for the first

time, Richard Kirby

whose attention to

detail and customer

service is top notch”

11

News from Mains of Taymouth Country Estate & Golf Course


Prince of India — Pitlochry

Prince of India offers a great value

three course lunch for £6.95 and

children under 12 eat for £3.95.

Open all year, 7 days a week, 12

noon to 4pm in main season (to

2pm in winter) and the main menu

is served from 5pm to 11pm each

evening.

To book a table or take away call

01796 472275.

Mains of Taymouth Country Estate & Golf

Course have had yet another fantastic year,

along with many others, with the success of

The Common Wealth Games and Ryder

Cup, and 2015 looking to be just as good.

The demand for luxury 4 & 5* self- catering

properties have encouraged Estate owners

Robin & Irena Menzies to develop another 6

luxury 1 and 2 bedroom 5* Maxwells Villas

as buy-to-holiday-let investment. With se-

cure deposits already in place, they are

looking to start building in late 2015 to

avoid any disruption to their summer

guests.

Already voted as the “Best Holiday Cottage

Complex in Britain” by the SUNDAY TIMES,

Mains of Taymouth have gained worldwide

recognition as a luxury holiday destination

with many overseas travellers choosing

Kenmore as their base for touring the rest

of Scotland.

The Courtyard Bar & Restaurant have wel-

comed on board, a local man of Blair Atholl,

John Bristow, as the Restaurant Manager.

John has already established a great team

and is gearing up to see that The Courtyard

will have a brilliant year. New for 2015 will

be a larger outdoor children’s play area

which currently sits just outside the Court-

yard, perfect place for children to play and

parents to sit back and enjoy the relaxing

atmosphere. Open daily offering breakfast,

lunch and dinner, the Courtyard is a great

location for all the family and is a stone

throws away from The Mains of Taymouth

Golf Course & Mains of Taymouth Stables.

2014 saw a new addition to The Golf

Course as Rannoch boy Rhys Keir joined

the green keeping team as a young appren-

tice under the watchful eye of local man

Peter Bancroft, Estate Manager. Rhys will

have the opportunity to further his career in

green keeping by attending a green keeping

college course this year at Elmwood College

in Dundee. The golf course has gone from

strength to strength this year and is looking

the best it has even been.

Taymouth Stables

had a successful

2014 and the local

weekly Pony Club

has grown dramati-

cally over the year

benefiting from the

new outdoor all

weather riding

school which bene-

fited from the Griffin Windfarm Grants.

Manager Katy Bennett, is now in her 5th

year at Mains of Taymouth and has put

together a great team to see her through

the 2015 season. Local girls Isla Munro

and Heather Menzies have joined Katy this

year and both will learn from her vast

knowledge and experience of horseman-

ship.

Last year with Highland Tipis’s from Blair

Atholl, we experienced our first local wed-

ding on Mains of Taymouth Country Es-

tate and have many further weddings

already confirmed for 2015/16. 2014

saw the completion of the old, well loved

Byre Bistro into a spectacular small wed-

ding venue, The Coach House. This new

venue has become the ideal location for

both small & large weddings with a spa-

cious marquee lawn running alongside that

can cater for the 200+ marquee wedding

market. The Coach House has also proved

to be a great corporate venue where dele-

gates can have a private location with am-

ple accommodation for all.

Another new addition for 2015

at Mains of Taymouth Country

Estate & Golf Course is Balloch

Park Country Retreats, a new

private gated development that

will be located in our old Quarry

site, with the majestic river Tay

passing by on one side and dra-

matic location of Drummond Hill

on the other. Designed and built by local

builders, Blairish Restorations, these luxury

lodges will offer stunning south facing views

and will be beautifully landscaped to en-

hance the stunning location. Built for pri-

vate use only, these lodges can be your new

forever home or

your home-from-

home holiday

lodge where you

can escape the

daily busy rou-

tine to a peace-

ful, picturesque

location.

“voted the ‘Best

Holiday Cottage

Complex in

Britain’ by the

SUNDAY TIMES”

12

News from the Taymouth Marina Restaurant — Kenmore


Drummonds of Pitlochry

We are proud to say all our food is

sourced locally using the local butcher, it

is basic good old home cooking without

all the frills and fancy twirls of modern

restaurants. The kids meals are freshly

prepared and cooked to order, no food

from frozen packets.

This year we are offering great value

High Teas—two courses for £11 and

three courses £13—that surely is hard to

beat! We have had great reaction to this

especially for those not wanting to have

fancy dining every night of their holidays.

There is outside seating, well away from

the smokers area, which is proving to be

popular with visitors during the warmer

days and also those who want their dogs

by their side.

Drummonds is a family restaurant in

every sense of the word, with members

of the family working at the front of

house and in the kitchen. We take great

care in ensuring every thing we do is

done to the very best of our ability.

We are open from 10am to 11pm all

year round. We are under the railway

arch just to the left of Pitlochry War Me-

morial and gardens.

Taymouth

Marina Res-

taurant

opened in

August 2013

and has been

going from

strength to

strength.

Located on

the shore of

Loch Tay

right beside

the Scottish

Crannog Centre we arguably have the

best view in Highland Perthshire and pos-

sibly even the whole of Scotland! On a

warm sunny day where could be better

than the terrace at Taymouth Marina to

enjoy a delicious meal or a drink from our

bar. We even serve Stewart Tower Dairy

ice cream from our adjoining gift shop,

there is something for everyone!

We offer a wide ranging choice of meals

with our lunch menu covering everything

from soup, sandwiches

and freshly made stone

baked pizza’s to East

Coast Haddock and chips,

seafood platters, and

Burgers. Whether it’s a

quick bite or a leisurely

meal everyone is very wel-

come here.

Dinner tends to be a much

more leisurely affair with

customers enjoying the

atmosphere as the sun sets over Ben Law-

ers while sampling a bottle of wine from our

wine list or a single malt from the bar after

their meal.

Our Head Chef is a local man who has lived

and worked within Highland Perthshire for

the majority of his 40 year long career. The

Cullen Skink is his secret recipe and is

loved by every-

one who sam-

ples it. The

menu reflects

his Scottish

heritage by

using local

meat and Scot-

tish seafood.

Along with the

consistently

high standard

of meal, he specialises in making the por-

tion of onion rings into a pyramid and then

watching our front of house staff to make

sure the onion rings arrive with the guests

without falling over!

With such a beautiful loca-

tion we are fast becoming a

wedding venue and the feed-

back we received from the

weddings in 2014 was en-

tirely positive. With the use

of a marquee on the lawn

area adjacent to the restau-

rant we can comfortably

cater for up to 150 guests

for a sit down meal.

We have a website and Fa-

cebook page that are updated regularly with

our current menus and events. Table reser-

vations can be made online or by calling us

on 01887 830450. Javen, Lindsay and the

rest of the team look forward to welcoming

you to Taymouth Marina Restaurant

throughout the year.

“With such a

beautiful

location we are

fast becoming a

wedding

venue ”

highland perthshire newsletter 2015

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