Eriska, Scottish Island

Belgian Adventure

For some time we have worked with agents in the low countries of Europe however due to recent tough economic  times in the travel industry and a number of consolidations we lost our main representation and despite an attempt to work on our own for a year we realized we needed to give this market some new impetus. Typically on the day realizing this we received an invitation to work with a new agent in belgium and duly signed up.

Its one of those things that sitting at Eriska in october and agreeing to help launch a product in February seems like an easy if simple task but now that the date has arrived it is seeming more like a chore and a hassle than ever before. Firstly there is no easy way to get there unless you are based in London so a flight down a few train connections and the Eurostar, allowed me to reach my destination- one day gone, then a couple of presentation's and tie to retrace my steps. The ironic thing is though that one of the selling points of Scotland is the ease of access, but at least visitors will not be venturing to caledonia for a one night show!

So now its time to get back to Eriska and as if Belgian Chocolates and flowers were not enough of a temptation, I am certain Valentines weekend will bring with it more over indulgence in more chocolates and more flowers, io just have to make sure that i get myself more organized!

Weather wc 7th February

As I drove home from Edinburgh last week through the snow I realized how fortunate we had been over the winer period, despite some treacherous driving conditions and weather over the last 2 months we seem to have been able to avoid the worst of it and most importantly;y so have our guests. Weekends have tended to be brighter than during the week and over Christmas and New Year arrival days and departure days seemed to ease in terms of temperature. Sometimes the fact the weatherer is not as bad as expected can be seen as being as positive as when we get stunning weather and periods of long sunshine here at eriska.

Anyway all seems to be returning to normal now and the ground has certainly begun to not only thaw but retain some heat and even the snow drops seem to be peeking out from the grass. Lets hope that a traditional winter of weather can now be followed by a more old fashioned glorious summer!!- or failing that a pleasant spring! so whats ahead in the short term?

Today: Dry and becoming brighter during the day with the possibility of some sunshine, especially towards the West .

Monday: It will be dry with clear spells and an even Brighter day than Sunday although it may seem colder night with a widespread frost developing.

Tuesday:Another dry day with some bright or sunny spells, especially in the west. Cloudier skies inland will allow temperatures to rise slightly

wednesday: Dry and although rather cloudy with some hill fog, brighter spells developing. Over hills a keen chilling East wind.

 Thursday:It will be a dry but cold few days with plenty of crisp winter sunshine. There will also be sharp frosts at nights.

Friday: Rather cold  on Friday with a mixture of bright spells and scattered sleet and snow showers, mainly in the north and and on higher ground

Saturday: There is also a risk of further bands of rain, sleet and snow spreading in from the south, particularly later in the day but should start dry if cold.

Corridor facelift!

What started as a simple plan to freshen up a corridor with a lick of paint developed over time into a major task of refurbishing all the corridors and the front stairs. Needless to say so did the budget!! Initially we added another corridor to the tasks and decided to plaster over one of the granite walls that had been left exposed when the hose was converted- it had always looked a bit out of place and mad It seem like an add on rather than a corridor so tghis seemed wise- then having accepted that tis was the way to go and having engaged a plastered to carry out the work, it only seemed sensible to ask them to coat the front stairs at the same time as it was not economic sense to have them unload their materials set themselves up and do a small job then go through the reverse palaver of dismounting when they could do the front stairs at the same time.

Next was a serious look at the lighting and whilst I wanted to increase the lights and upgrade the lighting slightly these ideas soon changed as after consideration we discovered that the firelighting was on its last legs so these had to be replaced so after discussions we decided to replace all the lights and took the opportunity to change them all to new generation energy efficient fittings which not only save the environment but offer a clarity and and strength other bulbs cannot afford.

Then having committed to all this it seemed only sensible- I was reliably convinced- to do the carpet too and after this the handrail on the front stair followed on. Now it is all complete we can appreciate the cost and time effort althouggh the fact that it will not directly benefit any of the rooms does grind a little but i can console myself that it is now safer for all!! Anyway in short its another area of the hotel done and like the forth road bridge work on the fabrics will carry on for ever- it seems!!

Tractor Returns

After a well deserved holiday and refurbishment out Massey 135 tractor has returned. It disappeared before Christmas for a full refurbishment and renovation. In truth as reported earlier the tractor was looking a bit shabby and tired but above all it was questionable as to how  safe it was with a roll bar and safety cage always moving in a different direction but now it has returned both well painted and reinvigorated with new wheel alignment, new hydraulic pumps and even new wiring.

The main reason behind this burst of enthusiasm was obviously health and safety abut then when we started looking for replacements every body we asked seem to wonder whey we were parting with such a wonderful bit of kit and after some research we learnt that it ws as strong as any of the current models, more reliable and best of all actually available!! So now with the power to lift and drive and new oil in its veins we hope that it will live for many years to come and having made the decision we can now invest in further machinery compatible with the tractors take off and hydraulic systems.

No rest for the wicked!!

Sometimes when we reopen after our brief respite in January we grimace as guests arrive and ask us if we enjoyed the break or even if we had a good holiday- in reality we often work harder when the hotel is empty as we can get many jobs that need work completed without the continual interruptions and this year is no different. Although the painters may beg to differ as it seems no sooner have they covered corridors in dust sheets and started painting than one of us walks through and disturbs the from their hard work or joiners working on the new balustrade on the front stairs just complete the set up of working scaffolding than we have to ask them to move as we need to push past to reach the top floor.

However as always we try and complete a number of tasks that will be instantly appreciated and a number behind the scenes and this year we set about the usual mix with the corridors and front stairs getting makeover and behind the scenes the new wood pellet boilers being installed along with a whole new hot water system All these changes have been planned and programmed allowing time and thought to prepare us for them but the biggest change this closed period was not planned or predicted by me but came as a complete surprise as the day we closed at the beginning of January Chay announced his intention to leave Eriska and head for Africa to be closer to Anna- his wife's- family.

So although on the surface we hope to be able to continue as normal behind the scenes we Will have to adapt to the changes and re-balancing of roles within the hotel and most importantly the estate. He finished his current role at the weekend and Willl be around the scenes for another month before moving on. It does therefore offer us the opportunity to look back both a at life before Chay returned and since he arrived back from his last adventure overseas. He has now been back at Eriska for just over 10 years and during that time he has both seen and overseen many changes and developments, but he now feels it is time for a new venture and naturally, although he will be missed, we all wish him well.

  

weather w/c 31st January

It has certainly been an interesting january in terms of weather with the start being incredibly cold then a dry spell in the middle followed by a wonderful sunny end to the month. In effect it was very welcome as we had a family wedding at eriska from a party who although from scotland are now based in the south of England and saw the location of Eriska being a challenge as they believed we would be under snow and ice and certainly no sunshine and in the end we have a wonderful weekend and great day for the wedding with cold conditions but not a breath of wind for the boat trip and not a cloud in the sky for the photographs.

so whats ahead for February:

Today:Generally dry and cold but at least it should be Clear then sunny intervals.

Monday: A widespread frost overnight as it remains mainly dry and clear. A few snow showers will continue to affect higher hills at times, with sleet or snow showers near coasts. Where showers have fallen, it will turn icy.

Tuesday: Remaining cold and bright as it stays mainly dry. Once again a few snow showers may affect mountains at times but with sleet or snow near coasts.

Wednesday: Rain and then snow spreading from the west later on in the day clearing to wintry showers for a time.

Thursday: It should be dry at first, although with an increasing risk of wintry showers in coastal areas and we are likely to see outbreaks of rain, becoming heavy at times on higher ground, with a risk of snow .

Friday:Temperatures probably near normal but rather cold with overnight frost in places.

Saturday: Wintry showers and clear spells likely over the first weekend of February, with rain likely over low ground in the west but snow more likely elsewhere.

Start where we left off!

We closed Eriska to guests at the beginning of the month waving off the last guests in a flurry of snow with freezing winds and bitter temperatures and it seems as if we are going to open in te same vein. First of all hoping that guests get home safely and now glad this weekends visitors have arrived safely. Whether the happy couple who are to be married today had planned, anticipated or even hoped for a white day it certainly looks like thats whats in store given the northerly wind and white peaks on the mountains.

The good news is, that behind the scenes much has changed and we are now running partially on our old syesenm of heating and water storage but the majority of the  burden is now being run on environmentally carbon neutral renewable wood pellet boilers with water stored in ever increasing sizes of vessels making it both far more efficient and user friendly. Whilst we had a few teething problems, all sorted in the nick of time we seem to be, touch wood, all operation. Even the laundry where the pipes and new storage vessels emanate from is a changed place with a warmth from the plethora of pipework although maybe this will have changed by next week when Chay has it all lagged and covered in but I am sure they will appreciate the more pleasant working environment especially given the bitter wind blowing through the car park.

The plan today is for a boat trip, golf and shooting at clays so lets hope it brightens up and everybody came prepared for the possibility of these conditions then all back for a quick lunch before off to the wedding in benderloch and back to eriska for the reception, dinner and dancing. It seems like nothing ever changes but it is our 37th year at Eriska and we are still here!

Eriska open for the 37th Year!

In truth it makes little difference whether we have too long to do a job or not enough time the last 24 hours are always going to be chaotic but hopefully we are starting to understand this and each year we get better at preparing for the dreaded first day. All of us here probably think we are closed for too short a time and the bank manager probably thinks we have been closed for ever! In reality there must eb a happy medium between getting all we need to get done finished and giving everyone a well deserved break and at the same time not letting us pick up bad habits or become lazy

It is certainly true to say that the house and island is always a bit weird when there is no activity in the evening and whilst it does not feel spooky or haunted it can feel a bit sad and lonely when there are no sounds or voices so it was good last night to welcome back our first guests of the new 2010 season. We are ready to go- just and all the changes we have made and alterations we have overseen are now being tested to the limit as we have af full house for the weekend but then luckily we have a couple of down days to fix any gremlins and insure that all the snagging is done.

This pause time is essential and part of our experience, no matter how small or trivial a job there always seems to be some snagging and already the list for the maintenance team is growing so they will arrive with dread as to how much they have to fix or improve before the next shift. Maybe I should simply suggest that we would not have these issues if we never closed- I can see the bank manager starting to smile!! However I can also hear everybody else groaning in short its nice to pause but not nice to stop and guest visiting will now benefit form refreshed corridors and staircases, enviromentally friendly and aware heating systems and a much improved golf facility, when the grass grows!

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Ready- well nearly!!

On reflection it must have been much easier for my parents to complete winter work given they were closed for a longer length of time but in respect I can still remember the last few days before the hotel reopened its doors being hectic and a huge sigh of relief when the first guests entered and all seemed calm- or so my memory tells me, This year we have been closed for just over 3 weeks and had set ourselves a demanding and tight schedule of projects. Well that was before the weather played havoc for the first week and deliveries promised did not materialize.

However we are nearly there and despite painters still wandering the corridors with brushes and pots and engineers standing over boilers with perplexed expressions we think we are nearly there. Today we will be running a full test on the heating system which involves pumping full power and heat into the house- so I hope everybody has there holiday shorts ready and then checking that every room has the new system operating and controllable. It involves all the bathrooms running hot water and seeing how quickly the system recovers and it will hopefully all go without a hitch- or so we hope although with 24 hours till the first guest crossed the threshold we have a small window for error.

But on a positive note the new wood pellet boiler sounds and looks much better and the work redecorating the corridors has brought them up in line with the bedrooms and seem to make them all look wider and more expansive. I am certain we will find small glitches when we start to operate it all at full capacity but lets hope they are only minor incursions and that they will not affect progress. 2010 will be our 37th season at Eriska and I keep thinking it should be getting easier but in reality it probably never will but as long as we look forward with optimism it should all keep us positive! 

Weather wc 24th January

It will be interesting to see the monthly rainfall figures for January when we reach the end of the week as it seems we have had almost no rain so far, however that on the west coast would normally highlight summer however it has been far from that and whilst we have missed the snow we have cvertainly had our share of ice and freezing conditions. It should howver have been expected espeically since we announced the plan to exchange our boilers and our need for a kind break in normal wnter conditions. In reality January was the only time we could close the house down to allow us to make the exchange , but common sense would have dictated that it is also the one month that we need heat to continue to maintain the house! However the upshot is that we waited patiently- if a little longer than planned and we have managed to complete the hotel exchange without detrimental consequences to the building but it did require patience and a delay waiting for a warmer window in the weather.

So whats ahead for the final weeks preparations before we reopen on Wednesday?

Today: Generally cloudy, some mostly light rain at times, with snow on higher ground giving some local accumulations on the hill tops.

Monday: After a damper start with showers most of this will die out during the afternoon, with brighter spells in places, though rain will linger on the hills.

Tuesday: Any rain on the peaks will die out and cloud will gradually break to allow some clear spells, these leading to a frost and some patchy fog overnight.

Wednesday: Mostly dry and bright with some sunshine but fog and low cloud patches may be slow to lift from some areas.

Thursday:Cloudy with some sleet or snow at first. Drier and a little brighter by afternoon. Mostly light winds.

Friday: Wet and windy at first easing later though staying cloudy.

Saturday: Starting unsettled with wind and rain but then changing later in the day and then brighter but colder and back to frost overnight.