Eriska, Scottish Island

Different or unique?

This afternoon I had a visit from the chief grading office of Visit Scotland and the head of classification for the AA. Both operate hotel grading schemes which we belong to and over the past decade they have been striving to unify the process so that they can create a combined approach to enable their customers, - both visitors and hotelier to understand the outcomes.

Finally this year they have managed to evolve a scheme which they believe adopts the strengths of both criteria whilst not compromising on each others principles. Eriska is listed a a 4 Red Star Property with the AA and a 5 Star Property with Visit Scotland . As usual Eriska has created a headache for them as we are different and in reality the selection of facilities combined with our small scale of operation create its own unique opportunities. We are never going to really fit in any one specific box and arguments could be made for each criteria. Where else in Britain do you have a 22 bedroom hotel of the standard of Eriska with its own spa, swimming pool, golf course and even 300 acre walkers paradise.

Naturally we would like to be graded in the fairest manner to a scale which best represents our offering. Fortunately for us it is their headache not mine but we will as always strive to enforce our own particular individuality and try to insure that our grading matches our customers expectations.

Water Garden Complete

A little over budget a lot over due but at least it is now finished. What started as a brief 4 day project to rebuilt the existing water garden at Eriska to create a memorial to my father has now been completed some 8 weeks after we started. But truly the outcome has been worth the wait. We now have water flowing down the rock face and over several cascading waterfalls and a quiet area near the hotel easily accessible for all and ideal for moments of peaceful reflection.

The staff at the hotel very kindly donated a granite bench in memory of my father and this has already proved a welcome spot from which to sit and watch the world go by. It is truly a fitting memorial to my father and one which I hope he will appreciate. It even has a name and is having a sign created - "Mr B's Water Works"

Eriska is a Small Luxury Hotel of the World

So what's in a name- This week Eriska was invited to join the hotel marketing group "Small Luxury Hotels of the World". The name itself epitomizes exactly what we have set Eriska up to be and indeed the other consortia we are a member of "Pride of Britain" does also the same. Some wonder why or indeed how we can justify belonging to two such prestigious consortia when on the face of it they offer similar rewards. However we have decided that both offer strong marketing merits exclusively, with Pride of Britain working strongly within Britain and Small  Luxury Hotels of the World offer a wider global representation we hope to be able to spread the word on Eriska both down the street and around the globe.

We have flirted with several consortia over the years whether within the UK or internationally indeed nearly 20 years ago we belonged to "Prestige" which later evolved into Small luxury Hotels of the World and to date pride of Britain has been the most productive however it is now becoming increasingly difficult to reach a large enough market with the limited budget we have available so we have found that by pooling our funds together with other like minded hotels is the most productive use of our funds. Lets hope that we have as strong and successful relationship with all those in SLH as we have with POB.

Les's weather w/c 28th August

Weather forecast for week from Sunday August 28th

Indian Summer is a phrase used to describe an unseasonal, hot, sunny spell at the end of September/beginning of October. Well folks, we are pleased to inform you that Les says that this is what it's going to be like here in the West Highlands this year - and remember,  you heard it here first!

Does anybody know where the phrase Indian Summer comes from? It is a phrase that seems to have been passed down from generation to generation, but where did it actually come from? Apparently the term is believed to date back a couple of centuries but there seems to be no definite indication of its origin.

One theory, common in some parts of the united States, is that it relates to the way the American Indians used such spells of good weather in the autumn to extend the growing season. Folklore has it that Indian Summer comes from the spirit "Countantowit" and is sent on a southwest wind.

Forecast:

Sunday - wet and windy, touching galeforce

Monday and Tuesday - warm and sunny

Wednesday and Thursday - dull, with heavy showers

Friday and Saturday - sunny spells and occasional showers

Pigs in Mud

Howard Swan, our golf course architect having visited last week and left a trail of tasks to be completed before his return this week has indeed returned and as always brought the rain with him. progress has been made on the course but we have had to divide the work into tasks that can be supervised remotely- ie with Howard not at Eriska and tasks which require direct involvement. Yesterday we were working on the final fairway to be created a section of 100yards between the completed 8th Fairway and the completed 8th green which nobody has accepted responsibility for.

This are was more than damp and all had avoided it both physically and as a subject but if we are to complete the golf course adventure we must solve this area. So today we chose to lower the whole are by 12 inches removing the peat to fill in hollows off the fairway and allow the land to adopt a natural lie with the water flowing off to the side. Whilst we all accept this is the best solution it will also be the most time consuming and in the short term the most noticeable.

But at least it shows we are tackling the problem and by spring next year we hope to have  a green dry surface developing and the golf course plan will be back on schedule. In reality the big 360 machine moves a load of peat every swing and when a job by hand would have been near impossible with its help the completed task is within sight. Howard leaves on Monday and behind him he leaves not only a trail of work begun but a motorway of jobs to complete. At least we will be kept busy and out of mischief!

   

Way out WestW

Yesterday the forecast on the west coast was for rain and gales but my mother chose to ignore all these warnings convinced of brighter weather to the west and ventured off to the Ardnamurchan peninsular. Sanna bay and Arnamurchan are the most westerly points of mainland Scotland and as you can see the weather was far from gale force.

Indeed after their 265 mile round trip which started off heading north from Eriska as far as Corran , across on the ferry to Kingairloch and then west to Sanna.

A great day out and I must eat humble pie questioning her weather judgment- maybe my mother could step in for Les when he is on holiday!

Water Water Everywhere

It is just typical as soon as we start work on the wet area of the golf course the rain starts and then we don't know where the water is coming from whether it is the drain we are clearing or the surrounding area? So we just plough on and work to the best of our ability. Today we have completed the new 4th tee giving an additional 50 yrds to the old hole making it now a very challenging 370yrd par 4. Before it was a relatively easy 3 wood followed by a  7 iron over a burn before the green. Now the burn is going to be just where I might land. And certainly a more difficult hole.

As Ronnie and his excavator tracked out of the woods we finished creating a (supposedly) dry pond which would catch the excess rain as it flows off the hill before disappearing into the raised beach. But today due to the unseasonal shower it has filled immediately. However by Lunchtime time it has stopped raining and the water is subsiding leaving us to view Ronnie's basically blind work as he toiled underwater. Not bad for a beginner Ronnie!!

Up and running

Some people think I am a little strange especially if they meet me first thing in the morning out for a run. In truth I have never run as far as they think as I hitch a lift from mike the Night Porter and run home from where I think is far enough away. I use the free lift for two reasons, firstly before I go to bed I ask Mike for a lift committing myself to going for a run and secondly as long as I know I have to run home I cannot cut the run short.

However I am now beginning to worry about my guests also. A couple who have been training in the morning with Mark in the Gym this morning elected to go for a run round the island with him as the guide. Mark who just arrived before the weekend set off from the stables and became a little disorientated so by the time they had finished one lap all looked exhausted and a little disheveled, including mark- however although one dropped off the other guest was far more resilient and they continued a further lap.  It must have been fun though as they immediately wanted to book for another run but this time decided to miss the guided tour!!

Les's weather wc 21st August

WEATHER FROM SUNDAY AUGUST 21ST

Following on from last week, you will be delighted to know that the fertiliser Les applied to the greens has worked a treat.

In fact, it has worked so well, he is now having to cut the greens twice as much as before. What was previously dry, dusty ground is now lush and green.

If it carries on at this rate Les is predicting that Eriska will become the next venue for the Scottish Open Golf Championships!

The popularity that golf enjoys today is a reflection of the way the sport suddenly took hold in ancient times. In Scotland, Gowf  - as it was then known - had to be banned by Act of Parliament, on Sundays, to safeguard the numbers in the more traditional field of archery.

The menfolk were, quite simply, spending too much time fooling around playing golf , at a time when their competence with bows and arrows could be a matter of life or death!

Forecast for the coming week:

Sunday: Dry start, then showers

Monday: Warm and sunny

Tuesday: Sunny start, then strong winds and heavy rain

Wednesday: Heavy rain, clearing to leave showers

Thursday, Friday and Saturday: Sunny spells and showers

Prizewinner!!

Well done Les!!  Today is the North Connel and District Horticultural Show and a day of great celebration.

Les the greenkeeper has been very busy this week with his endeavors on the golf course but he has also found time to work in his garden.

So we can proudly announce that he has won 1st prize for his Leeks, 2nd for the Onions 2nd for the Potatoes and 2nd for the Sweet Peas , with only the Tomatoes relegated to an also ran. It is a great reward for Les and all his hard work in the garden. Whilst they all look great - Robert in the kitchen can also confirm that they taste great also.

The only other prize that we have won at the local show was a 3rd from Chay when he entered his donkey in the best of breed category about 25 years ago!!