Eriska, Scottish Island

laughing not crying sailing!

This weekend I had some friends up to stay and normally we take the opportunity to get out on the hills for one last walk before winter clothing is required but this year it was suggested that we should take advantage of the latest addition to the Eriska fleet and spend the day on the water. I checked the tides and weather forecast and even inspected the racing schedule for Oban Sailing Club just in case we decided to be competitive! So on saturday morning we set off in near ideal conditions and headed for Mulll.

We made excellent time and therefore decided to detour into Oban Bay and see if the proposed race- a simple description of- round The Gregg Isles- was happening and then with the possibility of joining in. As we arrived off the clubhouse for the 2.00pm start there was little activity so we headed up the sound of Kerrera but by the time we returned there was a bit more action so we decided to tag along an try and stay out of trouble but thought this would give us a good benchmark for our ability, without being a member of the club nor officially entering the race- What could possibly go wrong.

Clearly it would not take a genius to realize this was a mistaken impression but it soon became obvious that our enthusiasm clouded our ability to see the logic. the first snag was that we were not sure of te start line, the second and more pressing concern was our lack of understanding as to te direction of the race- but being men we chose not to ask anyone and simply pressed on- We all agreed tat it would become clear- it did as we set off in the wrong direction as mistake we all agreed was wise as it allowed us to follow the fleet rather than lead it in the wrong direction so we set off and slowly caught them up- not through skill but through luck and good fortune. We set off up oban bay, round a mark and then out of the bay. When the sailing description said "Round the Gregg Isles we thought that was self explanatory but clearly there as several different routes to this outcome and had we ever manged to lead we would have taken the  completely wrong route so our false start and continual hesitation allowed us to follow those in the know.

That was until due to a a slight diversion, where we picked up a fresher breeze than everybody else and found ourselves coming to the front of the fleet, so there then ensued a discussion on the etiquette of asking other boats directions in a race and the decision that we could do so if we first appeared humble and secondly choose a boat with someone we knew on board- maybe not the one that commented on our start line antics with words like "interesting" and "brave". So just as we reached the point of question our humiliation was saved as regrettably we had a technical issue- in that our Rudder fell off- and we had to retire.

 The main consolation after retiring was had in the fact that we were saved the embarrassment of asking directions then retiring or the comfort that we - probably falsely, believed that had we been able to continue success would have been ours and we would of then had to register our participation. Anyway a great day was had, plenty of fresh air and only ego's damaged- along with one rudderless boat!

Weather w/c 27th September

After the storm should come the calm and as predicted last week, which included te equinox was a wee bit windy but it does always seem like the seasons change at this time of year with the sun being a bit less keen to get up in the morning and certainly dusk comes in quicker however there is still a wee bit of warmth in the wind so it does not seem quite like winter- Yet

Anyway lets hope for a better week ahead so we can at least enter October with some enthusiasm- so whats ahead?

Today: It will be a rather cloudy day and some rain is also likely. However, the rain will be mainly affecting the hills around and we may miss the worst of it.

Monday: Generally cloudy  and further occasional rain during the later part of the day.

 Tuesday: Another rather cloudy day and spells of mainly light rain can also be expected. Moderate or fresh southwest winds.

Wednesday: A cloudy day with hill fog and outbreaks of rain or drizzle. Strong southwesterly winds.

Thursday: Finally a wee bit of respite as it  will be dry with sunny periods. Light to moderate west to northwest winds.

Friday:It is expected to be settled over a good part of Argyll and even some sunshine

Saturday: Generally dry although cloud will push ion later in the day signifying a change in the general weather pattern and a drop in temperature to Autumnal normality

 

Badger Bedam continues to grow!

Last year we investigated the opportunities for developing our website and in one off the wall comment somebody suggested that we ought to try something different from our competitors. So whilst developing the simple navigation and all the same details that other websites have we cast our minds far and wide for that "something different"  Now certainly Badger Bedlam is different but I am not sure that is exactly as the suggestor had meant.

However it has been fun to develop and I hope those that have a had a moment or two- those with scores over 50 clearly have more than A moment to spare- have enjoyed the brief respite from todays hussle and bussle! The added attraction of a prize at the end may have tempted others to partake but for the astute noticiing that the prize is more for taking part than gaining the highest score and for all the team here the small print does mention that the prize draw is not for those working at Eriska!

Anyway at least the game is craeting a different aspect to the site and now we have to develop stage 2 of Badger Bedlam- maybe Chay Chaos!!!

New brochure- old look?

A few years ago when I was traveling in the far east i picked up the brochure of one of the hotels which I really liked. I returned to Eriska dn as usual had a debrief with the team and we coincidentally were discussing brochures so I was able to produce mine. It was well received and whilst I was a little bit surprised as I knew the amount of input my parents had had to the last brochure including some of the photography would make them precious about change.

In effect it involved a complete change in shape and also was the start of our revamp with the dark blue colours. Luckily we had collated several excellent shots and the brochure came out well. In this instance I was not tempted to produce too many copies- a lesson I failed to learn with the book- bt I was certain the growth of the internet was going to make this brochure last for ever. As it was it lasted a couple of years which in it self was great as it allowed us to update the brochure and show off our new spa suites.

Then last month we noticed we were again nearing the end of our brochure supply so we started planning a new brochure- initially I wanted just to change couple of shots but in the end we have changed almost all the images to newer better Dennis Hardley shots. The result is that we have a new great brochure but that it still looks the same on the outside with a replica design but inside it shows Eriska off to its very best with sharp crisp images. My fathers ethos was that we showed the second best shot in every occasion so when guests arrived they were surprised- whilst it made exceeding guests expectations easier- it maybe also reduced our potential market!! Hopefully we have the balance right.

Start of Leaf Season!!

As I was walking through the trees in front of the big house I stood on a piece of uneven ground and when  I looked down I realized that in actual fact it was one of the first horse-chestnuts of the year. Indeed it should not be surprising as I always remember as a schoolboy having a weekend off quite early in the winter term nd my father bringing down the first conkers from Eriska so that I had ammunition for the inevitable games. Nowadays however the first conkers actually also signal the start of the seemingly endless task of raking leaves.

This year Chay has had a bright idea of buying a leaf collector which will fit onto the trailer and can be used to save the back breaking task of loading the trailer with damp leaves. We tend to collect and compost the leaves and then reuse them in the garden the next year but last year we opted , due to much dryer conditions to urn the leaves and consequently our mulching bins are empty and in need of refilling. By all accounts that is going to happen pretty quickly as the high winds today and predicted equinoctial gales have accelerated the already steady stream of tumbling leaves leaving the collection at full speed and the task to keep ahead of the game more of a challenge than usual.

Weather wc 20th September

Haing had a week of settled conditions it looks like we are returning to the more autumnal weather- although given that it is now nearing the equinox it should not be quite such a surprise! Anyway we have started closing the curtains before dinner and that seems in the short term to be keeping the dark night outside although with roaring log fires it also makes the house seem very much in winter season but lets hope we can bash the forecast and have a few more days of indian summer!

Today: after a bright start showers and wind will push in leaving it seeming much cooler than the last week.

Monday: after the showers became more persistent over night Monday is set to become rather dull, wet and windy. The rain persistent and occasionally heavy , especially during the afternoon and evening over the hills

Tuesday: Cloudy with persistent rain, turning heavy, especially later. Mild with hill fog. Strong Southwest winds with severe gales over hills- very equinoctial!

Wednesday: Some dry and bright weather can be expected but showers will also occur, especially in the afternoon when the odd heavier one is possible. Breezy at times.

Thursday: It looks likely that throughout the day it will be generally unsettled , with showers and also some longer spells of rain at times.

Friday: At last some drier and brighter interludes are also expected, but It will also be windy at times, with a risk of gales in the far north.

Saturday: Although it may look from the outset quite settled it should remain mostly dry and often bright and the good news is that this period is set to extend into next week.

Computer update

When I visited Australia a couple of years ago it is safe to say that the journey there had little effect on me- or so I thought and even the time difference was relatively easy to adjust to however the fact that i was on the other-side of the world did make me feel like i was out of touch and most importantly unable to react to anything that happened at Eriska. This feeling of helplessness felt extremely uncomfortable and whilst I am by no means a control freak- in my opinion- I do like to understand the whys and wherefores so that if someone asks I can at least give an answer a go!

  The same, regrettably cannot be said for my knowledge of computers because as soon as someone starts with technical terms I might as well be speaking a foreign language. Last night our system failed and by a lick of fate we had one of the programme writers staying with us so after we had given him time to wake up and have some breakfast then book some treatments for his partner we asked if he could sort the problem. then after a few moments of unintelligible explanation all was fixed. whilst on one hand I was delighted to be back up running again i was also annoyed he could sort it so quickly and easily and still I was none the wiser as to how he managed it!!

It seems that I have three options- either I will have to admit defeat and let someone sort it with me being no wiser- go on a computer course myself- and then probably revert to one,  or the new best option would be to find someone to employ and try and sort the issues and teach us the intricacies in our own time but of course the expert will also have to have the patience of Joab! Anyway for now we are back and running and what is even better is we seem to have moved on a few generations in the model and it is not only quicker but better- but don't ask me how!!.

Rememberance benches!

Its amazing how thick skinned we can be and how often it takes several prods and probes to make us aware of bright ideas which we can then adopt as our own. When we decided to proceed with the pier through Fusion Marine i went for a brief tour of their manufacturing facility at Barcaldine. whilst the main reason for the visit was really just to see how the project was progressing dn to allay a few doubts I had regarding the feasibility. It was an idea which came from Chay and Ian Forbes at fusion and although we had several rough drawings and many scribbles along with lots of images of platforms- "that ours would not look like" I just wanted to set my mind at rest. But during the tour and visit i was also shown some other products they create like the unsinkable boat and the park benches.

I left really quite oblivious to the last two suggestions and just relieved that the proposed pier not only seemed possible but was actually becoming reality. Anyway to cut a long story short the pier arrived on time, on budget and appears to be a real hit so far. But Yesterday I met the Fusion Team who were down taking a few shots for their latest brochure to help others understand the concept and they also had a couple of benches in the back of the truck that they were getting images from so that both bench and pier could be featured in the same photo shot. We had a discussion about them and once again I put it to the back of my mind.

Then last night after dinner I was approached by two of our longstanding guests and asked if I had ever consider firstly benches and seats on each of the tees of the golf course- not only for players but also for walkers as often the tees are in prime viewing spots and they would make wonderful places from which to relax and take in the day. The second suggestion was that we could have the seats supported by guests wishing to leave a little mark on Eriska. Maybe now I should take note of the idea and think about it for the future, clearly if packaged properly i will be able to voice it at the next planning meeting and structure it in such a way that it becomes one of MY bright ideas!!

Autumn definitely here

There are always arguments about when autumn really starts and in reality it is really variable depending where you live and what your expectations are. To me the signs of autumn are really in the surroundings with the leaves starting to fall in the car park, the chanterelles being spotted under the oak trees in the heronry and the huge abundance of brambles weighing down the bushes on the path from Arnotts house down to the beach.

 I did for one moment last week begin to think we were going to move straight from summer- or so it was called- to winter as the bramble bushes seemed devoid of berries and those trying to ripen simply seemed to be shriveling and dying before changing colour and there was no sign of fungi in the shelter of the trees. Chay was certainly hoping so as it would have avoided his 4 week battle with the leaf collector.

But in reality nature is a clever beast and a few days without rain has seen the image transformed with the Autumn garden now bearing fruit and the foragers hard at work- that includes Dibley my dog who returned home after a walk yesterday with a very purple mouth and tongue giving evidence of his bramble consumption!! Hopefully je picked his own and did not simply steal from my bucket!

weather wc 13th September

What a difference a day makes! its amazing to see peoples faces after just one day without rain and suddenly the great British tradition of talking about the weather is forgotten and we all seem to find new brighter subjects to talk about. Anyway the good news seems to be that yesterdays sunshine is set to continue for a few more days and given the cooler nights and slow starts to the morning I am certain the wonderful autumn mist will be here for a few more dawns- although it does make it extremely photogenic with mist hovering just above the water. Anyway for now lets just enjoy the moment and hope this indian summer lasts longer than needed!

Today: Early mist and fog patches will clear during the morning then it will be a dry day with some sunny spells.

Monday:After  a dry night with clear spells monday may start rather cloudy but it should clear and brighten up

Tuesday:It will be a dry day with the clouds breaking to give some bright or sunny spells, especially towards the hills and the lack of wind will make the most of the warmth.

wednesday: The same as Tuesday due to high pressure  dominating the weather keeping most places dry with some sunshine.

Thursday :It should remain dry and bright with te slight wind feeling a wee bit cooler than the start of the week

Friday:Although it will remain generally dry for most of the day it may start to change later in the day as it starts to return to a slight period of uncertainty

Saturday:It is likely to become more unsettled and windy at times, with more cloud and occasional rain.