Eriska, Scottish Island

weather wc 27th December

As I walked home last night it was the first time for a while a waterproof jacket would have been preferred to a thick warm woolly cover and it really felt like a change in the weather was upon us, but nothing is ever so simple and between getting home and walking back to work today the temperature must have plummeted as all the rain and water has now changed to sheet ice. Although this was mentioned as a possibility it was never seen as probable in our eyes as we thought our proximity to the sea would keep us warm in a blanket of protection! How wrong we were.

Anyway it has been an extraordinary week given the conditions across Britain but it has allowed us some wonderful conditions for people to relax with lots of long walks in the fresh air closely followed by returning to burning log fires and wonderful afternoon teas and mince pies. So will the last week of the year have the same in store or willl it become treacherous?

Today: After a start of wintry showers which should be dying out this morning we should then move into much drier and brighter conditions this afternoon.

Monday: After a a wet start with patchy rain, sleet and snow possible on the higher ground this will die out this morning with bright spells developing. Then most places will be dry with some sunshine this afternoon. Icy at times and winds will stay light.

Tuesday: Dry and frosty with clear spells. Rain and sleet showers will reach Eriska later in the afternoon, turning to snow as they drift inland later in the night

Wednesday: Mainly dry, bright start. Showers will move eastwards during the day, especially to the North  where on higher ground they will fall as snow. Fewer showers further south. Staying cold with light winds.

Thursday:There is a risk of further sleet and snow as a cold front positions itself over Scotland - but we are now getting used to that! However on the positive side as the north winds begin to push in it should start to dry up offering brighter spells but staying frosty in many areas overnight.

Friday:it looks like being a cold start to 2010  with snow showers affecting many areas, especially higher ground. This will lead to a widespread and sharp frost.

Saturday:The only real change form Friday will be that it should be drier but the cold weather will certainly continue.  Overnight frosts are likely to continue and will be sharpest in the early hours.

Golf abandoned- creative thinking substitued!

I suppose any realist would have given up hope of running any kind of golf competition given the freezing conditions but ever the optimist i had hoped for a thaw overnight with the possibility of a few holes under competitive spirit if a bit altered rules but it was not to be so it was back to the drawing board!

luckily we are not short of ideas here at Eriska although whether they are good or usable is often a matter for discussion, so we launched a simple treasure hunt this afternoon with several criteria- firstly it must be equal to the lowest possible denominator, secondly it must finish before dark-the thought of wandering out at dusk seeking lost guests whilst feasible isa not ideal, thirdly given christmas exertion and over consumption probably a modest pace would also be more welcome. So armed with this and plenty advice we set and ran the Erisak Treasure hunt.

It was needless to say received well by the winners and misconceived by the loosers but I suppose the main point is that we all got out in the fresh air to enjoy what may be the last day of winter here at Eriska as the predicted thaw is not far away, at least for now!

Perfect Conditions for the Eriska Christmas triathalon

the first year we opened for Christmas, over 14 years ago, all our visitors arrived and the next day- boxing day- I went out for the papers on black roads and returned half an hour later to snow covered tracks and that immediately froze and stayed with us for the whole festive period. In fact it was so deep the freeze that the snow had a wonderful crust on it and you could walk over most areas of the island. For many of our visitors this was their first christmas in Scotland and obviously we did not draw their attention to the fact that this was abnormal weather for us but we have now been luck enough over the years to have had a couple of white Christmas's and really to date only one where it rained and rained consistently, but that is enough to remind us how lucky we are for good weatherer of this period and not to take anything for granted.

Anyway this year it has been a challenge for some of our guest to reach us but now we are full and everybody has arrived we can really breathe a sigh of relief and start planning how to keep busy! Today was supposed to be a golf tournament but the frost- not the snow- put paid to that and therefore we arranged a mini triathlon. However the temperature and icy conditions stopped us running cycling and swimming in the sea so it was down to garden darts, speed croquet and iced bowls. All far more  civilized and probably easier on the eye and most importantly no injuries. But the sun shone and with mince-pies and mulled wine in hand a good time was had by all!

Lights, Camera, Action!!

Having now put of Christmas decorations for as long as possible it became a mad dash to get it all done first before Christmas guests start to arrive and secondly before it got dark as hanging tree lights is not so easy for the hanger although for those standing at the foot of the ladder and tree it seems to give them more opportunities to voice an opinion!!

So no sooner where the trees delivered than Chay and his team were hard at work first erecting them and then hanging the lights on. Being an organized Chap- sometimes- Chay had already had all the light sets checked and most importantly untangled form last year and it was then a simple matter of draping the trees in light. I however was conned , with feigned words of praise about last years effort, into climbing the weeping tree outside lilac cottage. Again the tree has been bathed in the light of 2000 bulbs and 500m of wire. The easiest was I have discovered to do this without disaster is to light the rope and then place it on the tree, firstly to see where I have been and secondly to insure that it is still all working as it is installed .

Anyway just as dusk arrived, it was the years shortest day, nothing like a challenge, we completed the task and simply had to cover up the evidence and tidy away any stray wires and then stand back and admire the handy-work. Next it will be the task of Dennis hardley to pop down and capture the scene on camera and then we will be ready for Christmas Action! So so far so good with no accidents in installation, clearly my risk analysis into tree climbing for Christmas lights has paid off- another reason I was volunteered for the task rather than one of my paid associates!!

Weather wc20th December- Christmas Week!

Whilst it certainly looks like a winter wonderland for an hour or two after it snows this soon changes if the roads become slippy and icy and we have been lucky here at Eriska to miss the worst of this with lovely views of snow capped peaks on the mountains and cold first thing in the morning down low but each day it has thawed quickly and so far no accidents to report. Anyway the big question is will Santa arrive on his sleigh or will he have to be motorized and on wheels to reach us!

Today: Bright start but frequent and occasionally heavy snow showers on the hills with sleet on coast generally it will edge south through the day, giving some significant snowfall, especially over western hills but by tea time we should be through the worst of it although the northerly breeze will make it seem even colder.

Monday:Some sunny spells but with a decreasing risk of heavy snow showers although there will be some lying snow drifting in strong northwesterly winds.

Tuesday: This cold spell of weather will continue with some sunshine and further sleet and snow showers, heavy at times. Also severe frosts inland. Lighter winds.

Wednesday: It will remain unsettled and often windy during the day with a mixture of brighter spells and showers or longer spells of rain, sleet or snow likely across many areas.

Christmas Eve:  The precipitation will be occasionally heavy but it is possible it will become less cold during this period with precipitation perhaps turning to rain. Otherwise it continues generally cold, particularly across higher mountain areas with overnight frosts and icy surfaces

Christmas Day:It will be cold but should be dry although i'm afraid there is little chance of a white Christmas here at Eriska!

Saturday:After a dry start it will slowly deteriorate becomming unsettled and mostly cold. The main sleet and snow risk will continue on the hills

 

Pond replanning

It now seems an age ago that we decided to take the bull by the horns, so to speak, and created a huge ditch across the front lawn with believe it or not a raised water feature to try and help the drainage issue in front of the main house. Whilst the victorians were definitely shrewd architects locating the house behind a slight rise in the land to allow it both views out to the ocean and a layer of protection from winter storms and wind when it really blows they were not so clever at there lawn management.

The front lawn is formed behind a bank of raised beach which had allowed itself over time to become a reservoir for peat and as we all now know from digging around on the golf course peat is not the best medium for drainage. The plan with the front lawn had been to dig through the peat and create a natural drainage line for the excess water to escape. This has worked in many ways however we neglected to include the fact that peat seems to be a magnet for the rain and therefore it seems to retain much of the water that falls from the sky leaving it to remain damp, at least, underfoot in most conditions.

However we also decided that in order to break the view and to help the local wildlife and flora we would create a simple pond, and to make this safe- health and safety as ever being on our minds-  we made it shallow but this therefore gave issues with getting water to it and insuring the water remained. For this we piped a pond from the hillside to import the water and lined it again with peat but this seemed to work well until the weed started to overtake the pond and no amount of wading and pulling of weed seemed to keep it under control so this week we removed by mechanical extraction much f the excess weed and cleaned out the boundaries of the pond leaving a much improved vista. Especially as with a bit of snow on the ground last night any devastation caused by the tracked vehicles removing the debris was all covered in a white layer of snow.

Anyway as ever it is progress and now we will wait for spring and the new grass to recover and camouflage the paths and hopefully by May the water Lillie's will have returned and all will be right with the world!

Ba Humbug to Christmas-- for now!

I am sure I am not alone wondering if there is a correlation between festive fatigue and the fact that some people bedeck their houses and businesses in ever increasing numbers of decorations closer and closer to summer every year! It was amazing how noticeable it was last week when I was in Switzerland where houses were not really noticeably christmasy and when I asked I was told it was normal for the decorations to go up 12 days before Christmas- a bit like it used to be here in Scotland but not now!!

In fact when I was in London during the first week of November for a meeting at the Dorchester I was amazed to see the tree and tinsel already in place. Luckily there was no christmas carols bellowing from the rafters or I think I would have had to walk!! Anyway this year we will not be decorating the house until the last possible opportunity as we have had a Special request from a guests who is escaping for a quiet weekend of reflection before the onslaught of Christmas at the end of next week. Clearly I was happy to oblige although my Mother has a different view. She would prefer to put up the decorations in private when the hotel is closed and as far from Christmas as possible so if we have forgotten anything then there is time to rectify it.

The positive side however for her is that we will all offer to help and by doing so will see the immense work she puts into the operation and rather than standing on the sidelines commenting we may be able to lend a hand and it will also teach us why we spend so much time carefully taking down the arrangements so that next December we can find exactly what we are looking for ! Anyway its not that we are scrooge and humbug about Christmas- indeed it is a wonderful time of year for Eriska as the House lends itself to a house party atmosphere- no papers, stress or rushing simply reklaxation and enjoyment.

Anyway there is only so much Festive spirit to go round that we would prefer to keep it concentrated on the 12 days around Christmas and New Year and I am sure others agree - There is only so much Ho ho ho's and Jolly Japes that Chay can manage!!

Visiting the Patient!

When we arrived at eriska we inherited an old tractor and whilst it was not the most efficient and I am sure in todays world would never conform to any health and safety regulations it did fulfill ne criteria which was that it was here! After a few years we managed to invest in a new massey Ferguson 135 and had it specially adapted to the needs of eriska. It was converted to take half tracks for use around the island, especially pulling wood from the depths of the hills side and had a strong PTO link added to allow us to use machinery such as circular saws and hydraulic splitters.

It has been at Er iska for as long as I can remember and indeed I can even think back to days cowering in the lee of the wind behind the wheel when when we were planting trees in the remote field, which was eventually to become my Parents house Lymphoy, and now those trees are over 10M tall. Anyway we have used and abused the tractor whilst at the same time it has dug us out of a few tight spots, and got us into some, whether through our own stupidity or lack of judgment but it has done sterling service and plans were in place this year to retire it and replace it.

However the local mechanic pricked my ears up when he offered a good sum for the carcass of a machine and on questioning explained that firstly they don't make machines as reliable today and indeed the value of the tractor was in the engine which would run for ever and if we were to give it some TLC and attend to the safety issues he could see no reason why it would not survive for many years to come and we would see this retirement as premature. Ever keen to look after the old Chay was tasked with investigating this option and to cut an long story short 4 weeks ago the tractor disappeared for a full makeover. A list of tasks was set down but no time limit was set so when Chay returned from holiday not surprisingly he questioned where the tractor was.

In reality we had been diverted to other tasks so yesterday at his first opportunity he dashed into Oban to check out progress and reported back that te patient was well and well on the road to rude health. It looks like we will have the MF 135 back for Christmas and in full service again after the New Year. If only an oil change and filter service could give us all back 30 years!!

weather wc 13th December

After spending a couple of hours on the golf course working the dump truck and dressed like the michelin man top keep the cold out, I can certainly attest to the fact that winter is upon us and with the nights creeping in I will be gl;ad when te next week has passed and the days start to get longer and the temperatures begin to rise. certainly the weather this week willl be a shock to the daffodil and snow drop plants that have started to sprout but as last year maybe they willl simply retreat underground, if they have any sense, and reappear next year!!

Anyway as the odds of a white Christmas on the BBC weather centre plummet what is in store for Eriska ?

Today:. Mainly dry but cloudy and becoming milder overnight

Monday: The frost will become more widespread again during the early morning, along with some fog patches.

Tuesday:The clouds will thicken up during the night allowing temperatures to begin to rise and fog patches will disperse through still quite misty.

Wednesday: It will be a mainly cloudy, misty day and although mostly dry, some thicker cloud may produce the odd patch of light rain. Less cold with brisk northwesterly winds.

Thursday: Cloudy, misty with the odd patch of light rain. Extensive hill fog. Fresh northwesterly winds over the tops.

friday: Colder again with a strong north wind at times. Some sunny spells and also a few showers, these turning wintry to the eastern hills.

Saturday: There is also the risk of some more persistent sleet or snow at times on the higher ground whereas the driest conditions are most likely to occur near the coastline

 

Golf between Rock and a hard place!

When I leave the hotel for a couple of days I am always slightly concerned how much will be achieved in my absence and probably in truth I always imagine more will happen than actually does so I return to a disappointment however this week I was delighted to see the progress on the golf course. As I have mentioned in one of the earlier blogs, the work on the course hard to be postponed as with water pouring from above and even rising from below it became very difficult for Ronnie Macoll to see where the drains were most urgently needed and where the water was flowing so we decided that discretion was the better part of valour and agreed mutually to stop work.

I had seen the stop as a postponement and Ronnie had seen it as abandonment but after a moderate discussion and helped by the fact that we held some of his equipment for ransom, we persuaded him to return and probably in the back of his mind he imagined the weather would drive him off so he could get back to proper work and I had a feeling that would happen too but it was all worth a try. In reality the weather has been perfect with cold nights making soft ground stable and warm sunshine keeping operators hands warm.

So now we have broken down the rocky outcrops and used the material to refill the old drains making the fairways long and rolling rather than short and dangerous with cross drains every shot. It has killed two birds with one stone removing unnecessary hazards from the fairway and also giving good drainage material for the ditches which have now been piped. Although I accept they will take a bit of settlement and need a chance top let the grass grow back I also can now really see potential and the 6th hole especially is a real proper golf challenge with a narrow fairway- imposed by the nature restrictions not allowing semi-rough because of the wonderful butterfly collection in particular- but at least with three good shots the green is achievable and even for a short hitter such as me I have the chance of getting there with the same ball.

Now we need the same weather to hold till the middle of the week and the finishing touches can be made before the rain can return and wash the excess dirt from the surface.