Eriska, Scottish Island

Eriska Wildlife

Despite the changeable weather we have experienced on Eriska over the past week, our Guests have still managed to get out and about to enjoy life outdoors on the Island.  As ever, the wildlife on Eriska constantly gives our guests something to talk about which often brings them back to visit in the future!

Last weekend one of our Guests was exploring the island and having returned from their time at Eriska sent us some images (below) of the wildlife they came across during their stay.  
 
 


Possible book ends above?  Send in any more Eriska photo gems you may have!

It’s often difficult to guarantee our guests will see all the wildlife that inhabits the Island in just one visit but we do try our best to point them in the direction of various nature hot stops around the Island – also seen on our Virtual tour.  For those of you who stay us regularly will recall our regular night time visitors, the badgers, that visit us most nights after dinner are always in demand by our guests as long as we remember to stick to our part of the bargain – feeding them!  Have a look at our badger bedlam game which is still running – watch out for me!

Wise words from the kitchen

We seem to have seen the last of the summer here at Eriska, however we are still hopeful for the odd ray of sunshine before the winter finally sets in. Having already experienced a few cold and frosty nights at Eriska, this signals the mushroom season is getting close to an end, although some types will still be found around Eriska until late autumn and early winter. Wise words from Tyron in our kitchen will shed some light on the mushroom which has featured in many of Eriska’s dishes this month… So what is a mushroom? Mushroom and any fungus is only the reproductive part of the organism, known as the fruit body (the actual mushroom which we get to see), which develops to form and distribute the spores. Fungi in their structure have some similarities to plants, but they lack chlorophyll, and are therefore unable to build up the carbon compounds essential to life, instead they draw their substances ready made from living or dead plants, or even animals as animals do. Mushrooms are composed of very thin tubes known as hyphae. The hyphae develop into a fine cob web like net known as the mycelium and grow through the material from which the fungus obtains its nutrition. In most cases the mycelium is very fine and can’t be seen without the aid of a microscope. To produce a fruiting body two mycelia of the same species have to band together, then given the right conditions of nutrition, humidity, temperature and light, a fruit body will be formed and with sufficient water, expand into a mushroom. A fruit body may only exist for a few days before rotting away but the mycelium which produces it might live for years. The larger fungi are divided into two distinct groups: The spore droppers, and The spore shooters. The spore droppers: Basidiomycetes, in these the spores are developed on the outside of a specialized, club shaped cells called Basidia. As they mature the spores fall from the basidia and are normally distributed by the wind. Boletus, puff balls and chanterelles fall under this category of spore dropping. The spore shooters: Ascomycetes, also called Ascos, form spores within clubs of flask-shaped sacs called asci. When the spores have matured they are shot out through the tip of the ascus. Morels and truffles belong to this group of fungi. Fungi are the third natural kingdom, just as important as animals and flowering plants. The world of plants is incredibly dependant on fungi. Fungi break down leaf litter and dead wood and thus ensure that the surface has a fertile soil rather than being a heap of detritus

Wise words from the kitchen

We seem to have seen the last of the summer here at Eriska, however we are still hopeful for the odd ray of sunshine before the winter finally sets in. Having already experienced a few cold and frosty nights at Eriska, this signals the mushroom season is getting close to an end, although some types will still be found around Eriska until late autumn and early winter. Wise words from Tyron in our kitchen will shed some light on the mushroom which has featured in many of Eriska’s dishes this month… So what is a mushroom? Mushroom and any fungus is only the reproductive part of the organism, known as the fruit body (the actual mushroom which we get to see), which develops to form and distribute the spores. Fungi in their structure have some similarities to plants, but they lack chlorophyll, and are therefore unable to build up the carbon compounds essential to life, instead they draw their substances ready made from living or dead plants, or even animals as animals do. Mushrooms are composed of very thin tubes known as hyphae. The hyphae develop into a fine cob web like net known as the mycelium and grow through the material from which the fungus obtains its nutrition. In most cases the mycelium is very fine and can’t be seen without the aid of a microscope. To produce a fruiting body two mycelia of the same species have to band together, then given the right conditions of nutrition, humidity, temperature and light, a fruit body will be formed and with sufficient water, expand into a mushroom. A fruit body may only exist for a few days before rotting away but the mycelium which produces it might live for years. The larger fungi are divided into two distinct groups: The spore droppers, and The spore shooters. The spore droppers: Basidiomycetes, in these the spores are developed on the outside of a specialized, club shaped cells called Basidia. As they mature the spores fall from the basidia and are normally distributed by the wind. Boletus, puff balls and chanterelles fall under this category of spore dropping. The spore shooters: Ascomycetes, also called Ascos, form spores within clubs of flask-shaped sacs called asci. When the spores have matured they are shot out through the tip of the ascus. Morels and truffles belong to this group of fungi. Fungi are the third natural kingdom, just as important as animals and flowering plants. The world of plants is incredibly dependant on fungi. Fungi break down leaf litter and dead wood and thus ensure that the surface has a fertile soil rather than being a heap of detritus

Spanish weekend Memories!

Having just returned from a Spanish Jaunt with limited memory I asked one of my fellow travellers to record the events and below is his report

"Fine wine, dine, recline." These were the only four words I could utter to my wife when she asked how our trip went. I was being collected from the airport on Sunday night, knowing that I might be over the limit until mid-week. The joyous occasion was Beppo's stag do and as you can imagine it was a fittingly gastronomic event.

After the inevitable delay to our flights (the French strike was to blame) we found ourselves in the delightful city of San Sebastian, in northern Spain, which is fast becoming known as a culinary capital. We were introduced to the 'pincho', which I understand is Spanish for spike, or 'pintxo' in Basque. This is the Basque Country's version of tapas, which is central to the culture of drinking and socialising.

The next day we walked part of the northern coastal route that makes up one of the longer branches of the network of ancient pilgrim routes of the Camio de Santiago (the way of St James). Some expert planning made a diversion to a local vineyard possible. Urki is a relatively new winery with the latest technology but which produces txakoli in a traditional way. Their vibrant straw coloured, slightly sparkling, wine is very elegant and has distinguished aromas. Our hosts showcased their wines with a small number of well-matched pinchos and gave us a tour of their production facilities.

After the tasting we were back off on the coastal trail. Our arrival at the restaurant knocked as a very welcome visitor on the door of our 'inner man', so to speak. We lunched on the most wonderful shellfish and two absolutely enormous barbecued turbot. A short siesta followed.

That evening we enjoyed a truly magnificent parallel blind tasting in the epicurean surroundings of Akelare, Pedro Subijana's restaurant. Akelare is the Basque word for a witch's coven, and they certainly know how to work magic through their Aranori degustation menu. A particular highlight of the menu was the roast pigeon. However, it was hard to choose between this manumission of flavors and textures.

The stag party enjoyed the weekend immeasurably and we can unconditionally recommend San Sebastian as a destination for a short break. Great weather, great food, great wine, and most of all, great company! It was a fitting way to celebrate the impending nuptials of our dear friend.

Vernon Gayle"

Forth Road Bridge refurbishment!

 

Following the busy week we have had here at the hotel, we are grateful that the weekend has finally arrived to give us time to catch our breath for the following weeks ahead.  With camera crews no where to be seen and three refurbished rooms to tick off on our to-do list, it has given us a chance to look back on our achievements to date as well as looking forward towards our future plans and where we want to reach, which is even more daunting!

Our Multi-purpose Hall is progressing well with what was formally known as our tennis court almost disappeared, as the foundations start to take shape and the serious work begins.  After the months of talk and preparations the light is finally beginning to be seen at the end of the tunnel.  However, we are trying not to be too optimistic so are keeping our fingers crossed for everything to run smoothly until it’s completion.

Turning to look at our future plans, we are in the process of pushing forward in our quest to extent the Library area in the main hotel.  Following talks with architects and builders, we have reached the stage of putting a timescale to action our plans.  During our closed period in January we hope to get the majority of the work completed thus causing least disruption to our guests, in the hope that by the time we re-open at the end of January, our guests will have the opportunity to relax and benefit from the fruits of our labour!

Early bird- early worm!

It has been a busy week here at Eriska with filming and renovations happening at the Hotel.  Today alone we have already been visited by a Camera Crew, carpet fitters, curtain fitters, interior designers and one of our suppliers - Willie Fish!

Our team in the Kitchen were up at the crack of dawn this morning to ensure they were looking their best for our film shoot.  Having reached the final of the Scottish Thistle Awards “Taste of Scotland Award” for the second year running, we were asked to provide some footage of our behind the scenes work in the kitchen from source to plate, to highlight our work with local suppliers and their produce as well as our own home grown produce on Eriska.  Our head chef, Robert, was joined by Tyron in the Kitchen and Willie from Oban’s “Willie Fish” to enjoy their 15 minutes of fame as the cameras rolled.  An hour and a half later, after a lot of hard work, we had enough footage to call it a day so all we can do now is wait to hear and see the end result on 29th October.

Meanwhile, we are continuing to press ahead with refurbishing the rest of our rooms in the main house to keep it fresh and welcoming for our past, present and future guests.  The carpet fitters, curtain fitters and interior designers have been hard at work over the past few days as 3 of our rooms in the main house, Soay, Iona and Seil, have been undergoing renovation.  With only today left to finish off these rooms, the carpets were laid, and the finishing touches made to the rooms ready for our guests coming to stay with us tomorrow!

Kitchen goes Nuts!

Eriska the Island is home to many seasonal produce which is grown and used in our kitchen, giving our guests a “taste of the island”.  Hazels are one such ingredient, growing on Eriska which finds its way into many dishes in our kitchen.

Also known as cobnuts these are the fruit of the hazel tree - a small hardy tree, and more often a multi stemmed shrub.  Growing in woods shrubs and hedges; it’s abundant throughout the British Isles except in very damp areas.

A deciduous shrub usually 1.5-3.5m high which flowers from December to April and the nuts are borne from late August to October. Its English name is derived from the Anglo-Saxon “haesel knut” from “haesel” - a hat or cap thus meaning a nut enclosed in a cap.

When picking cob-nuts one, try not to pick them too early as they are likely to be soft and tasteless. They ripen in mid to late September at about the same time the leaves begin to yellow. At this time you might have to compete with squirrels and birds!

Whether the hazelnut is fresh or processed, they are a very versatile commodity in the kitchen, used in many different items such as: salads, muesli, oils, breads, nougat, praline and many other both sweet and savory dishes – even featuring in today’s menu!  by Tyron in the Kitchen

 

Weather wc19th September

Having spoken confidently about the equinox gales towards the end of the month they all seemed to start rather early and certainly given a couple of trees down on the island due to high winds it could be assumed that the worst of the weather is over. However weather is a strange game and I would not be sop confident to predict a calm week but lets see what is ahead!

Today: After a dry start it will deteriorate with rain spreading from the southwest.

Monday: Clear spells at first with thicker cloud and rain pushing in later in the day.

Tuesday: Mostly cloudy during the day with further outbreaks of rain, heavy at first and again later. Some brighter drier spells in the afternoon.

Wednesday: A wet morning with extensive hill fog. Becoming drier in the afternoon, some sunny intervals, wet again by dusk.

Thursday: Rain will die out during the night with drier, brighter weather following. Then mainly dry for the rest of the day.

Friday:  Probably dry but outbreaks of rain, locally heavy later in the day.

Saturday: It is expected to remain unsettled, with the rainfall becoming more showery at times. There should also be some drier and brighter spells for most areas during the same period.

Christmas Planning

It seems to come round so fast every year and whilst many may think that it is too early to think about Christmas I have always been a believer that the more planning we do the easier it will be nearer to the time. With only a few rooms left for Christmas and enquiries coming in the main thrust of thought is on the activities we will be able to offer.

 On a positive note we may be able to use our new indoor facility and with the huge number of opportunities this will bring even more options but on the negative side I am never willing to commit to finishing a product by a date unless I actually can see light at the end of the tunnel or in this case no light through the roof! The building is scheduled to be out of the ground by November with a full frame erected and the walls under way and then it will be the roof and cladding all before we can even start thinking about a surface on the floor and activities over Christmas.

However at the back of my mind is that if we can have it ready for Christmas MacPhersons Law- the one that says if you drop a slice of bread on the floor it will always fall butter down- says that it will be a stunning Christmas for weather and outdoor activities leaving any effort to finish by Christmas in vein and if we fail to make the deadline its sure to be a rotten- so we will strive to finish in time!

Other than that we are also working on the calendar for next year so it is ready in time for anyone who wants a copy before the year begins and we have just selected the image for the Christmas card,  fortunatelyDennis was alert last year when the frost was on the ground so we have plenty to choose from, in fact almost too many leaving a  tricky decision to be reached.

Multi Purpose Indoor Facility breaks ground

With the unpredictable weather we have here in Scotland, the team at Eriska are continually coming up with different ways in which we can make our guests’ stay at Eriska as memorable and enjoyable as possible regardless of the weather.

As a result, earlier this year we announced that we had gained planning permission for a Multi-purpose Sports Hall at Eriska to provide our guests with plenty of activities should the weather turn on us!  Having gained this planning permission, we have finally been able to push ahead with our plans. 

 

Back in August, diggers were brought in to clear the ground which has allowed the real work to begin in September.  This week, our Estate team have been hard at work moving our plans forward and laying the foundations for the sports hall.  However, this has meant that our tennis court is temporarily out of action as we work hard to finish this project in time for winter.

For those of you who will be joining us this winter and during future visits, we look forward to welcoming you to try out our new Multi-purpose Sports Hall while we will put on our thinking caps for our next venture!