Scots Magazine Features Loch Earn Tourist Villages and Personalities

It was my great pleasure to accompany D C Thomson & Co Ltd  journalist Garry Fraser on a tour of the four villages around Loch Earn in July on behalf of The Loch Earn Tourism Initiative (LETI) of which I am a member.  Garry Fraser was considering material for a story in The Scots Magazine.

August edition of The Scots Magazine

LETI members support each other in looking after visitors and in  promoting local  events, services, private tours, Perthshire holiday accommodation and places to eat and drink via website www.robroycountry.com .  I drove Garry around Loch Earn to the picturesque villages of St Fillans, Strathyre, Balquhidder and Lochearnhead visiting many points of interest and covering local stories and folklore. We visited St Fillans Golf Club (Sandy Lyle's favourite inland golf course), the entrance to majestic Munro Ben Vorlich from Ardvorlich House,  Edinample Falls and bridge beside Edinample Castle, Glen Ample (where Diana Rigg once lived with SAS founder David Stirling's brother Archie),  Balquhidder Kirk which houses stories of famous visitors including Queen Victoria and William and Dorothy Wordsworth and where Rob Roy MacGregor is buried,  Sula Soft Furnishings new workshop,  The Lochearnhead Hotel and The Lochearnhead Water Sports Centre.  We discussed ancient pine forests, the drove roads, fairy stories, the close knit community, wild camping, The Highland Games, the annual sheep shearing event and The Black Face Sheep trophy,   The Villagers newspaper, The Lochearnhead Water Sports Centre, fishing, history of the first person to water ski on Loch Earn, local Munro's, ospreys on Loch Earn and so much more.  The result was a four page feature in the August edition of the magazine with a quote from yours truly and a photo of Fraser and me in front of Briar Holiday Cottages.    Garry returned to interview local personalities including Loch Earn's resident sea plane flying instructor and The president of The BLS Highland Games. This time a seven page feature was published in the September issue. The front cover is a fantastic photo of the local red sea plane taking off at the water sports centre. The shot was taken by local photographer Alistair Barclay of Alba Virtual Tours.



September issue of The Scots Magazine



 A two page teaser view of the September issue can be seen on the Scots Magazine website. 

 

I have been very impressed with the quality of articles and the people that are interviewed for The Scots Magazine. I am about to order three 2013 calendars for relatives in Canada and America and am now planning a subscription for a family member for Christmas.  

NB: For a self catering holiday cottage on Loch Earn for Christmas or New Year visit www.stayatbriar.co.uk .


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#Brave doll meets Kelly James (Olympic torch bearer) at her fund raising stall, Highland Games, Lochearnhead 2012.

Merida Dolly holds the Olympic Torch that young fundraiser Kelly James Held

#Brave doll meets Kelly James (Olympic torch bearer) at her fund raising stall, Highland Games, Lochearnhead 2012.: My #Brave doll met "fellow" red head Kelly James (Olympic torch bearer) at her fund raising stall, during the Highland Games, Lochearnhead 2012.

Looking forward to the launch of the Disney Pixar cartoon #Brave this August? I suspect that  more adults will watch it than children all over the world. Well, so many generations were brought up with the fantasy world of Disney and it never leaves you. We love the Brave trailer as the fantasy setting reminds us of Loch Earn and the surrounding area full of lochs, mountains, ancient forests and castles and many folklore and fairy stories, like the ones that I tell to our holiday cottage guests.  Anyone who is into Natural Scotland; the imagery, wildlife, peace and outdoor activities will be in seventh heaven at Briar Cottages in Lochearnhead, bang in the centre of Scotland.

Merida, Brave doll at Lochearnhead Highland Games

Merida with a McLaren, Lochearnhead



Merida with local character Maggi



Merida doll copies the Highland dancers Lochearnhead



Merida Dolly at Briar Cottages Loch Earn



Merida doll points to Briar Cottage thatched roof

Merida does highland dance to piper music Lochearnhead

Video of Gordon McLaren at the McLaren marquee, Highland Games Lochearnhead 2012. Gordon's  ancesters lived in Briar Cottage Lochearnhead over a 200 year period.

Water Horse Inhabits Loch Earn- Beware of Handsome Men

Path from summer house to jetty, Briar Cottages garden, Loch Earn

According to folklore and legend, a water horse or "Each Uisge" inhabits Loch Earn; the most central loch in Scotland. I am glad I found out. We invite Briar holiday cottages guests to picnic and fish from our 250ft garden on the north shore in Lochearnhead. 

We regularly see ospreys,  water skiers and the local sea plane taking off and landing but nothing supernatural to report so far. Anyway, eat your heart out Nessie. This Scottish water spirit, that was chased from Loch Tay by Fingal the Giant, is reported to be far more dangerous than a mere kelpie from Loch Ness. What should visitors look out for? Beware a fine horse, pony or handsome man. 

Ride on a strange horses back at your peril. If Each Uisge sees or smells the loch with a mounted rider, its skin becomes adhesive, the riders hands will stick to its neck and they will be whisked off to the deepest part of the loch to be drowned. I don't want to put you off local handsome men that woo today’s maidens; just be aware of any bloke walking about with water weeds in his hair!