New York Marathon Competitor versus Wedding Day Planner

Running the New York marathon is surely similar to organising a Scottish wedding on the grounds of your property. There is the all year preparation, tremendous reward on the day and you are thoroughly exhausted with aching feet when it’s all over. That’s how Fraser and I felt after his daughters wedding on the grounds of our old thatched cottage in Lochearnhead on August 15. It was a magnificent set up with a marquee on the 250 foot garden on Loch Earn. Angela commandeered our holiday cottage, Little Briar, and was able to admire the stunning views from her vantage point and keep an eye on us all flapping about getting things ready. The cottage turned out to be a perfect honeymoon suite for Angela and her husband Steven too.

Their wedding cake was built on site by MHOR bread from Callander who sent a couple to place the sugar roses on by hand and to make the leaves. It was not only a stunning work of art, it tasted magnificent too with carrot cake on the bottom then chocolate, then lemon, then a plain sponge with sugar thistles and roses on top.

Town and Country Catering provided the food impressing guests with canapés, a first class meal and a buffet in the evening. How they did it from a catering marquee I will never know. We had Jim Brown a local piper as well as a young string quartet during the day. The wedding band "Obsession" arrived from Edinburgh and had everyone dancing on their feet, including a few neighbours in Lochearnhead who confessed later that they were dancing in their gardens until midnight! It was a truly magnificent day. We felt a little flat afterwards but not for long as we are already working on plans for a second self catering holiday cottage. Putting on a wedding is so far proving easier to organise!

Tune into BBC Radio Scotland - A House With A Past

I wrote to BBC radio Scotland some time ago asking if they could help me to find more information on the history of our house, Briar Cottage, on the banks of Loch Earn in Lochearnhead. The producer of " A House with a Past" telephoned and asked if I would be happy to put my questions to their resident house detective to answer. Tune into the programme on Monday 10th August at 10.30 to find out what is said. We know that two centuries of McLarens lived in our thatched cottage and that the original owners were MacGregors using the pseudonym Murray. A MacGregor(nee Murray) baby was born here in 1727, registered at Balquhidder Parsh and the Duke of Breadalbane owned the land and property at one point. There are some missing pieces to tie up and the BBC's house detective might just be the man to point me in the right direction.

Eventful Villages around Loch Earn

Daffy Ducks chicks never made it. Not one of them! We bought these metal chicks at the Scottish Game Fair in Scone and have popped them on top of the hot tub roof as a memorial.

The Lochearnhead Highlands Games and WakeScot are over for another year however we still have the village Fete in Lochearnhead to look forward to on the 16th August and Festive Weekend in St Fillans at the other end of Loch Earn from the 14th. St Fillans hosts a real mix of family fun in their 3 day event with a mini highland games, a hog roast,cricket, ladies netball a jazz band and more. A great day for the kids before school term starts again. Throughout August and September there are various live music events in the area, with folk, jazz, rock bands and DJ's appearing in various venues. September sees the horticulture show in Strathyre village hall on the 5th, the Gents golf open in St Fillans and the The Loch Earn 6.5 mile open water swimming event on the glorious 12th, a jazz buffet at Tullybannocher Cafe on the 18th and the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park Doors Open Day on the 19th and 20th. The National Park organises Doors Open Day to give everyone a peak at unusual or interesting buildings that are not usually open to the public. Guests at Little Briar Holiday Cottage get to see inside our house "Briar Cottage", however we will be opening the lounge to anyone who would like to see our cruck timber ceiling, i.e., 2 trees holding up the thatched roof in the old byre of our 17th century renovated longhouse where centuries of McLarens and McGregors have tread before us! Pop in.

Water Skiing and Wakeboarding on Loch Earn with plenty of ballast in the boat!

We ventured out on to Loch Earn last week with neighbour Gordon and his son Stewart. They invited us for a spin in their boat while they demonstrated their watersport skills. Both men are confident enthusiasts and adore Loch Earn. Fraser and I assisted in our own way by being the extra ballast in the boat! Stewart went out first on the wakeboard, then on his knee board, while his dad showed us the art of water skiing. We were most impressed. I am hoping that Stewart will enter WakeScot, Scotlands premier wakeboarding event which is to take place in Lochearnhead at the Water Sports and Activities centre on the weekend of August 1st 2009. It is perhaps fitting that the event which is endorsed by governing bodies Waterski Scotland and British Water Ski, is being held locally given that Loch Earn was Scotlands very first commercial water skiing venue in the 1950's . It should be a great spectacle for visitors and fun for those participating. The centre offers a number of water sports activities as well as archery, mountain bike hire, quad biking and more. There is also a cafe offering breakfast, snacks, ice cream, meals, coffee, cake and drinks.

Briar Cottage enjoys new thatch thanks to Historic Scotland and Something Corny

Briar Cottage in Lochearnhead has a new reed thatch on the east end over the cruck timber ceiling in the byre room(now our lounge). Just in time too as the draughts in the winter were so bad that I could just about blow dry my hair on the inside. Thank you to Historic Scotland for awarding our B listed cottage a grant and to master thatcher Peter Brugge and his team for doing an excellent job. Elaine Lindsay from Something Corny (http://www.somethingcorny.co.uk/) in Inverurie also came up trumps when we challenged her to create straw finials in the shape of ducks in honour of resident mallard Daffy and her ducklings. We decided to place them on the west gable rather than the new section, in order that they could greet Little Briar holiday cottage guests entering the grounds. Anyone who would like a peek at our 17th century cruck timber ceiling should look out for the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park Open Day on the 19th and 20th of September 2009.

Mallard chicks move to Loch Earn 2 days after hatching at Briar Cottage

Daffy duck (part time guest at Briar Cottages) sneaked off with her 11 brown and yellow fluffy mallard chicks just two days after hatching. They must have climbed down the fountain where the nest was, across the A85 and into Loch Earn. Only 10 chicks returned to our garden on Loch Earn and we wondered whether crows, gulls, pike or eels might have taken one. After feeding daffy returned to the loch over large rocks and the chicks rolled in faithfully after her. Two fell between the rocks. We could hear them cry but not see them and Daffy became distressed as they called out to each other. I followed the sound, picked up some small rocks to unveil two little beaks trapped and huddled together. I picked one chick up and our fisherman guest Danny handled the other. We quickly and gently placed them back in the water in the direction of their mum. Off she went with her 10 babes. This morning she only brought six back and this time they came safely up the slip-way. Nature must provide 8-12 eggs to ensure that at least two or three survive. I wonder if she will manage to protect the six that are left. Thanks to every guest who has stayed in Little Briar cottage in Lochearnhead, Scotland and watched out for Daffy and her male suitors over the last year.

Wisteria Hysteria, Lochearnhead, Scotland

Holiday makers in Lochearnhead, Perthshire often ask us how we get our Wisteria to flower every year on the west gable of Briar Cottage. We would love to respond à la BBC Scotland's Beechgrove Garden presenters, quoting Latin names, advising on pruning techniques and extolling the virtues of PH balanced soil, however, the truth is that they just appear. My husband Fraser does "chop" the plant back and we do water it after hot sunny days however I think that we are simply lucky to have inherited a healthy plant that enjoys its location and position. Well, it does grow on a 300 year old thatched stone cottage with stunning views over Loch Earn and the surrounding hills and forests so why wouldn't it? Beats "Wisteria Lane" any day.