A brand new shiny electric vehicle charging point (type 2) has now been successfully installed at Appletree Cottage for the exclusive use of guests.
We have been trying to make this happen since November last year and so are very pleased it has come to fruition.
Simple to use it is a Type 2 unit by Easee which is now the most commonly used EV charge point type.
This is a great boost to the cottage as we have often been asked by several potential guests if there was a vehicle charger available.  Now we can say 'Yes we do'
So we look forward to welcoming all those of you with electric cars - and of course all of you without electric cars!

Starting at Appletree Cottage exit through the gates and turn right and follow the single-track road down the hill and under the magnificent canopy of ancient oaks.  

After crossing the bridge, the route of the former railway continues to pass through some fabulous countryside.  After about quarter of a mile, you come out on a single track road.  Turn hard right, cross the bridge and up the hill.  At the top of the hill the road levels out and to the west are terrific panoramic views across Loch Lomond to the Luss Hills

A new RSPB trail at the south end of Loch Lomond has opened recently (about a 10 minute drive from Appletree Cottage so we went down to have a look.
.The entrance is easy to find on the A811 about a mile west of Gartocharn on the way to Drymen.
A signpost on the right-hand side of the roads you are heading west points towards the carpark which is adjacent only 100 metres from the main road.  The reception hut (next he car park) is only occasionally manned but parking and access is free.

The site comprises or basically two trails - a short one to the right leading to a hide and a longer one to the left which leads down to the shore of Loch Lomond with a loop off to a pond. 
Recently constructed the path surfaces are well made and smooth.  In the boggier parts immaculate duckboard walks have been created to assure dry passage.
​ We started with a stroll own the short trail and the first thing we saw was a red squirrel shooting up a tree.  Red Squirrels are making a big comeback at the south end of Loch Lomond, the Greys seem to have completely disappeared, mainly to the presence of Pine martens which are in the area.   Unfortunately there was  not time to get the camera out. and take a picture - although we have managed to get photos of the reds at our farm.

 The first trail, which is suitable for wheelchair users, is 200 meters and on a gentle slope ending at what is Gaels View and a rudimentary hide.  There are great views of Ben Lomond, looking out across what was known  (according to an Ordinance Survey Map of the 1860s) as Gartocharn Bog,  Aber Bog and Ring Bog (now wooded).  So presumably never cultivated though there is evidence of a dwelling a small defunct ruined limekiln to the north.

We retraced our steps and headed down the Airey Woodland Trail.  This beautiful well-made path took us down the shores of Loch Lomond.  Winding through magnificent trees for the first part the path is again smooth and well made.  The only sound is bird song and there is not a soul around.

Soon the woodland trail opens up to open flat land.  Immaculately constructed duckboards have been newly installed to permit dry passage.  Orchids and wild flowers are in abundance either side of the walkway.  Looking to the east the views of unspoilt flora and fauna are magnificent.

After a long run of duckboards we pass through some more mature woodland before joining the path which follows the shore of Loch Lomond - still within the sanctuary.

The path ends in a clearing down by the shore.  Looking north we can see the bulk of Ben Lomond with its peak just touching the clouds.  A couple of lads are having a go on a paddle board.  This south eastern corner of the loch is shallow water for quite some distance from the shore.  This is unlike other beaches where there can be unexpected deep drops into very cold water.  

In the distance the outline of some of "The Arrochar Alps" catch some intermittent sunshine as the boats in the Balmaha moorings glisten white on the water.

Looking to the right a herd of cows were down by the shore drinking the fresh water from the loch.  Apart form the two lads in the water there was not a soul around.  After a few moments enjoying the vistas we started to make our way back.

More information about this RSPB site can be found here: www.rspb.org.uk/reserves-and-events/reserves-a-z/loch-lomond/

Apart from this new site at Gartocharn there are many around Appletree Self-Catering cottage...
Inchcailloch (easily accessible nature reserve island in Loch Lomond with passenger ferry from Balmaha.   A sea eagle has been nesting on the island immediately west of Inchcailloch. 
Glen Fruin - sightings of Hen Harriers are common here
Flanders Moss - nature reserve on the Carse with viewing tower.
Appletree Cottage - where 36 species of bird were sighted by an ornithology party over three days - including Osprey

Tucked away behind the trees in a corner of the village of Balloch lies an impressively ruinous and mostly forgotten grand mansion known as Woodbank House.  This Grade A listed pile has its origins in the 1670s when the land on which it sits was settled on James and Sarah Lindsay  the  original building on the site was known as Stuckrodger.  Charles Scott of Dalquhurn acquired the house in 1774 and the name was changed to Woodbank.  Further additions to the property were made after William Ewing Gilmour moved into the house in 1885.  A contemporary painting of Ewing Gilmour can be found here: artuk.org/discover/artworks/mr-william-ewing-gilmour-194895 and a brief biography of the said man can be found here: www.valeofleven.org.uk/famousfolk/industrials.html?fbclid=IwAR2bKvYkvZIwHVb4AiagWof9peMdTwSzMg51Q8mZ8XZAHAy6QPMT-c4qrLg

​In 1930s the house was turned into the Woodbank Hotel.  In 1979 a plan to reopen as Hamilton House Hotel with the 18 bedrooms converted into 8 luxury apartments was short-lived.  The new hotel closed in 1981.
Plans for further use were rejected by the council and the house soon fell into disrepair.  Approaches were made to the owner who was reluctant to sell.   A major fire in 1996 put paid to everything.

Listed as two stories with cellars little remains of the building now but the exterior walls - some in a very precarious state.   Charred roof timbers from the 1996 fire lie within buried and grown over by vegetation.

Despite its decrepitude and the risk of falling slates or masonry the ruin appears to be popular with dog walker and others as the perimeter paths are very accessible.  Surprisingly protective fencing and window barricading have been removed and access to the site is unhindered.  The building is dangerous though and certainly not a place to take children.  However, it retains an intriguing fascination.

Plans have recently been submitted by a large leisure park operator to acquire the land on which Woodbank's ruins stand and install a holiday park scenario.  These plans refer to an element of refurbishment for Woodbank House - once the chalets have been built.

On the western facade a crest carved into the stone is the same as that on the Masonic Lodge building in Alexandria.  It reads "Nil Penna Sed Usus” which translated means “Not the pen (plume) but its use”.  It is  part of the family crest of the Gilmour family.  (Ewing Gilmour moved into the house in 1885 after which this south west wing was built)

Adjacent to the house are extensive former stables - also in a poor state of repair..
The future remains in the balance but it would be shame to see this architectural piece disappear completely.

We're hoping for a bumper year for apples here at Shandon Farm and Appletree Cottage.
The last two years late frosts put paid to spectacular blossom leaving it a dirty brown colour.  Very little fruit pollination and setting survived the frosts.
This year however things are looking more positive

We started planting one hundred trees in 2014.  Since then we have grafted the scions (cuttings) from the trees onto root stock bringing the total number of trees up to 400.

Some apples grow in clusters of more than two or three.  These clusters require thinning to bunches of about two or three.  Thinning is also required on thin branches which have too many apples and are in danger of breaking.  Thinning can be done chemically or by hand.  We do it by hand - which takes a bit of time but is a very satisfying day in the orchard.

So hopefully things are looking up and we'll get a good crop this year.  We press what we grow into apple juice which we pasteurise so it last longer and also use the apple pulp for making jellies, marmalade and our popular black butter.

Well, surprises are unexpected generally.  
A friend of ours has just moved to the village of West Wymess in Fife.  Just east of Kirkcaldy this former ancient mining village is right on the shore of the Firth of Forth with fantastic views across to Edinburgh.  
We'd never been to this area before.  After a wander around the village we found our way by accident to Wymess Castle which has a fantastic walled garden open to the public.
More can be found out about the gardens here: www.wemysscastlegardens.com

Open during the summer months the walled garden is on the large Wymess Castle estate.  It takes a little bit of finding but there were a couple of helpful groundsmen who showed us the way.  We discovered after we left that the estate prefer you to book - see link above

The walled garden dates from the mid 18th Century.  Designed by Walter Nicol it had vented walls with the idea of providing stone fruit.  There are remains of a Neo classical orangery along with many other features.
The gardens had lain derelict with just a few trees and a number of geese for many years until Charlotte and Michael Wymess started to put things in order in 1993.  The results of their efforts over the years are quite stunning and well worth a visit.

The walled garden is just above the coastline and slightly to the east of West Wymess village.

After a wander round the gardens we headed back to the village and took a stroll down by the harbour and along the Main Street where an impressive tollbooth tower is awaiting some refurbishment.

The village - a former coal mining village - has been derelict in places over the years.  Slowly however buildings are coming back to life.  It is very peaceful and well worth a visit if you're over that way.  Its about an hour and a half drive from Appletree Cottage.

One of the oldest Agricultural Shows in Scotland has made a stunning return this year.
Established in 1816 the Drymen Show has been an annual event usually on the last Saturday in May.  The last two years' Covid problems caused cancellation but this year 2022 it is back in style - and by all accounts with a record turn-out.
The show is always scheduled for the last Saturday in May. Only major downpours have interrupted events.
​On this year's return after two years attendees were not disappointed with the huge array of entertainments, competitions and sunshine on offer.

Entry by cash or card was speedy and a vast free parking area is provided.  Souvenir programmes offered the chance to win prizes in the draw later in the afternoon.

A great array of craft tents, stalls selling local gin and whiskies, cakes, food outlets and many other wares align the entrance way to the event.

The judging of cattle and sheep takes place next to the main ring and commences not long after the show opens in the morning.  There is a huge variety of sheep and some very fine highland cattle on show.  Sheep shearing demonstration start later in the afternoon..

Teams of heavy horses were spectacular, drawing their drays around the main ring.  It is so seldom one sees these magnificent animals at work.

The main ring was fully operational by lunchtime with displays of horsemanship, tractor pulling competitions, races, vintage car and tractor rallies, tug of war, fancy dress parades and the giving of prizes.

Other attractions are many.  A stage with many musical performances is close to the main ring.  A series of musicians performed in successions

For the young and energetic brigade there is a good funfair at one end or the site behind a good array of agricultural equipment supplier stalls.  Occasional screams of excitement and terror drift across the informative commentary of the main ring.

Other tents include the local schools' art tent, pet tent and of course the beer tent,
The day's proceedings were rounded off with a tug of war and an Orcadian Strip the Willow. 

On the return walk back from the show we took the public footpath from the south side of Drymen Bridge back to Appletree Cottage. (we'd gone down the railway path and through Croftamie Village on the way there) On the way we snapped this fantastic view of the distant Campsie hills with Dumgoyne's peak evident in centre frame.
All in all a great day out.

A quick nip across to Stirling at the weekend was enhanced by some sunshine and clear spells of blue sky.  Only thirty five minutes from Appletree Cottage, Stirling has a great selection of shops and restaurants.  Famous for its massive medieval Castle this small city also boasts Argyll's lodging, the Church of the Holy Rood, a magnificently preserved old town, close by National Wallace Monument and in the summer months Blair Drummond Safari Park.   Today we stopped by the Old Stirling Bridge to explore and take a few photos.

The Old Bridge was built around 14-1500, replacing the earlier wooden structures, one of which had been the focus of The Battle of Stirling Bridge (11/Sept/1297), when the army under William Wallace defeated the English forces by allowing so many to cross the bridge and then blocking that route for the remainder of the troops.  
The original wooden bridge lay a little upstream of the current Old Stirling Bridge, the stone foundations of the former being visible at low water.
​The Old bridge was the lowest crossing point of the River Forth for several centuries until bridges were built at Kincardine and South Queensferry.

Perched on top of Abbey Craig, where legend has it that William Wallace's troops camped to the hill's commanding position overlooking the town of Stirling and the Forth Valley, sits the National Wallace Monument commemorating the thirteenth century leader.  The monument is well worth a visit, particularly on a clear day as the views from the top are fantastic, looking towards Edinburgh in the east and Ben Lomond in the west.
During the 1945 Jacobite uprising the southern-most arch was blown up and thereby removed by General Blackney to prevent highlanders and supporters of the Jacobite movement crossing the river.  The arch was rebuilt and the bridge repaired in later years.
In early days duties were charged on goods entering the borough.  Customs men were installed in a covered recess in the centre of the bridge to tax such goods.

Just down-stream is the New Stirling Bridge - opened in 1833 and designed by the famous Scottish Engineer Robert Stevenson, father of the author Robert Louis Stevenson (Treasure Island). The new bridge is open to this day and carries the A9 trunk road north to Perth and beyond.  

This is a continuation of a blog of our cycle ride along part of Sustrans Cycle Route 7 in Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park.  
​Starting at Lochearnhead we joined the former Callander and Oban Railway trackbed and continued up the spectacular Glen Ogle.  Although steep sided the route of the railway line contours the hillside to maintain gentle gradients throughout.

As detailed before the line to Glen Ogle opened in 1870 but following Dr. Beeching's infamous report on the railway network produced in the early 1960's the section of the Callander and Oban line between Crianlarich and Callander was scheduled for closure on 1st November 1965.  However, before that date, in the early hours of Monday 27th September 1965, a rockfall occurred in Glen Ogle.  This area had been a constant headache to the operators of the line since construction as landslips and rockfalls were not infrequent.  Following an engineering assessment of the damage it was decided by the powers that be that there was no economic benefit of clearing the line and shoring up the bank as the line was due to close in just over a month's time.

The rockfall not only closed the Callander and Crianlarich section of the line it also meant the closure of the five mile long Killin Junction to Killin  Village section.
A photograph of the rockfall taken in the 1960s soon after the track had been lifted can be seen here: www.railscot.co.uk/img/28/647/

Towards the top of Glen Ogle is a very impressive 12 arch viaduct at the foot of Meall Sgliata which can be seen clearly from the main road which runs along the opposite side of the glen.  

Glenoglehead station is the summit of the line at this point with the route descending gently thereafter towards what was Killin Junction.
We pass the occasional surviving wayside shed, the severed bases of signal posts and other indications of earlier activity until we come to Killin Junction station.

As we arrive at the former Killin Junction station site we see the station has almost been entirely cleared away - only a small portion of the central platform remains.  The route of the line to Killin can be seen in the picture, dropping off to the right.
Killin junction was distinctive as there was no road access.  The station was entirely a junction for the line to Killin.  Older people have recorded memories of long waits at this station for their connecting trains.

 After a good look round its time to return to Lochearnhead.  After a short clime up to Glenoglehead station we have a fantastic long gentle freewheel back to Lochearnhead.
​A great day out in Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park