Hello again,
I've been reading in the papers and watching the weather forecasts on television bleating about the dreadful weather the UK is having. What bad weather I ask??? Insofar as we at Portnellan are concerned, we have seen wall to wall sunshine for weeks now. Apart from a few days of heavy snow towards the end of March (and my, my did it snow), the sun has been splitting the trees.. Yes, it has been cold, sometimes dropping below freezing at night but warming up nicely in the day. In fact, some of our guests have experiences a touch of sunburn!! Anyway, you'll not hear me complain of our weather here; it’s much better than the rain, rain and more rain. Maybe this means we’re in for a sunny summer?
We all know that with Easter being when it is, there is always a risk of Winter weather hampering travel and so forth. However, this year, those who made it up to this neck of the woods experienced some truly wonderful weather. The scenery was absolutely magnificent and out of this world. The views of the mountains with their covering of snow, set against a clear blue sky highlighted by the sun reflecting on the tops, were stunning. It had to be seen to be believed; the question “where could you buy this” to mind. Well, you can ‘buy’ it at Portnellan which, as you know, nestles in the foothills of Ben More, which is one of the Munros.
Easter Sunday Treasure Hunt
On Easter Sunday I organise our annual Easter treasure hunt. My guests were given instructions and clues in the form of riddles to search for various vouchers which had been surreptitiously placed the night before around the Portnellan estate. They headed out in their own time but had to keep a note of their starting time ( we are a trusting lot at Portnellan). Once all 6 vouchers were collected and returned to me, their final time was noted. There was much excitement all day as people worked out the riddles and walked, ran and crawled to the various locations. The winners received a very coveted prize (you’ll find out what it is when you come along and take part!). Just to tease you a wee bit, and give you a flavour of the day (the kids {and some adults} loved it) I’ve detailed below the 6 riddles. For those of you who have been here before, you’ll be able to work out the locations no bother!
Congratulations to the Simpson family from Pinemarten Lodge who came in 1 minute a head of Victoria Cooper and her partner from Fisher Lodge. Third place went to Mr and Mrs Edwards of Stalker Lodge. I hope you enjoy/enjoyed your prizes.
Skiing in Scotland
With the colossal amounts of snow that has fallen over the recent weeks and the below freezing temperatures on the mountains, the skiing in Scotland for all the resorts has been first class. In fact, I cannot remember the last time I saw so much snow on the surrounding mountains. There is so much that I suspect a few of the North facing gullies on the Munros may just hold onto pockets of snow until the Winter weather returns next year. A little history on the creation of Scottish ski resorts follows.
After World War I, there was a succession of snowless winters until 1929. Then the winter snows returned and in the 1930s, the aforementioned Corrie Odhar, west of Ben Lawers, became quite a centre, with a small engine-powered tow eventually installed there, postwar, along with one south of Braemar in Glen Clunie. (You can see that one marked on old one-inch Ordnance Survey maps.) Then, in the 1950s, the first permanent uplift was built by the Scottish Ski Club on the north side of Meall a'Bhuiridh, Glen Coe, and Ski Scotland was set to go.
Next, a whole lot of development agencies, as well as private companies stepped in and skiing took off in the 1960s. There were some crazy schemes took off. Even works began on a hillside near Mar Lodge, west of Braemar on upper Deeside. There remains an abandoned ski development from the early 1960s. Imagine - thinking that the low south-facing slope there would hold snow, even with their fancy snow-making equipment. But though Mar Lodge was a failure long ago, the end result was the eventual development and expansion of five other centres in Scotland. (I sometimes think that old definition of marriage, that is, the triumph of hope over experience, applies to skiing in Scotland as well.)
Glen Coe http://www.glencoemountain.co.uk
The closest resort to Portnellan approximately 40 minutes drive. Skiers from Scotland are prepared to defend our precious Glencoe. 'Aye', they say, 'if you can ski here, you can ski anywhere.' In winter skiing, snowboarding, sledging and avalanche rescue training are available. 19 runs across 7 lifts catering for skiers and boarders of all levels, including the longest and steepest runs in Scotland.Nevis Range http://www.nevisrange.co.uk
This development near Fort William (approximately 1 hour from Portnellan) will deposit you at the highest point reached by uplift in Scotland. Part of the way up is by Scotland's only gondola system. You've got to hand it to these Venetians with their stripey jumpers and straw hats. They're nothing if not tenacious, having to paddle all that way uphill. Nearby FortWilliam markets itself as Scotland's Outdoor Capital. The Indoor Capital niche is presumably still available for some other enterprising Scottish town.
Glenshee http://www.ski-glenshee.co.uk
What could be easier? You're on the highest main road in Scotland and at the highest point - around 2200ft (670m) there's a vast carpark gouged out of the moor, with lifts and tows on both sides of the road. You can clomp off in your ski boots and join the queues. OK, these plateau-lands hereabouts are not much over 3000ft for an average height but Glenshee boasts the biggest network of lifts in Scotland, so if it snows you've got a lot of choice.
The Lecht http://www.lecht.co.uk
It's small and friendly, its runs are conveniently short as it's the lowest of the developments and it generates the fiercest loyalty of the Scottish ski places, perhaps because it's friendly. When Cairngorm closes because of high winds, skiers descend and it gets very busy but friendly. It always promotes itself as a friendly place for beginners and intermediates.
Cairngorm http://www.cairngormmountain.org
Catch Scotland's only funicular for a high level shopping experience - over 1000 metres above sea level. In fact, it's the highest shopping experience in Britain. Then there's the Ptarmigan Restaurant named after a Scottish mountain bird. Get married up there. Organise a corporate function or a ceilidh. Oh, and bring your skis with you, just in case. All of the Scottish ski developments have diversified in one way or another, and are understandably preoccupied with making a success of their facilities out of the Winter season. NevisRange has Scotland's longest downhill mountain biking track for instance. The Lecht has mountain bike runs as well now, under the banner of 'Lecht 2090' - the figure either being the height of the carpark in feet or possibly the date when they next expect snow. Anyway, it all looks like a lot of fun. They also feature the frequently misspelled 'Deval Karts'. These are four wheeled buggies, like go-karts without the engine, that go careering downhill in a cloud of dust, accompanied by happy screaming. I like it when you see them written as 'devil carts', which make them sound even more daring. As mentioned above, Cairngorm (whO preFer to bE knOwn as CairnGorm) trundles its train as a tourist attraction all year, snow or not, while the obliging gondoliers at NevisRange are very busy carrying mountain bikes up the mountain and it's a great resource in consequence. (OK, that's just a wee joke, please don't write to me about this.) Actually, there seems to have been some branding at one or two of the skiing places by adding the word 'mountain' after the development name - CairnGormMountain, GlenCoeMountain and so on. Presumably this is to make it absolutely clear what type of terrain it's best to ski on. Happy days...
Kestrel Lodge Refurbishment
Portnellan's Winter project has been the refurbishing the Kestrel Lodge. Kestrel is a 3 bedroom, 4 star lodge and we are currently in the process of giving it a well deserved facelift. The old kitchen has been completely removed and a new Oak effect fitted kitchen with all new Bosch or Zanussi appliances has been installed. The kitchen floor has been re-tiled and the walls of the kitchen have new splash-back tiles. The entire lodge interior has been completely redecorated in Ivory white. All the windows in the kitchen and bedrooms have been replaced with modern double glazed UPVC windows. The lodge has been entirely fitted with new carpets and in line with Portnellan's policy to reduce its Carbon footprint, the heating system is now provided by low energy Rionte panel heaters which draw considerably less power to operate than standard panel heaters; as much as some 40% less. They can be thermostatically controlled by a digital reading and locked at a preferred temperature. This enables the user to set the temperature accordingly and reduces the amount of energy consumed. Watch this space for pictures of the finished article in next months newslettter.
Spring Promotion
This really is a wonderful time of year. The snowdrops have arrived, the daffodils are not far away and soon new life will burst forth with trees blossoming, plantlife blooming and lambs gambolling in the surrounding countryside. The sap is rising and I can't wait.
As if all of this is not enough to tempt you to come to Portnellan where you can chill out and do your own thing, where you can enjoy mind-boggling scenery, hospitality, and the beautiful countryside, I am daft enough to offer you a further 10% discount on all reservations for the month of April. Please ask for details when reserving your accommodation.
As always, you will get the personal touch when you come to Portnellan. I believe that anyone who spends their money to come here should, quite rightly, be afforded the best customer care we can give. Total enjoyment of your stay here is our primary objective. If you want to test me, come and find out!
Yours Aye,
Cameron
