The Villagers May 2020

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The Voice of Balquhidder, Lochearnhead, Strathyre & St Fillans • MAY 2020

Staying at Home as Lockdown continues...

FREE ONLINE EDITION AVAILABLE AT https://villagers.online/

Editor’s Bit A big thank you to all who joined us online last month. We can report that we had nearly 150 subscribers and actually over a thousand visiting our site. Such figures for a first attempt are very encouraging. We now need you to help us spread the word that we do want to continue reflecting on life in our villages at this very difficult and complicated time. Please encourage friends and neighbours to join us (even if you need to speak loudly from six feet away) or send them the links.

The issues of keeping our paper going seem insignificant with everything we are now facing.

Many families have lost their loved ones in such a tragic and cruel way.

Certainly, I think we have all begun to realise over the last dreadful month how all our lives are going to be fundamentally changed for the foreseeable future; unfortunately, not for the better, for the vast majority of us. Serious financial challenges will undoubtedly be faced across all the generations, and work patterns might continue to be challenging: working from home can have advantages for some, but people are also realising it has unforeseen consequences for the economy as a whole - impacting on society in general.

The constraints it has imposed upon our social relationships are major concerns. The present lockdown conditions, for initially three weeks, were accepted by the vast majority as essential. However, the continuing uncertainty as to their duration and the strains being placed on families particularly those with children, and the realisation of the long-term implications of countries throughout the world keeping their borders closed, are all indicators of how different and difficult our “normal” family lives might be for an awfully long period.

We are, as the accounts of our Local Heroes show, very fortunate to be living in communities who are all prepared to help and look after each other. Hopefully this spirit will continue to flourish for both the immediate difficult period and when a more “normal“ life eventually emerges.

Keep extra safe.

JJ 2

Local Heroes I think we are all conscious of how fortunate we are in our villages at this time and, as reports throughout these pages show, this is a “Shout-Out” for all our nominated helpful heroes. Any we might have inadvertently missed, we can include next month.

Our three shops have all been outstanding in providing such a comprehensive daily supply of essentials and “treats” to help us all along - so hats off to Emma, Janet, Liam and Owen. I am sure Emma and Janet will join me in thanking all the volunteers who have helped them stack their groaning shelves, taken the daily photos and prepared all the “carryout”. Raine then arranged for a rota of more helpers to deliver these in Balquhidder. Fish from Crieff and meats from Comrie have also kept us well fed and searching through our old recipe books. Andrew Baird the optician in Callander apparently has provided an excellent service for anyone needing new contact lenses. Our wonderful postman, Tony, manfully appears at my door regularly clutching big boxes and still gives me a cheery wave.

The Sewing Sisters of Strathyre and Balquhidder have done an amazing job of making more than 200 “Bags of Thanks” for doctors, nurses and care staff in Callander, Aberfoyle, Comrie, Crieff, Buchlyvie - and further afield.

These clever bags, made primarily from pillowcases, are designed to help protect the families of these health workers as their scrubs can go directly into them and then into the 60º wash.

The Sisters did an amazing job of illustrating the bags to show thanks and appreciation for what is being done to keep us all safe. Penny Hannah also supplemented the bags with gifts of much needed hand-cream.

In Lochearnhead, Dani and Helen have been keeping everyone informed through their WhatsApp group, and linking with the Community Council and Stirling. These links are very valuable when the more vulnerable need assistance.

Many also wish to thank Russel Moffat for his YouTube Sunday services and I would like to add my own thanks to him taking the time to send his usual Villagers column which as always make me smile, or cry, or reflect.

Strathyre News

Jill Howard’s eyecatching sign on the Callander-Strathyre cycle path makes our position perfectly clear

The Pandemic

‘Bags of Thanks’ made by The Sewing Sisters of Strathyre and Balquhidder - and Inka the dog!

Finally, the most heartfelt thanks to all in our area who work for the Health Service in any way - and to PC Will and his colleagues for keeping us safe.

Words are totally inadequate.

Russel’s streamed Sunday services from Killin are proving to be popular

At the time of writing this we will be into our fourth week of lockdown with at least another three to follow. I don’t know how well people are behaving in other villages but I assume they are obeying the rules and keeping safe. As for Strathyre, we all seem to be doing everything we are told and are very much working together to get through this awful time in our lives. A time that no one could envisage in this day and age, but it’s here - and we need to get through it as safely as possible.

From the start we have had local heroes emerging. None more so than the staff and volunteers in our village shop. Emma has been on an almost daily run to collect goods that have been requested from customers and has a small army of people who will deliver to your door. This same army are giving up their time to help fill shelves and fulfil orders for all and sundry. This is a vital service to the community of Strathyre and saves on dangerous trips to Callander and Stirling etc. I hope when this is over, and it will be at some point, that the village remembers everything that the shop has done to help us all, and we continue to give it our support, I think it has now been proved beyond doubt how important this facility is to us all.

Unfortunately, not everyone is taking this virus seriously, given the number of cyclists who are STILL frequenting the village and beyond. We have tried putting up signs warning of the dangers and pleading with them to keep away but to no avail. As always, it is the minority, as in most pastimes, who will constantly let the side down, and I put it down to the fact that they are morons who only think about themselves and believe that they are immune to this killer, and any rules and regulations that are in place to save lives.

I do have a personal interest here as they

Emma at the Village Shop

continually race past my back gate when I am working in my garden and pass no more than a couple of feet from me. some of them not returning for several hours, so who knows what communities they could have visited and potentially infected!

I have contacted our local councillor, Martin Earl, who has raised the issues with the National Park and Sustrans who have responsibility for the administration of all the cycle paths on a national basis.

Under normal circumstances these paths are a joy to many, but just now they are a life-threatening danger to everyone. It is a very difficult situation to police as they are mostly off road, and the police are unlikely to see strangers there.

If you should see any strangers in your area, cyclists or not, please notify the police if you have real concerns about them not adhering to Lockdown guidelines.

There can never be enough praise for all the NHS staff who work tirelessly and in constant danger, but let us also remember the unsung heroes who continue to work through this so we can still lead as normal a life as possible: our posties, delivery drivers, shop workers, police, firemen, bin men etc, who quietly work away and just get on with it.

To everyone who is obeying the rules, well done - and if we continue to do so, then, who knows? We may all soon be sharing that much awaited “wee dram” in the pub (and getting beaten at pool)!

Wullie D Take care and stay safe.

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Lochearnhead Place-Making & Active Travel Project Thanks to all at The Villagers for helping us get in touch with all in Lochearnhead.

Due to ongoing concerns around COVID-19, the consultants employed to work on this project (Alan Jones Associates) were unable to provide you with face-to-face feedback at the March evening meeting planned in the Village Hall.

Lochearnhead Latest BOOK REVIEW

This special edition of The Villagers has been published to bring you up to speed with what has happened thus far. It outlines what you have told the consultants through the different consultation/engagement events that have taken place and presents in detail the 4 key themes that have emerged:

Where the Crawdads Sing Delia Owens The author, Delia Owens, is a Zoologist and a prizewinning author for her nature writing. This is something which comes through loud and clear and adds another interesting dimension to this lovely story.

In these times of lockdown where the sounds of nature have come into their own and are now the musical playlist in the time of self-isolation, no longer are our ears bombarded with the intrusion of the rumble of trucks and the roar of motorbikes on the A84/ A85. What bliss and what a joy to read a book with a good plot - but which has the added bonus of some fascinating and illuminating information on the flora and fauna of the swamp lands of Northern Carolina coast.

Kya, our heroine, has been abandoned by her family and lives in very straightened circumstances.

Her home is the ramshackle hut she has always known as home. She has learned from experience that it is better to remain distant from others. Her companions are the birds, butterflies and beasts she encounters in her daily life. She has a boat in which she explores her surroundings and uses for the occasional foray into the outskirts of town for basic provisions.

The townspeople refer to her as the “marsh girl” and, in their ignorance, believe her to be feral and illiterate.

From time to time local gangs of boys will come to harass and threaten her and she find ingenious ways to outwit these intrusions into her world.

As she matures into a young woman, a tentative friendship is made with a boy from the town, but will it survive their differences?

Then a local man is found dead in the marsh and the police immediately suspect this strange girl, having heard rumours about her and her relations with him. There is a trial. There is a twist in the tale. And the crawdads keep on singing.

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· · · ·

Safer Roads & Paths Connectivity & Access Facilities, Features & Infrastructure Our Unique Environment

Your opinions on all of this are very important. By clicking on the link below, you will be able to explore in detail our findings, prioritise potential ideas, and share with us your opinions on what should happen next. It is important we hear from everyone, even if you have already returned our initial place-making questionnaire.

Once we have heard back from you, we will then complete our final report. This will make recommendations on measures that could be taken to help realise the ambitions you have for your village/surrounding area and also add to the special sense of place that already exists.

CLICK HERE TO TAKE THE SURVEY

CLACHAN COTTAGE HOTEL ONE OF SCOTLAND’S ICONIC SETTINGS ON THE SHORE OF LOCH EARN The Clachan has been here for a long time, tending to travellers and residents alike and is now the largest hotel in the area, boasting deluxe bedrooms and amazing loch view rooms.

Under normal circumstances, we’d be inviting you to come and stay, or try our restaurant and bar and just soak up the wonderful views! But for now, we wish you well and look forward to happier times.

And for the future, we’d like to remind you that weddings and small functions are hosted by the Clachan.

Our stunning setting provides the perfect backdrop for those all important videos or photos.

Stay safe • stay home Clachan Cottage Hotel • Lochside, Lochearnhead • Perthshire FK19 8PU info@clachancottagehotel.co.uk • 01567 8302477

After lockdown...

Join me on a journey into Hatha Yoga 7-8.30pm Thursday evenings in Lochearnhead Village Hall Level: Beginners to intermediate.

For more information contact: Melanie Lewis Union Sun&Moon 07525 126482 creative@melanie-lewis.com www.westerauchrawcroft.com

Thanks to Helen Cunningham for this telling photo (left) of the Scout Station at Lochearnhead, taken on Easter Sunday. Normally the Station would have been full of life on that day.

Here she is pictured with one of her colourful ‘virtual hugs’ - sent to her by her granddaughters Ailsa and Rhona.

What a great idea!

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The

St Fillans Bit

by Bruce Montgomery

Still Alive and Kicking – hopefully into the future!

Can it really be more than a month since our Covid scare started? I was doubting myself as to the timing and had to check the dates. As I reread a summarised history and its worldwide impact to date, I changed the first sentence. I had written THE Covid scare, but the world impact is almost incomprehensible. What I was about to write could only reflect local experience, so THE had to become OUR, as I cannot sensibly make any comment beyond my own and our shared experience.

Of course I am concerned about old work colleagues in the Third World. I cannot begin to know what they must be going through and our news channels are generally silent on the effects being experienced in sub Saharan Africa. I have much less concern about my ex-colleagues in the Gulf given that our efforts in Qatar were applied to successfully building a world class Medical School and the world’s first fully digitized and paper free hospital, both staffed by the best and most experienced brains money could buy. They will be fine (or at least as fine as their general a Chinese family who had also been health allows, should they catch it), diagnosed with the virus. February but the same may not be true for the comes and we watch the infection many thousands of labourers and spread from the east. Not as a slowly artisans who are creating the physical creeping shade of red on the world structures. However, it is also likely map as depicted in the fictional BBC that these labourers might be safer pandemic 1975 production Survivors in that controlled environment than (which apparently was remade in back in their home Countries of India, 2008 with the same name). Our real Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Nepal one has staged a series of leaps across to name a few, where they would countries and continents to ignite be in the same ‘at risk’ category as hotspots; such is the impact of mass the populations of Africa I referred air travel. February came to a close, to above. It was also interesting to but it hadn’t really involved us at this get a communication from an ex point, almost like it was someone Qatar colleague now back in New else’s problem. Then March came, and York praising the efforts of State by mid-month we had begun to take Government while complaining that notice. In the UK, people had started Federal Government was doing their to die. Mass events began to be cancelled; the Cheltenham Gold Cup best to kill them!

So, to get back to where I started, was run, but then the Grand National the illness was first noted in China was called off. Scottish football in December and only began to be matches were put off – so more reported via the international press people took notice - ‘things must in January, by which time China’s really be getting bad’. Then on March death toll had started to mount. 23, the Prime Minister announced First deaths outside China were the lockdown and now we are where recorded in January and at the end we are. Having recounted all that, it of January, the first two UK patients makes me realise that we are among were identified in York. They were the lucky few: if you are going to be considered outliers by most folk, given locked down then you would be hard that they had come into contact with pressed to find a better place for it 6

‘Craigeroo’

to happen and if you are going to be unfortunate enough to get sick, we live in a country that has a capable health service.

As I reported last month, St Fillans responded promptly with initiatives to support and safeguard. These have to date been a tremendous success.

The Reach Out WhatsApp Group took off and quickly grew to more than 60 participants and so covered the vast majority of permanently occupied residences in the village.

So successful was it, that it had to be subdivided, so discreet and direct contact arrangements were set up for villagers to place orders with the village shop. Then there was a need to create a further contact group to deal with the sensitive matter of ladies’ hair product. As I said at the time, I had no desire to be disabused of my belief that our ladies who are blonde are indeed blonde and our lady who is pink is indeed...?

What was also hugely heartening was that these groups involved recent arrivals to the village and also folk who might have been around a little longer, but had tended to keep themselves to themselves. Out of these virtual contacts, acquaintances

have been made and everyone looks forward to meeting in person and shaking each other by the hand.

I reported last month that Liam in the village store had immediately offered to take phone orders and act as an order and distribution point for groceries including green vegetables.

Once the Reach Out facility achieved critical mass, it took over from phone contact and the volume being routed through the shop exceed everyone’s expectation. Hence the comment above in relation to breaking that off from the Reach Out Group as the risk of something of utmost import, say a prescription collection, might have been easily overlooked among the volume. Our store got so busy, that Liam had to call for reinforcements and was joined by Craig Gavigan. In addition to coordinating supplies of groceries and green veg, their range expanded to include bakery, butchery and humour. Oh yes, they have turned into the new comedy duo of the village. It started mildly when a suitably masked and helmeted Craig began to deliver orders to homes on his bike with his bag on his back in the mode of “Deliveroo”. Our first picture shows him fully kitted up and ready to go.

Of course it had to happen.

Someone coined the phrase “Craigeroo” and it stuck. That gentle josh was followed by a stream of laughs – most emanating from the shop. Liam has a competitive edge so he decided that he and Craig should announce a weekly award to the Best Customer, the Most Annoying Customer, and the Weirdest Order Request. By now, there is a suspicion that the Best Customer award goes to whoever hands in the nicest edible treat for the staff; the Most Annoying Customer is probably preordained by an early decision over too much beer and the Weirdest Request to date has been for non-sweetened liquorice – I hasten to add that Liam got it and delivered it, just too prove he is the best!

Of course it didn’t end there.

One day he appeared, albeit briefly looking like a character from the film Deliverance His theme was “Local Shop for Local People – Go Away”. All it needed was the track Duelling Banjos to be played in the

Deliverance?

background. If that sounds rather farfetched – seeing is believing.

Of course, there might be a little exaggeration involved!

For Easter, Craig undertook deliveries dressed as an Easter Bunny...

Yes, he really did...

I suspect that there are not many villages where if you put out a call for a man sized rabbit outfit that someone can produce one. In this case their name and identity must be kept a closely guarded secret!

I think if we had a St Fillans Roll of Honour, both Liam and Craig’s names would have to be up there.

Thanks, guys. You have done a great job which is being appreciated more than you know!

Now, a thought for our other local enterprises. Once restrictions for hotels were clarified, ours took different directions. Four Seasons hunkered down to see out the problem. Achray have pursued meal service via phone-in ordering followed by delivery to your door.

I can confirm through experience this effort is providing good quality at reasonable cost. Laura has also mentioned to me that they have specially prepared and delivered a meal for 100 staff at Forth Valley Hospital. Quite an undertaking!

The Golf Club which expected to open its season at the end of March were stymied by the lockdown and an instruction from Scottish Golf to close the course, in common with every other course in the land. As visitor green fees are a significant portion of club annual revenue, this is not a happy situation and of course it has a similar effect on the Club catering staff.

If we look for positives at this difficult time, they must lie in community involvement and in the absence of cars whizzing through the village at speeds in excess of our 30mph limit. Limited traffic allows a silence through which the volume of birdsong, always present, but mostly unheard during our normal lives, is astounding. One villager noted that her elderly dog was much more alert and engaged than in recent times. She put it down to the fact that he was hearing animal and bird noises he had long since forgotten.

This phenomenon is not just true of our pets - I think we are all experiencing this increased awareness to some extent. When we take our daily one hour walk, are we spending more time observing nature then we might normally do?

I suspect so. It is certainly so in my case - but is it that we are closer to nature or is nature closer to us. Do its creatures feel less threatened by mankind?

Overleaf you’ll see half a dozen pics taken in and around the village.

Would these encounters have happened, and/or would we have observed these environments this time last year? - perhaps we just have more time to notice them? I really don’t know...

Continued overleaf

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The St Fillans Bit Continued from previous page Pictures, left, from top: mallard with chicks arriving in a driveway at the east end of the village – would they have crossed the A85 previously? (pic courtesy of Catherine Butter); Slow worm observed on the Zig Zag Path (pic courtesy of Kathy Montgomery); Feral nanny with new kid on the south side of the river within village boundary (pic courtesy of Audrey Gavigan); Roe deer again on the south side close to the War Memorial; Beavers at work within the village; Scottish wild primroses along the railway path.

Taking nature a bit further, and combining it with entertaining and education of our village children while school is suspended, Andrea Hudspeth of Aquila Ecology (via her role in the British Dragonfly Association and their link with People for Ponds Scotland) made available sets of pond dipping kit to interested families. The offer was taken up by five families involving twelve kids and off they independently went to three wetland areas which lie in or close to the village. Each kit comprised a net, collection vessel and instructions/ identification guide. Great fun was had by all as various pond dwellers were captured and released. These included frogs and toads, fly larvae, and nymphs. The frogs and toads were spawning so the distinction in spawn between the two was observed first hand. The appearance of fly larvae and nymphs further informed their appreciation of the life cycle. The main picture here is of one participant going the extra mile to try to net something special. Photo courtesy of Emma Martin.

I hasten to add that no youngsters were harmed in making this educational exercise! The kits are still with the families, all of whom agreed to pass them on to others once their use is complete. It all looks like great fun. Andrea was pleased to get feedback on the success of the expeditions, and commented that the varieties they found were testament to the water quality in these wetlands.

Now to other village matters in hand and for the future. Firstly, while we look forward to the end of the lockdown and the return of tourists, upon whom our businesses and 8

holiday home owners depend, they will bring back the scourge of litter.

Pride is taken in being open and welcoming but sad to say, there are always those who abuse the natural environment to the detriment of everyone else, local and tourist alike.

However, litter is not something the village simply complains about and otherwise ignores. Every year the village fights back and the annual big litter pick is taking place. It is not over, but at time of writing, twenty volunteers have collected 34 bin bags full of litter, glass and other unmentionables. The area covered includes the village lochside from end to end, the riverbank within the village, the complete east end of the loch and the loch’s south shore - and road side as far as the Watersports Centre. The two photos here (again courtesy of Audrey Gavigan) illustrate both the effort of collection and the sort of stuff blatently discarded. Sad to say, there is no easy solution to this. If the virus is the earth striking back, perhaps it could focus its ire on the folk who do not give our natural surroundings the respect they deserve (that last bit was just my rant - and does not necesseraly represent the views of The Villagers)!

Finally, there are some events scheduled for this year that in present circumstances are either in serious doubt or cannot possibly take place in the manner planned.

The first is the Mighty Hike on behalf of Macmillan Cancer Centres and into which the village had entered a team. Our team organiser Gordon Mcdowall advises that while there has been “no announcement yet about cancellation” he thinks it may go that way. But, he further advises that “the team should not relax they should all maintain some form of walking exercise as part of their lockdown routine” and so keep alive the possibility of giving it a go, should the event take place.

The second is of course our annual Festive Events. A VE Anniversary Day celebration had been planned for May, but clearly there is no chance of that happening now. Our Festive Weekend was scheduled as usual for August. I checked for an update

Message from Dean

Pond dipping

with The Festive Committee who advised the following. “In present circumstances, it is with great sadness we consider it prudent to cancel this year’s large scale festivity. However, that is not the end of the matter. Given the opportunity, we would like to be able to stage a fun impromptu party, when we get through this current situation and know for sure larger gatherings are yet again safe”.

And so say all of us.

Meanwhile, to all of you, please stay safe.

Bruce

Fighting the litter problem

It has become clear just what a huge challenge we are all facing as we continue to tackle coronavirus. This is a global pandemic and its effects are having a huge impact on all of our communities. It is without doubt the worst public health crisis we have faced in a hundred years.

I understand that the current situation sounds, frankly, terrifying.

People and businesses across the area are scared for what the future may hold. I am worried too. Not for myself, but for my elderly friends, family members, and constituents.

The restrictions which have been imposed on our day to day lives remain really tough and are only going to get tougher as the days and weeks go by. However, they are essential and are making a difference.

So please be reassured that by continuing to follow the stay at home guidelines, we are all doing our part in protecting the National Health Service and saving lives.

I also pay tribute to the millions of key workers in our National Health Service, supermarkets, council workers, delivery drivers and other key infrastructure workers who continue to keep the country running. We are all in your debt and I encourage all residents to join in with a round of applause at 8pm on Thursday evenings to recognise their outstanding work.

As one of your MSPs, I am working around the clock, answering enquiries from constituents and ensuring that people and businesses get the help that they need during these challenging times.

I am also working with a range of local community organisations to try and make sure that we all work together as effectively as possible.

If me, or my team, can be of any assistance then please do not hesitate to contact me on dean.lockhart.msp@parliament. scot or visit my website www. deanlockhart.com where I have a dedicated page with up to date information.

Stay safe.

Dean Lockhart MSP

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Red Squirrels

© Keilidh Ewan

an overlo oked charm of the area

The native red squirrel is in danger in the UK with approximately 140,000 individuals remaining, of which 75% reside in Scotland. With red squirrels common locally, it can be hard to remember how lucky we are to see them here on our doorstep.

The reduction of the red squirrel population is a result of the spread of non-native grey squirrels, which not only compete for food and space but also carry a disease called squirrelpox which is fatal to red squirrels. Grey squirrels are carriers, but remain resistant and unaffected by the disease. The spread of the grey squirrel across the UK has led to a dramatic decline in numbers of the red squirrel over a period of decades. However, they are making a comeback, particularly in Scotland.

This is very apparent in and around the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park, which is now almost a red-only zone.

The National Park has always housed red squirrels, but in the past, they had to share many areas with the grey squirrel. However, the area is now almost grey-free thanks to a concerted effort since the start of the Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels (SSRS) project in 2009 and the 10

invaluable help and efforts of many local residents and landowners both in and around the park. There have been very successful localized efforts to reduce the grey population and as a result we are now left with only a few areas where grey squirrels are still present, which remain key focal areas for SSRS. The first of these areas is the south western edge just outside the National Park between Loch Lomond and Loch Long where grey squirrels can make their way north from Helensburgh and Balloch. Thanks to amazing efforts in this area 2019 saw only red squirrels, with individual reds spotted at new locations across the area throughout the year. Work continues to remove greys from this area and push the population further south to protect the pristine red squirrel populations across Argyll. As in many areas, as the grey squirrel populations decline, the reds are able to rebound.

The other areas of focus are found closer to The Villagers communities.

One is around Callander where grey squirrels continue to move north from Stirling. Here both red and grey squirrels overlap so the focus is on trying to reduce the grey population in

Callander and to reduce the likelihood of greys spreading northwards. This is being done with the help of local residents and landowners to try and create a “corridor of control” to stop greys spreading to the National Park and to continue to push them further south.

The other area is to the east of Loch Earn. We’re very lucky in the local area that it has predominantly been red squirrels in residence across the four communities. Only a few grey squirrels have been seen around Loch Earn and the last record we have of one at Lochearnhead is from 2013 with no reported sightings from Balquhidder or Strathyre. The last reported sighting of a grey squirrel in St Fillian’s is from 2018. Moving to the east of St Fillian’s shows that this remains a key area of focus for the project as Comrie still consistently reports grey squirrel sightings. SSRS is working locally to reduce this population and push grey squirrels further east and south away from the red squirrel stronghold populations in the local area and the National Park as a whole.

Whilst this specific local area of the National Park is lucky to have always housed red squirrels, other areas of

the park have not been as lucky but are now benefitting from an amazing effort to reduce greys as they witness red squirrels moving back in to areas they haven’t been for a long time.

For example, in autumn 2019 red squirrels entertained visitors as they collected hazelnuts off the trees next to the Balmaha visitor centre carpark.

There are also regular sightings at RSPB Loch Lomond, Gartocharn and more consistent sightings in Balloch Castle Country Park.

Across the National Park, SSRS is proactively monitoring squirrel populations, both to celebrate red squirrels reappearing in new areas and to carefully assess grey squirrel movements. This is particularly important in the areas described previously where the potential for grey squirrels to disperse back is a concern. One way everyone can help is by reporting their squirrel sightings (red or grey) to the project on the SSRS website scottishsquirrels.org.uk.

This year reporting your sightings is even more important. Usually with the help of lots of volunteers the project runs an annual survey in March and April using feeder boxes.

They are placed in key woodland areas, and filled with peanuts. To get to the peanuts a squirrel has to lift a lid and climb in. As it does this, some of its hair gets stuck to a small, discreet sticky tab on the feeder lid. These hair samples are then examined under a microscope to see who has been visiting, so we know which squirrel species are present in a woodland without even having to see them.

However, in light of the current pandemic all surveys have been suspended and so the only way for us to continue monitoring squirrel populations at this time is for people to let us know if they have seen a squirrel locally, either in their garden or on their daily exercise.

You might not have seen many squirrels over winter as they are sensible and hide in their nests or ‘dreys’ at the tops of trees and prefer to come out to eat when the weather is nicer. They don’t hibernate but save energy by not venturing out very often and store food away during autumn so they don’t have to spend as long looking for it. However, as springtime starts to warm things up you should see them a lot more,

© Mark Chambers

© philipbird123

running about looking for food and mates, so now is the perfect time to keep an eye out and let us know if you see them.

The spring and summer time are actually the most important for giving red squirrels a helping hand. They have limited natural food available at this time of year, as they wait for trees to produce their seeds and fruit to ripen in late summer/autumn. You can help by providing some supplementary

food, either with bird feeders, squirrel boxes or by scattering food on a wall/ fence (or the ground if you don’t have any pets). If you use feeders please make sure you clean them regularly (e.g. monthly) to reduce the spread of disease and keep all visiting wildlife healthy. It is best to feed them in small amounts every 3-4 days with a variety of foods similar to what they would encounter naturally such as hazelnuts, peanuts and sunflower seeds. This Continued overleaf

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Continued from previous page

ensures they don’t become reliant on a food source and maintain a healthy diet. Squirrels also appreciate fresh apples and carrots and can nibble on cuttlefish and antlers as a source of calcium. For more information, please see our feeding guide on the SSRS website scottishsquirrels.org.uk/ publications/ You can also make your garden red squirrel friendly. There are a number of shrubs and trees you can plant which will provide your red squirrels with some of the fruits that make up part of their naturally balanced diet.

Popular species include brambles, crab apple, hawthorn, holly, yew and rosehip. Resisting the temptation to clear all your garden debris can also help red squirrels make some home improvements. Leaves, grass, mosses and twigs provide the perfect building materials and soft lining for red squirrel dreys. Each red squirrel may build several dreys suited to different seasons and needs to keep maintaining them throughout the year.

If you’d like to get involved further you can volunteer with the project.

Following current government guidelines, all SSRS outdoor volunteer activities have been temporarily suspended. Once these resume, a variety of different roles will be available dependent on your interests and location. This can range from hosting a trap in your garden if you see a grey squirrel, to helping with outreach events or taking part in our spring feeder box survey. Please get in touch with Mary-Anne Collis if you would like more information at mcollis@scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk.

Ranger’s Review

by Gareth Kett

In the meantime, anyone can help by reporting their squirrel sightings to the website. We welcome sightings from anywhere in Scotland, so please spread the word and encourage others to do so. During this time, looking for squirrels and reporting sightings is also a great activity for engaging children with nature. The information you provide will give us a much better idea of squirrel distributions across the country and where we need to focus our efforts.

The Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels (SSRS) project is led by the Scottish Wildlife Trust in partnership with Scottish Natural Heritage, Scottish Forestry, Scottish Land & Estates, RSPB Scotland and the Red Squirrel Survival Trust. Get all the latest news and updates on the project at:

Please Stay at Home

scottishsquirrels.org.uk Twitter:@ScotSquirrels;

facebook.com/ savingscotlandsredsquirrels

Gillian at Mhor created this striking sign for the Balquhidder glen road junction with the A84 at Kingshouse.

Friendly - but firm!

Coronavirus has affected us all to a greater or lesser extent. I hope that everybody reading and all those close to them through the pandemic safely.

Like everyone else Loch Lomond & the Trossachs National Park Authority has had to change the way it operates due to coronavirus. We are supporting the government position with staff working from home, visitor destinations being closed and Organized poaching is especially likely to target rhinos for their horns visitors generally being discouraged from visiting the National Park to minimize the risk of spreading coronavirus in travelling to and from will be hunted for meat or body parts, the National Park. We are aware that the organized poaching is especially likely to pandemic is having a significant impact target rhinos for their horns(4). This trend is on the communities of the National Park likely to be continuing around the world in terms of health, well-being and the and is unlikely to stop until income from economy and we are working hard to eco-tourism is restored post Covid-19. support you through this difficult time. During lock-down we are rightly being We look forward to welcoming visitors encouraged to exercise. While the kids may enjoy working-out to Joe Wicks back as soon as is safely possible.

Some parts of the media have every day, a stroll in the countryside may Curlew suggested that for the natural world be more to some of our tastes. We have there’s a silver-lining to Covid-19. While been asked not to use cars so forests, feel-good stories about dolphins, fish farms and estates bordering villages will We are fortunate to be in lockdown in and birds returning to clearing Venetian be becoming increasingly attractive, such a beautiful part of Scotland with Rivers have been debunked(1), wildlife but please consider landowners/land springtime changes occurring around and the environment have undoubtedly managers and livestock when you are us. Leaves and insects are emerging, benefitted from the reduction in travel, out. This is the time of year when livestock spring flowers are blooming, snipe are industry and general activity brought is especially vulnerable due to lambing drumming, mornings resonate with the about by coronavirus. Air pollution and calving seasons and landowners/ dawn chorus and a host of migratory levels have dropped around the world; managers maybe at risk from contracting summer birds are joining us - there were in India for example, where air pollution coronavirus from gates, styles etc. Some swallows in Auchtubh on the 9th April. To is among the world’s worst, people are landowners have been leaving as many me these things represent renewal and reporting seeing the Himalayas for the gates open as possible to avoid the hope for the future. first time from where they live(1). Nearer need for coming into contact with them. With an eye towards the future here home ground-nesting birds and reptiles Scottish Natural Heritage has issued the is a plea for our bugs. As the season for are likely to be more successful due the following advice for people accessing lawn-mowing is upon us please consider reduction in disturbance from outdoor the outdoors for daily exercise during the leaving a patch of your lawn to grow long this summer and reward yourself recreation and dogs and the cessation coronavirus outbreak: of muirburn, while loch-shore wildlife is Take your daily exercise responsibly by watching the flowers coming through and the invertebrates rapidly moving in. benefiting from the absence of camping during COVID-19.

It will all so provide food for birds and Please remember to: and fishing. hedgehogs and shelter for amphibians.

Unfortunately however, despite Keep your distance – at least 2 metres It is up to you when you cut your longer short-term environmental gains it looks from other people. grass back but remember to check for as though the net result will be a loss Avoid busy paths and places. sheltering wildlife. Maybe raise your for the environment and the natural Avoid contact – try to avoid touching blade a bit. world. While it can be hoped that world surfaces such as gates as far as possible.

As usual if you have anything you wish leaders will see the purer lockdown air as to discuss or report wildlife sightings to Follow reasonable requests to avoid something to aim for post-coronavirus, report you are welcome to drop into the particular areas, such as farmyards, fields early signs suggest otherwise. Chinese Lochearnhead office or you can email me with pregnant or young livestock, and pollution levels are already back at preat gareth.kett@lochlomond-trossachs.

(2) other busy working areas. pandemic levels as the country strives org. or call me on 01389 722044. If I’m not Do not let your dog approach other to make up lost economic ground while in the office please leave a message and the US Environmental Protection Agency people or livestock – keep it on a short I’ll get back to you as soon as possible.

(EPA) has suspended its enforcement of lead or close at heel. Release your dog if threatened by cattle. environmental laws during the ongoing References: coronavirus outbreak(3). Ecotourism, Follow the Scottish Outdoor Access Code 1/.https://www.nationalgeographic.com/ science/2020/04/pollution-made-the-pandemicthe sole source of income for many in worse-but-lockdowns-clean-the-sky/ southern Africa, has come to a virtual Please follow this guidance when 2/.https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/03/31/ standstill, leading to redundancies in exercising in our local forests, farms china-air-pollution-bouncing-back-shutdown-eases/ wildlife and hospitality staff and increases and estates. Please also try to minimize 3/. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/ in poaching. With little or no human disturbance to wildlife; birds and mar/27/trump-pollution-laws-epa-allowspresence in parks as tour operators shut mammals are particularly vulnerable companies-pollute-without-penalty-duringcoronavirus up shop, the conditions are perfect for during the spring and summer breeding 4/.https://earther.gizmodo.com/why-coronaviruspoachers to move in. While many animals season. could-lead-to-more-rhino-poaching-1842754861

• • • • •

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16

17

B A L Q U H I D D E R , L O C H E A R N H E A D & S T R AT H Y R E H O R T I C U LT U R A L S O C I E T Y

Get Growing!

It’s looking more and more likely that our Annual Horticultural Show, like so many other events near and far, will have to be cancelled in 2020. But COVID-19 need not stop us from growing, making, baking and getting creative.

Over the next few months in The Villagers this section is devoted to the activities that are usually catered for in the Horti Show, to inspire you and to keep you busy, indoors and out - with particular emphasis on the outdoors and gardening.

This month, gardener Lucy Benfield from Balquhidder Station offers some good advice for May! I moved here six years ago from Oxford where I worked for many years as a gardener for the University and then for private clients around the city. In the South, gardening was pretty much an all year round occupation: I was often mowing lawns until December, beginning again in early March, and weeds never seemed to stop growing at all. I have heard it said that Scotland, certainly this part of Scotland is about 4 to 6 weeks behind the south in terms of season and growth of plants and it has certainly been a huge learning curve for me in terms of climate, altitude, soil and topography of many of the gardens I work in also getting used to what plants will grow and what plants won’t, but I have to say that the scenery and clear air make up for all of this…

I don’t have a formal garden. We have a smallholding of 10 acres of wild Scottish hillside. The house and land sit in an elevated position. Both house and land have been (and still are) a major project. Years of neglect in the past have meant that the land has never been improved and there can never have been any kind of garden established around the house. Much of my land is steep and windswept.

The soil is poor: either dry and stony; heavy and claggy; extremely thin; or boggy, and I have also to contend with free ranging chickens that sometimes try to assist ‘gardening’ or land maintenance projects not very helpfully. Because of this I have started growing herbaceous plants and annuals in tubs and half barrels as it is a more successful way of growing the kinds of plants that I like by creating more favourable growing conditions. This way they stand a much better chance of surviving than they would in the ground. The deer, 12

sheep, sometimes rabbits, voles and other varmints play havoc with trees, shrubs and plants and sometimes it’s been a battle – things I’ve never had to deal with before.

May is a really busy time of year for most gardeners as weeds begin to race out of the ground and the grass begins to grow - and it’s a case of keeping them under control. Those that take pride in their lawns need now to feed, weed and remove moss and thatch that has built up over the winter months to get the grass looking good for the summer. The end of the month is the time when most of the tender plants and vegetables can be planted out once the temperatures become milder and the risk of frost is behind us, some people especially in Scotland prefer to leave planting out until the beginning of June just to be on the safe side. You can begin to harden them off by leaving them out during the day for a week or two before they are planted outside. It is now that many of us start to think about brightening up our garden borders and patios, tubs, window boxes and hanging baskets with colourful annuals such as geraniums, Lobelia, Bidens,Verbena, Petunias and many more that will create a riot of colour through the summer months.

Vegetables, if grown from seed through April can be planted out in the vegetable garden and again the end of May is the best time to do this. In early to mid April I started sowing vegetable seeds in trays in our conservatory (which doubles very well as a greenhouse). Many people prefer to buy young plants from garden centres or nurseries, as do I. Usually these are available throughout May and ready to plant straight out in the vegetable garden, but with the

‘Repurposed’ sarking boards make excellent raised beds. Above: Step 1! Below: Step 2...

current situation, many nurseries and garden centres are closed and therefore many of us are growing vegetables from seed. However some of the smaller independent nurseries and garden centres can take orders by phone, to be ready for you to collect at an allocated time-slot which is really helpful at the moment.

Frost sensitive herbs such as Coriander, Parsley, Fennel, Dill, and many others can be planted out again at the end of the month when hopefully the weather is milder.

It is also the time to buy and plant your young tomato plants in the greenhouse (or conservatory in my case). Many people will perhaps have grown them from seed this year. And they can put on good growth ready for fruiting later in the summer and early autumn.

... and above, Step 3 - planting up.

Raised Beds Raised beds are a really good way of growing plants and especially vegetables as a means of remedying soil issues and creating the ideal soil conditions required and to enable easy maintenance of plants and crops.

The winter storms damaged my small polytunnel, so this spring during the lockdown I decided to make more raised beds to grow my vegetables in.

I had already made one a couple of years ago from new sarking boards which proved successful. At the end of last year I needed a rather large house roof repair, resulting in huge piles of old sarking boards. Some have turned into kindling, some made excellent firewood and some I have ‘repurposed’ as my raised beds.

They’re by no means a professional job and the sloping ground was rather challenging to work with, but nonetheless, they were easy to make and as the wood has lasted 150 years already they will certainly serve their

Nurturing herbaceous plants

... thanks for the manure, chooks!

purpose for a few years to come. I have filled them with a mixture of well rotted chicken manure and straw at the bottom, garden compost, ordinary soil and lots of free-tocollect compost from the Council waste recycling centre in Callander, with the odd bag or two of peat to top them up. I am really looking forward to seeing what I can grow in them.

The soil around the house is so poor that it required addition of a lot of humus to give it good structure and nutrients. Raised beds are the ideal way to remedy the situation.

‘Rescued’ Trees I like to think of my land as being a natural haven for wildlife and now it seems that everything is coming

to life again and to encourage this, I have planted many native tree species over the last six years such as Rowan, Hazel, Birch, Willow, Oak and Alder.

Most of my trees have been ‘rescued’.

From May onwards, keeping on top of the weeds is a never ending task in borders and driveways in clients’ gardens. Many of these clients view tree seedlings and saplings (that seem to pop up everywhere) as unwelcome weeds, they are ‘treasure’ to me. I bring them home pot them up and nurture them until they are large enough to become part of my small potential woodland. I love May when the young trees come into leaf and I can start to see the young woodland come to life.

Can you identify these leaves from Lucy’s trees? Answers on the next page!

13

Trout

More ramblings about

...pure and simple...

DundurnParish

Bought from Strathyre village shop. So lucky to have them providing such a great service throughout these times.

...POACHED!

Another tale from the Post Office Postmistress Alarmed by late Caller Evening Telegraph 16th February1925: Roadman heavily fined for “Breach”

by Tom Lewis

Place in a pan, just cover with cold water. Add aromatics: A good knob of sliced ginger, skin on 2 cloves garlic, lightly crushed.

Bay leaf Handful of parsley stalks, bruised with the back of a knife 6 black or white peppercorns Bring up to the boil. Give it 30 seconds, turn off the heat and allow to cool in the liquor. When cool, the skin will peel off easily, it will fall off the bone. Flake into nice sized pieces.

Serve with a wild garlic pesto and a new potato salad.

Wild garlic pesto Generous double handful of wild garlic Small handful grated parmesan or mature cheddar Small handful toasted pumpkin seeds Around 100ml mild olive oil – more or less depending on the consistency you prefer Salt and pepper Blitz to your required consistency in liquidizer or hand blender with olive oil, I like texture in mine so leave it quite rough. Add a squeeze of lemon juice.

The remaining pesto can be kept in a glass jar in the fridge for at least a week.

Chef’s tip: When using the pesto from a glass jar, always add a little splash of oil to cover before putting back in the fridge - it stops it oxidising. ... GRILLED...

Simply make 3 incisions on the skin on both sides, this allows the heat to penetrate. Place a couples of slices of lemon on the inside. Generously season with salt and pepper. ...OR PAN FRIED...!

Bring a heavy based pan to medium/hot heat. Add a splash of cooking oil, not your best olive oil.

Cook 2 – 3 minutes on one side. Don’t be tempted to turn too quickly. Turn to cook the other side then add the wild garlic butter. If you feel the pan is getting too hot, pull it off the heat for a second. Baste with the wild garlic butter.

Ingredients: Wild Garlic Butter 250 g unsalted butter 40 g wild garlic 3 generous pinches of flaky sea salt Take the dogs or the kids for a walk, pick a good handful of wild garlic, wash the leaves and finely chop – always using a sharp knife. Don’t over chop, you want nice thin slices. You don’t want it mushy.

Add the chopped leaves to a softened block of unsalted butter.

Add 3 generous pinches of flaky sea salt.

Roll into a sausage using a couple of layers of clingfilm to roll it into a 3cm sausage.

Refrigerate or freeze until you need it. If you freeze it, cut it into useable pieces and take out as you need.

Remote Singing not an Option!

The very first assembly of Choir ‘Occasionally Virtual’ took place in April. There was much hilarity and a realisation that video conferencing has a way to go before it can keep us all in sync. Mind you, it’s nice to be able to blame technology for a change!

Choir leader Gill commented: “We had to try, just to see what it was like. Everyone was singing their hearts out - but the end result was... er... not very musical.

We’ll just have to try something else!”

Keep singing, folks.

Identify the leaves (previous page): A-Rowan B-Oak C-Willow D-Birch E-Alder F-Hazel 14

The sequel to a roadman’s disturbance of the quiet routine of life at the Post Office in the little village of St Fillans at a late hour last night was heard in Perth Sheriff Court today.

Thomas McLauchlin, roadman, Elmbank, St Fillans, was charged with behaving in a disorderly manner, attempting to burst open the door, and creating a breach of the peace, at the Post Office, St Fillans, occupied

by Mrs Margaret Ferguson or Scott.

He pleaded guilty, and Mr R Scott Dempster. W.S., who appeared on his behalf, remarked that he did not think that it was a very aggravated case.

The Accused had been to Lochearnhead, he said, and was cycling home when he had difficulty with his lamp. At St Fillans he saw a light in the Post Office window, and knowing the place well, he stopped at the house to ask for a match. It was a late hour of night, however, and Mrs Scott got “panicky,” and went out to get another man. Mr Dempster did not think the circumstances of the case were at all serious and accused had previously borne a perfectly clean record.

Mr M L Howman, procuratorfiscal, explained that Mrs Scott was a widow and lived alone. She was in bed upstairs when the accused knocked on the door. He made certain suggestions and she had to go for assistance outside. It was a class of breach of the peace which was very objectionable, and the disturbance lasted for nearly an hour. The Fiscal did not believe the story about a match, as the accused lived about 100 yards from the Post Office.

Sheriff Boswell imposed a fine of £2 with the option of fourteen days imprisonment, and in addition ordered the accused to find £1 caution for his good behaviour for the next six months or suffer additional 7 days imprisonment.

Swans at the Post Office

The Courier 29th October1929: Lantern search for missing Roadman St Fillans Angler Drowned - Body found in the River Earn

The pretty Perthshire village of St Fillans was the scene of a drowning tragedy during the weekend. Thomas McLauchlin, a roadman, who lived alone in the village, went fishing on Saturday afternoon. His absence was not noticed by his neighbours Mr and Mrs Ferguson, Sunnybrae, Station Road, until Sunday evening, when it was seen that there was no light in his house.

A constable was notified, and he organised a small search party, who went along the banks of the Earn with lanterns. At East Dundurn House, about a mile east of St Fillans, they found a gaff lying on the riverbank. Owing to the darkness the search was given up for the night. Yesterday morning a party again went out, and part of a fishing rod was discovered near where the gaff had been found the previous evening. About three-quarters of a mile further down the road, at Kindrochat Dam they discovered the body of the unfortunate man. It is the general theory in the village that McLaughlin’s fishing tackle had become fixed in some obstruction, and that, in attempting to disentangle it, he had stumbled and fallen into a deep pool.

The Old Crock

Riverside

COVID-19 Important Information.

Our practices are currently running as normal, but we have introduced some extra safety measures:

•

Anyone who is currently showing any symptoms, or living in the same household as anyone who is showing symptoms, we kindly ask you not to enter the premises.

•

Please call first to book an appointment at the practice

•

Please phone to order repeat medication so we can have it dispensed and ready for collection

•

Ideally wash/disinfect your hands before entering the building and minimise the number of objects/ surfaces you touch as much as possible whilst you are here.

•

We ask that only one client and their pet be in the premises at any one time, so please make us aware you are here, and wait in the car or car park until called in.

•

Please try to keep the recommended distance of 2 metres from others whist in the practice.

We ask that any payments are paid by card rather than cash.

15

• On As I sit down to write my article this month, we find ourselves in unprecedented times and one that not many people could have imagined several months ago. Given the current Covid-19 pandemic, the UK and Scottish Governments have created a number of restrictions in order to try and curb the spread of the virus. To facilitate that, emergency legislation was passed to allow Police to enforce the Regulations. Policing in the UK has always been done with the consent of the public; therefore the policing style being adopted is to “engage” with and “educate” the public, with enforcement being the absolute last resort. Enforcement can see an individual being issued with a fine, starting at £60 and a maximum of £960. In addition, there is also a power of arrest.

I am sure many readers will know someone who has been affected by the virus. Personally, I know of colleagues and friends who have contracted the virus, and thankfully none of them have suffered any longterm effects and have since recovered.

Sadly, we know that is not the case for everyone that contracts it, with the number of fatalities in the country still rising at the time of writing. I have been pleased to see the majority of the local communities have abided by the Regulations and stayed on “lock down”. A small number have had to be reminded of the restrictions on occasions, but the message by in large seems to have gotten through – apart from the influx of visitors to the area!

When word first started about the threat of the virus, I almost dismissed it and never thought I would be affected. To have friends and colleagues suffer from the virus has been unthinkable. The way we do our job has also changed. Every incident is assessed on risk of transmission of the virus. If the risk is deemed high, then officers in PPE are required to attend.

I am one of those officers and I am not sure whether that is considered fortunate or not. It is fortunate that I have the PPE to keep myself relatively safe; however unfortunately if, and 18

when, I need to use it, it means I am going in to a high risk situation where I may still contract the virus. Equally, the chance of taking something home to my family is incredibly high as we are dealing with high numbers of visitors on an almost daily basis.

The threat did not fully occur to me until I underwent the PPE training and it gave me food for thought.

I would ask the local communities to bear with the restrictions and heed the Government advice. My colleagues and I will continue with high visibility patrols in the area, to ensure that the local residents are kept as safe as possible, and “visitors” to the area are returned home. I am aware that there are many local residents who are “essential workers” and I applaud each and every one of you. To continue going to work each day, knowing the potential risks to yourself and family is nothing short of incredible. I must say I am heartened to hear the applauding/ cheering each Thursday evening, and all the local “essential workers” should acknowledge that is for them, in addition to others across the country.

For those who have put rainbows in their windows, or messages on the street/roads etc, rest assured they bring a smile to frontline staff when they seem them and make us realise our roles in the fight of this virus is worthwhile and essential.

Since my last article, the breakdown of incidents in the local area are as follows:

•

On the 18th March, a collision occurred outside a property on Stroneslaney Road, Balquhidder, where the offending vehicle collided with property and damaged it, then drove off without stopping or providing details to the owner of the property that was damaged. Enquiry is currently ongoing with a positive line of enquiry being followed to trace the driver. Once that has been done, the driver responsible will be reported to the Procurator Fiscal for failing to stop after a collision and failing to report it to police.

the 19th April, two males were found to be camped on Loch Lubnaig having arrived and stayed overnight. The males were charged in relation to byelaw offences under the Camping Management Byelaws for setting up a tent, in addition to collecting firewood. One of the males also had a number of fishing rods set up and given fishing has been suspended on all local fisheries given the Government restrictions, he was charged and had his equipment seized by officers. A report will be submitted to the Procurator Fiscal.

Lockdown DIARIES

•On the 20th April, officers spoke

were found on South Loch Earn Road, having travelled from the Livingston area in order to go for a walk. After officers engaged with the male and female and explained the Government regulations to them, they chose to ignore the request to return home and both were offered Conditional Offers of Fixed Penalty for £60 each. The two persons did not leave the area until they were advised that they would be arrested if they failed to desist.

with a family who were camped at 1769 layby near to Immervoulin, despite the Government restrictions being in place. They were unable to return home as the driver had consumed alcohol. They were advised to be away first thing in the morning.

On the 21st April, upon checking the site first thing, officers found that the family had left the location; however, had failed to take any of their property with them and the site was an absolute mess. This included grass having been burnt, and glass having been smashed. As a consequence, the couple will now be reported to the Procurator Fiscal for a number of offences, including fly tipping (which can result in a maximum fine of £40K!) and offences under the Camping Management Byelaws.

• Also, on the 8th April, two males were

• On the 24th April, a family were

• On the 8th April, two individuals

stopped on Main Street, Strathyre within their vehicle. This vehicle had attended to a rural property earlier in the day and the occupier had spoken with them. The males stated their intention to go hill walking, and they were advised against it by the occupier of the property, who also happened to be a Killin MRT member. The males failed to heed the advice and decided to walk up Ben Lawers instead, and again they had been challenged by a Killin MRT member who had been working in the area. Their vehicle was spotted by officers and since they had failed to heed the advice and return home, they too were issued with £60 Conditional Offers of Fixed Penalty each.

found camping on Loch Earn, on South Loch Earn Road. The Government restrictions were explained to them, and they refused to return home. As a result, they were charged under the Camping Management Byelaws for setting up a tent and collecting firewood and a report will be submitted to the Procurator Fiscal.

• On the 25th April, a male and female

were found having a BBQ on the South shore of Loch Earn, in breach of the current Government restrictions.

They were advised of this and agreed to pack up and head home. Whilst conducting checks, it transpired that the male was disqualified from driving. About 30 minutes later, the

My sister Erin and me

Our life in Lockdown

by Tristan Kett

Like all our friends, me and my sister Erin are stuck at home in lockdown. We are finding it quite hard in this time because Erin has nobody to play with while I am doing my school work and Mummy and Daddy are trying to get their work done. I have to do all my school work and usually I would be fine if this was at school but as I am at home it feels sort of wrong because when I am at home I am usually playing or something else, not doing school work.

The whole idea of being off school for ages sounds really fun but the reality in lockdown is not too much fun because you can’t really go anywhere except your house, your garden or if you are walking your dog.

You can’t see your friends unless you use skype or WhatsApp or face time or zoom. But on the other hand you can sometimes sleep a bit longer!

During this time you do have a lot of free time. I have been making a tree house with my dad and sometimes Erin will help us. I have also been making a lazy Susan out of a small bike wheel and some wood. Erin and I have been doing some wildlife photography, Erin is raising some tadpoles and we have been doing more dog walks as well.

I hope that lockdown doesn’t last too long.

vehicle passed officers with the male driving, despite being disqualified, so it was stopped, and the driver was charged with driving whilst disqualified and having no insurance.

• On

the 25th April, a male and female were found having a BBQ on the shore of Loch Lubnaig. When visited, the BBQ was being used, and the grass underneath had been badly burnt. The BBQ was within a thicket of gorse, so it was thankful that the fire did not spread too far. They were both charged with causing damage with the fire and officers left them to pack up and return home. A short time later, officers past and observed that they had left rubbish behind so

they will also be reported for the PF for littering offences.

Please stay safe challenging time.

during

this

As always, I can always be contacted on 101 or for those who prefer email, I can be contacted directly at william. diamond@scotland.pnn.police.uk.

Regards, PC Will Diamond

Dial 101 any time it isn’t 999

19

Balquhidder, Lochearnhead & Strathyre Community Council A public meeting took place online via Zoom on 1st April 2020. Please note that these minutes have not yet received formal approval and should be considered as a draft version only. Present: David Johnston (DJ), Andrew Poulter (AP), Donald McLaren (DM). Apologies: William Dalziel (WD), Ruth McLusky (RM), Eunice Frame (EF), Angus Cameron (AC); Billy Ronald (BR), National Park; PC Will Diamond (PCWD), Police Scotland. In attendance: Cllr Jeremy McDonald (JM), Cllr Evelyn Tweed (ET), Michelle Flynn (MF), Stirling Council; Paul Hicks (PH), minute-taker; one local resident from Balquhidder.

Whilst some technical hitches were being resolved, DJ welcomed those who had been able to join the online meeting, providing a means of being able to continue to function, despite the restrictions necessitated by the Covid-19 emergency. He gave a brief summary of special arrangments that had been put in place by the local communities, especially in regard to the shops at Strathyre and Lochearnhead, with volunteers ensuring that the elderly and vulnerable were able to receive regular supplies of groceries and other essential items. The formal meeting was opened at 7:50 p.m.

1) Approval of Minutes It was proposed by AP and seconded by DJ, that the minutes of the meeting on 19th February 2020 should be accepted and this was approved unanimously.

2) Declarations of Interest None made.

3) Police report PC Diamond was unable to join the online meeting but had distributed a report to all members. In summary, the report stated that, in terms of anti-social behaviour: on 18th February, an incident of sheep worrying took place in Balquhidder, where a dog had been seen to attack and injure a sheep. The person in charge of the dog was traced and charged with the offence and a report was submitted to the Procurator Fiscal. In addition, a joint visit was undertaken between police and Stirling Council dog wardens and the owner was issued with a “Dog Control Notice” which has placed on the owner a number of conditions that must be complied with. Contravening this notice will result in the individual being charged and reported to the Procurator Fiscal.

In terms of road safety: on 18th March, a collision occurred outside a property on Stronslaney Road, Balquhidder, where property was damaged but the offending vehicle failed to stop and drove off. Enquiries are currently underway to identify the driver of the vehicle at the time. Once complete, a report will be submitted to the Procurator Fiscal. No thefts were reported during this time period.

In terms of community reassurance: on 26th February, PC Diamond led a community session on cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) for a number of children at Callander Primary School. In addition, on 27th February, he carried out a session at Strathyre Primary School where every pupil received training in life-saving skills. The younger class was shown the recovery position and taught what to do in an emergency, whilst the older class was taught the same, in addition to CPR and use of a defibrillator. Colleagues from Killin Mountain Rescue kindly assisted with these sessions, together with St John, Scotland and Stirling Council who provided the training supplies. Arrangements had been made to hold similar sessions at Killin and Crianlarich Primary Schools, with a community session in Balquhidder. However, they have had to be put on hold until the current restrictions are no longer required. The planned water and outdoor safety events for 2020 have also had to be postponed, but will be looked at in the future, once everything is back to normal. Thanks to Cllrs Martin Earl and Alastair Berrill, the events now have the backing of Stirling Council, so should run annually for years to come. Thanks are due to both for their support which has proven invaluable. On 3rd March, PC Diamond was at Strathyre Primary School, where the Junior Road Safety Officers delivered a brilliant road safety input to their peers. PC Diamond had provided them with material the previous week and discussed road safety with them. They took away the key messages and created, then delivered, the whole session themselves. On the back of that, a poster competition was run and, later in the week, PC Diamond assisted in selecting six winning posters. The plan was for these to be enlarged and displayed within the three communities as a reminder to local residents and visitors alike to be mindful of road safety. Each poster has a different message that the children felt was important for the community in which it will be displayed. Hopefully, in the near future, we will get them published.

4) Town Break Dementia Support Services Lesley Milne, the Dementia Service Coordinator, had been invited to give a presentation on the work of this organisation but, owing to the restrictions imposed during the Covid-19 pandemic, this had to be postponed.

5) Matters arising from previous meeting a) Light between Balvaig Bridge and A84, Strathyre. JM stated that he had spoken to the relevant department at Transport Scotland and they were happy for this to go ahead. The matter would be pursued when normal life resumed. b) Parking in Callander. The meeting had not yet taken place due to the emergency restrictions. JM explained that it had been deferred previously in order to allow several community councils in the area to be represented. The matter would be pursued when normal life resumed. c) Co-opted member. An application for one co-opted member has been submitted. MF stated that co-option applications need to be checked by Governance before being sent back to the community council. Due to the current situation, staff are working from home and not the office, so do not have the same accessibility. d) Additional insurance cover. This has now been arranged for seven members of the current community council.

6) Correspondence a) Trossachs search and rescue team. A letter had been received from David Ballantyne, the secretary of this team based in Callander, outlining the range of operational services that the team provides. These include servicing of public service defibrillators, ‘first responders’ who supplement Scottish Ambulance Service crews, ‘Technology Enabled Care (TEC) responders’ who support Stirling Council’s TEC service every night, and the provision of urban search and rescue dogs. Sadly, ‘Heart Start’ classes and visits to community groups have had to be suspended during the current crisis. Mr Ballantyne went on to say that the funding for the servicing of defibrillators had come to an end and future work would depend on expenses being met by local communities. DJ had responded to this letter, asking if a breakdown of costs for the servicing of the three equipment sites in the local area could be provided. Depending on the scale of costs involved, the community council might be able to reimburse some or all of these expenses. b) Meetings during the Covid-19 pandemic. A letter had been received from Stuart Oliver, the senior manager for ‘Economic Development and Communities’ at Stirling Council, advising that all non-essential gatherings should be cancelled during the current pandemic crisis. All community halls, centres and libraries would remain shut until further notice. It was agreed that the AGM would be postponed until a full, public meeting could be arranged. Action: AGM to be postponed until normal life resumes. c) Provost’s awards. Nominations for these awards are now being sought and should be submitted by Friday 27th May 2020.

The criteria for selection include substantial contributions or achievements made in the fields of business, arts and culture, sport, academic work, community work, the voluntary sector. youth work and tourism. There is also a category for ‘special achievements’.

Nominations may be made directly through the Stirling Council website at: www.stirling.gov.uk/council-democracy/politicianselections-democracy/provost/provost-awards/ 20

DJ proposed that the shop-keepers at Strathyre and Lochearnhead, who were doing an excellent job, should be nominated by the community council. This was agreed. JM suggested that PC Will Diamond should also be recognised. ET cautioned that the Provosts’ Awards may be put on hold during the emergency restrictions. d) Local community response to Covid-19 pandemic. A letter had been received from Stuart Oliver, the senior manager for ‘Economic Development and Communities’ at Stirling Council, asking for volunteers to support a coordinated response by Stirling Council and Stirling Voluntary Enterprise to the needs of the current crisis. People can register as individuals, as part of local community groups, or as members of ‘third-sector organisations’.Volunteers will be asked to list their skills, experiences and resources. Particular needs just now are for ’befrienders’, drivers and those willing to assist with delivering groceries, prescriptions or helping to prepare food for vulnerable people. Volunteers can register online at: www.inverstinstirling.com/key-sectors/volunteering. (There is also a link on the community council website.) DJ mentioned that there are WhatsApp groups for each village and any urgent requests are posted on these.

7) Timber Transport a) Timber Transport Management Plan (TTMP). A meeting concerning this plan for Balquhidder and Strathyre was held on Monday 2nd March 2020 with representatives of the community council and Stirling Council. It was agreed that a full review of the plan was required and that a bid for funding in order to upgrade the roads in Balquhidder would be submitted. b) Stakeholders Meeting. A meeting with all stakeholders has been scheduled for 30th April 2020. Details such as timings will be discussed in order to prepare firm proposals to be put to the timber extraction company. c) Structural survey, Balvaig bridge, Strathyre. Maria Lucey, team leader for ‘Bridges, Drainage and Flooding’ at Stirling Council, had advised that the last general inspection of this structure took place in June 2018, when it was found to be in a reasonable condition. There is some concern that, owing to the narrow width of the bridge, the increased traffic from timber transport will increase the risk of parapet strikes by vehicles. A further inspection is scheduled for summer 2020 and the team will continue to monitor the bridge and address defects as and when required. DM asked when the surveys would take place but DJ stated that he had no knowledge of the precise dates, nor how the plans would be affected by the current restrictions. He added that it was unlikely that timber extraction would start any time soon as all saw mills were now shut under the pandemic restrictions.

8) National Park Litter and Waste summit meeting Dr Jane Booth from Opus 29 Consultancy had attended this meeting and sent some notes on it to the Secretary. These have been published on the community council website in the general category of the ‘Filing Cabinet’ under the heading of ‘Litter and Waste Summit’.

9) Planning Matters There were no specific matters requiring the community council’s attention. Permission has been given for a replacement bridge to be constructed over Inverlochlarig Burn after the previous bridge was swept away. AP said that the 4G mast application at Strathyre had been withdrawn following local objections and that meant that there would now be no 4G coverage in that village. This was noted.

10) Place Making in the National Park Lochearnhead place making project. Dave Robinson, recreation and access advisor for the Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park, had provided a report on a meeting that took place at Lochearnhead Village Hall on 21st February 2020. He stated that the National Park Authority had been developing a project to make Lochearnhead a better place for walking and cycling and that “Alan Jones Associates” had been engaged to carry out this work. Staff were in the village all day doing research and held a community-engagement session. They were also proposing to spend time engaging pupils at Strathyre Primary School. As well as the informal event, the consultants planned to talk in more depth to some key, local people.

These included: landowners, the police, the community council, the community trust, business owners and those with recreation interests. The outcomes from this meeting will be on a non-attributable basis, but the consultants will seek to summarise all agreed views, which will then be fed into the “Place Making” vision. This report was supplemented by comments from Dr Jane Booth from the Opus 29 Consultancy who reported that Alan Jones Associates had received thirty-five responses to a village survey on the project. The consultants were very aware that the existing Community Action Plan covered all three villages (Lochearnhead, Balquhidder and Strathyre) and were keen to promote ‘joined-up thinking’ on the project that had implications for all three places.

DJ noted that all future government plans were scheduled to start in 2022 and that local communities needed to start producing their own ‘place-making’ plans by this time - although no funding was available. JM suggested talking to Strathard community council. DJ said that he had done this already and was also hoping to use some of the materials and templates that had been used in Lochearnhead. ET asked if surveys and online meetings could provide additional information and DJ agreed that they could. DJ had also liaised with the National Park Authority and was hoping for further help from there.

11) Growing Enterprising Communities The Social Enterprise Academy, Scotland had held a conference on 12th March 2020 under the title of ‘Growing Enterprising Communities’. The day included a presentation by DJ of a case study on the Balquhidder Community Broadband. This had been well received.

12) Dates for 2020 and 2021 The Secretary had circulated some proposed dates for future meetings and these were agreed, subject to any practical modifications to cater for the pandemic emergency restrictions. The dates will be published on the community council website in the general category of the ‘Filing Cabinet’ under the heading of ‘Schedule of Meetings’.

13) Matters from ward councillors and the National Park a) Cllr Martin Earl had provided several useful points of contact regarding the changes in various arrangements brought about by the pandemic restrictions. These can be seen on the Community Council website (www.blscc.org) under ‘News - Points of contact’. b) ET had been extremely busy dealing with requests for assistance. The Council has been reduced to dealing with only priority services. Nobody knows how long the other services will be on hold but it could be a long time. Bulk uplifts have been suspended, but that has led to increased fly-tipping. People have been ignoring social distancing rules. The police don’t want to be heavyhanded, but will use their new powers if necessary. People are being encouraged to manage local problems locally, wherever possible. c) Local councillors are communicating with people primarily through social media. d) JM said that some roads to beauty spots have been closed. Supermarkets currently have a glut of stock and have recruited more staff. Special slots are now available for the elderly, whilst staff in the NHS and social care have been allocated exclusive shopping times each day from 7-8 p.m. There is also much more information on the Stirling Council website about the support available from government and council agencies. e) AP asked about road mending and ET said that only areas that are unsafe would be dealt with until the restrictions came to an end.

14) Any other competent business No items were brought forward under this heading.

There was no further business and, at 8:30 p.m., DJ declared the meeting to be closed. The next meeting will not include the Annual General Meeting (unless emergency restrictions have been suspended by then) but is scheduled to take place on Wednesday 13th May 2020, either online or at Lochearnhead Village Hall if conditions permit.

21

Lockdown DIARIES

Balquhidder Church News MUSINGS FROM THE MANSE

Well, the lockdown has certainly done wonders for the weather! What an amazing April we have had, sometimes with a chilly wind but dry and largely sunny. We recorded 23°C in the shade one day which is pretty amazing for Balquhidder in April. The great weather has made our daily exercise so much more rewarding and of course the dogs are loving having us here all the time. For the last twenty years I have spent a good chunk of April in a lambing shed in the Yorkshire Dales and when I crawled back into the real (?) world it often felt like winter had flipped into summer and I hadn’t seen spring at all. This year I’ve been able to watch the blackthorn slowly emerge into full glory, marvel at the display of wood anemones and catch those sinister looking curls of bracken emerging from last year’s debris. And the silence! No motor bikes screaming up the A84 and on the still days with barely a murmur from the burn the silence has been outstanding, quite eerie really and something we aren’t used to, even here.

Thanks to cupboards which are always kept well stocked and top ups from Team Shop at Strathyre we are eating well. Kippers and mussels from Fish at Crieff have helped and our regular monthly Fishbox also provides a bit of variety. The car has been serviced by PFK Callander using their pickup service and Dawn at Feeds and Stoves has kept the extended family horses, dogs, hens and cat supplied with food while also sourcing timber for my projects and finding bedding plants and growbags. Thanks to all those heroes and our neighbours for delivering the goodies from Strathyre.

Overall, we haven’t been in a shop since March 16th. There are still plenty of jobs to do and the garden is getting lots of attention. Andrea has been busy with the bag making project as well so there is no chance of succumbing to day-time TV for a while yet.

AP

Recipe for you Easy Soda Bread No Yeast Required...

450g Wholewheat flour 2 teaspoons salt 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda 150ml soured cream 150ml water

This is a quick way to make bread using soured cream and bicarbonate of soda. If you don’t have soured cream, use 275ml of milk and 2 teaspoons of cream of tartar.

Preheat the oven to 220C (475F).

Mix the flour, salt and bicarbonate of soda together. In a jug whisk the soured cream and water and stir into the flour.

Knead the dough lightly into a ball and get the surface smooth. Put on a baking sheet and cut/score fairly deeply across the top of the ball with a sharp knife.

Open the cuts if necessary.

Bake in the oven for 30 minutes covering with foil for the last 5 minutes.

Allow to cool on a rack for 15 minutes.

This is best eaten freshly made. Not a loaf for saving!

22

CHURCH SERVICES

ANCIENT SONG: MODERN WORLD

Balquhidder Lochearnhead Strathyre and St. Fillans

I had a trip down memory lane the other day. I put on a CD (remember them!) of Led Zeppelin 3 with the volume cranked up - brilliant! It took me back to 1970, the year it was released, and I was a young 15-year-old. Along with a gang of friends we met excitedly with the new bought album (vinyl) to listen to it upstairs in a bedroom. We played it on an old record player which was essentially a box with a turntable and a dodgy needle which just about worked. Anyway, however poor the quality of the sound by today’s standards, it was heavenly for us as we all played air guitar to Jimmy’s riffs and solos and struggled to hit Robert Plant’s high notes. Ah, they don’t make music like that anymore. No seriously - they just don’t, okay?

That was fifty years ago……...where have the years (decades) gone? Not all music stands the test of time, but the freshness of that album is still visceral and not in the least dated (In my humble opinion you realise). Yet there is a songbook with which I have renewed my acquaintance recently which has also stood the test of time although the tunes for these songs have been ever-changing for two and a half millennia. It is of course the Biblical Psalter. We don’t know what the original tunes were to these songs, but given the list of instruments in Psalm 150 – trumpets, harps, lyres, flutes, tambourines, cymbals - accompanied with dancing - we get the impression that the ancient Israelites know how to party (oops - sorry, meant to say worship)! Reading the Psalms can also be a visceral experience – from high tempo joy to woeful lament and everything in between. The full range of emotions is packed in there somewhere which sometimes makes reading them a challenging experience: sometimes it’s a “wow”; sometimes even a wince! One of the most well-known and popular Psalms is the famous 23rd - “The Lord is my Shepherd.” As well as recording short Sunday services over the last 5 weeks I have also done some short reflections from the Manse. The week beginning the 20th April through to Sunday 27th focussed on the 23rd Psalm (for anyone interested you can get them on Killin Church’s Facebook page or Youtube page). Rather than comment more on this I will leave you with a translation of the Psalm by Eugene Peterson in the “Message” version of the Bible. The words and imagery speak for themselves and I hope they bring encouragement, comfort and hope to you all at this difficult time.

Whilst the churches are closed, I will be doing a short recorded service on YouTube (Killin Parish Church Service) each Sunday and also one on every night of Holy Week.

Please join me.

Russel

Russel

God, my shepherd! I don’t need a thing.

You have bedded me down in lush meadows, you find me quiet pools to drink from.

True to your word, you let me catch my breath and send me in the right direction.

Even when the way goes through Death Valley, I’m not afraid when you walk at my side.

Your trusty shepherd’s crook makes me feel secure.

You serve me a six-course dinner right in front of my enemies.

You revive my drooping head; my cup brims with blessing.

Your beauty and love chase after me every day of my life.

I’m back home in the house of God for the rest of my life.

23

T HE VIL L AGER S ’ TR A D E D I R EC TORY

SUPPO RT YO UR LO CAL SUPPLIERS! PFK Callander Ltd

Charles Grant Decorator& Tiler Exterior & Interior Wall & Floor Paints, Wallpaper & Varnishes supplied

Tel 07768333792 charliehgrant@gmail.com

In light of recent events and updates of the Coronavirus (Covid-19), we would like to offer all our customers’ existing and future a contactless vehicle: MOT, service and repair opportunity.

We can collect your vehicle from home or place of work (within a 25 mile radius from our premises) and deliver back once the MOT, service or repairs have been carried out.

Payments and transfer of payment can be carried out by bacs transfer or by card payment over the phone, to make a fully contactless service.

Please contact PFK Callander Ltd to make your booking appointment today.

Do you need an affordable home ?

Rural Stirling Housing Association aims to support local communities by providing quality homes at affordable rents for families, couples and single people in housing need.

We currently have over 595 rented houses and flats. Around 40 of these become available for rent each year. We currently have properties in the following communities:

Aberfoyle • Doune • Killin • Strathyre Balfron • Drymen • Kinlochard Stronachlachar • Buchlyvie • Gargunnock Kippen • Tyndrum • Callander • Gartmore Lochearnhead • Deanston • Killearn Strathblane We may be able to build in other communities in the future – please let us know if you want to live in a village that is not listed above. Information on local housing need and demand helps us plan for the future.

If you are interested in renting one of our properties when they become available please contact us: Rural Stirling Housing Association Stirling Road, Doune FK16 6AA

01786 841101 enquiries@rsha.org.uk www.rsha.org.uk

! . .

D NDE

Building affordable homes: growing rural communities

Or receive as a .pdf file by email £11

E P S SU

Cheques for advertising and mail order subscriptions should be made out to: The BLS Newspaper Association

24

Published by The BLS Newspaper Association 25

The Villagers’ Contacts Jill Johnston Editor Gardeners Cottage Balquhidder FK19 8PB 01877 384227

Gill Waugh Production Manager Stronvar Farm Balquhidder FK19 8PB 07778 702304

David Johnston Production Gardeners Cottage Balquhidder FK19 8PB 01877 384227

Andrew Poulter Advertising Coire A Chroine Balquhidder FK19 8PB 01877 384784

contact@the-villagers.org.uk

gill@mercatdesign.com

contact@the-villagers.org.uk

apoulter72@gmail.com

Copy Deadline Day is the 21st of the month. Send your contributions to:

contact@the -villagers.org.uk

Please help us to get The Villagers to you as soon as possible!

Bin Collections Glass boxes and the Brown Bin will not be collected for the duration.

The bin collection sequence will be Grey Bin (May 2nd), then Green, Grey, Blue, Grey and so on. The official advice is to put bottles and compost material in the grey bin but it wouldbe good to store bottles if possible and if you want to start composting there is advice at https://www. gardenorganic.org.uk/compost

Lochearnhead Contact:

Ali Ferguson 01567 830 405 St Fillans Contact:

Bruce Montgomery blmscotland@yahoo.co.uk Strathyre Contact:

Wullie Dalziel 01877 384 384 Mobile 07768 221661 Mail Order Distribution:

Andrea Poulter 01877 384784

THE

M O B I L E L I B R A RY has paused its ser vice... fo r n ow. . .

Councillors

Start-Up Stirling Food Banks are suffering at this time and are in greater need than ever. If you can’t donate food items you can donate directly at https:// startupstirling.org.uk/donate Balquhidder WhatsApp group:

https://chat.whatsapp.com/ LHPPc7oLTclE8QTHAFVn5I

Other Contacts...

*at least 2 metres away from each other

Councillor Martin Earl Stirling Council Old Viewforth, Stirling FK8 2ET 01786 233114 earlm@stirling.gov.uk Councillor Evelyn Tweed Stirling Council Old Viewforth, Stirling, FK8 2ET 01786 233101 Councillor Jeremy McDonald Stirling Council Old Viewforth, Stirling, FK8 2ET 01786 233117

Monachyle

MHOR

MHOR Fish

MHOR In Store

Award winning hotel and restaurant.

Chic rooms, open fires, stunning location.

Open all day, walkers welcome.

Fish & chip shop / seafood cafe.

Open Wednesday - Sunday. 12 noon to 9pm Open Tuesday - Sunday in summer.

From Kindling to Cashmere.

Open Thursday - Monday, 10am to 5pm.

Open 7 days in summer.

W www.mhor.net Balquhidder FK19 8PQ T 01877 384 622

75/77 Main Street, Callander FK17 8DX T 01877 330 213 W www.mhor.net

Kingshouse, Balquhidder, FK19 8NY T 01877 384 691 W www.mhor.net

MHOR 84

MHOR Bread

MHOR

Stylish motel with 11 rooms and 1 self catering cottage. Roaring fires, games room, great food 8am - 9pm. Live acoustic roots music every Thursday.

Kingshouse, Balquhidder, FK19 8NY T 01877 384 646 W www.mhor.net

Artisan bakery and tearoom - Open 7 days.

Tearoom 9am - 5pm.

Bakery / shop 8am - 6pm.

75/77 Main Street, Callander FK17 8BB T 01877 339 518 W www.mhor.net

to your door Anytime. Anyplace. Anywhere. From fish & chips to fine dining,from private to corporate events. W www.mhor.net E events@mhor.net T 01877 384 622