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Th e Vo i ce o f B a l q u h i d d e r, Lo c h e a r n h e a d, S t r a t hy re & S t Fi l l a n s • O C TO B E R 2 0 2 0
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No Horti Show this year - but turn to pages 14/15 to see how the growing has been going!
Ed’s Bit It seems rather surreal to be typing this whilst wondering (a) if anyone will have actually paid for a subscription and (b) if they will be reading my words of wisdom... an unlikely combination already! Seriously, though - thank you for supporting us. Please encourage friends and neighbours to join too. We are now six months on from the initial Lockdown and we can all see how naïve we were to think that three weeks of isolation would take us over the worst of the pandemic. Now the day to day uncertainties of how we can go about our lives, where we can go, who we can see, how we can help our families and how we can support business are all increasing stress levels, proving so difficult to juggle and live with. The current generation of young people embarking on their student life have a particularly uncertain and stressed time, with no rosy future (and salaries) to look forward to at the end of their studies, whenever that might be. To turn to Villagers housekeeping matters: we are very pleased to have Paul Hicks (see right) and Christine Merchant (p19) on board, with two very different new articles this month. Also, Andrew Drysdale is rejoining us, giving an account of a very different way of spending your spare time. (p 6/7) It’s disappointing not to be able to announce a winner of the Castle Quiz from last month, but we will happily carry this over for another month and, with the benefit of being online, you can still look up September’s edition for the photographs. Have a go! Stay safe. Jill Johnston
Hmm... isn’t this the castle on the way to the hospital...? 2
The Cyberman Many of us may have been somewhat reluctant in the past to embrace technology. And many of us have been forced to change because of Lockdown. Technology has never been more vital, both in a personal and business context - and not least as a means of keeping in touch with friends and loved ones. The Villagers welcomes a series of articles by Paul Hicks of Lochearnhead, about Information Technology and the way it has affected all our lives. Here he introduces his own background to the subject. Cloudy with a Chance of Spam Fritters
I remember, as a young lad, listening to my Grandma’s stories of houses and streets with gas lamps, where every day of the week had its own job and Sunday was the only day of rest. She was born at the beginning of the twentieth century when the invention of the steam turbine led to the production of electricity on an industrial scale. With electricity came much safer forms of lighting, heating and better communications. Machines were produced to take on the burden of housework - removing dust, washing clothes and allowing food to be preserved for much longer. The radio (or wireless) provided entertainment directly to peoples’ homes and, slowly but surely, life began to change in all the countries where this second, industrial revolution was taking place. Not long after I was born, another technological revolution slowly began to take shape. The most widely manufactured device in history - the silicon-based, metal-oxide-semiconductor fieldeffect transistor (MOSFET) - was invented when I was just eight years old. I was totally ignorant of this at the time, but it was to have a significant effect on my life, just as electricity had been so influential in the lives of my grandparents. The MOSFET led to the first, single-chip microprocessor, which enabled computers to be built
that were small enough and cheap enough for small businesses and even individuals to own. Before long, the personal computer (PC) was born and I became fascinated by the whole idea. Maths had never been my strong subject at school. Languages and literature were more my thing, but the idea of having your own machine that could be used to keep household accounts, write letters and even play games grabbed my attention and held it fast. I read all I could about these new devices and discovered that, in fact, you had to learn a special kind of language to “communicate” with them. OK, maths wasn’t my strong suit, but surely I could manage another language? Just as this obsession was beginning to take hold of me, I had a windfall in the shape of a large sum of financial compensation that happened to come my way. Somewhat selfishly, I promptly blew the best part of it on a “Tandy TRS-80” - my very first personal computer. I started to learn Beginners’ All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code (BASIC) and taught myself the basics of binary arithmetic, leading to octal and then hexadecimal notation. Before long, I had progressed to a Disk Operating System (DOS) and even learned some Assembler (programming in machine code). I was totally hooked and, along the way, I dabbled in various other systems, such as the Sinclair Spectrum, BBC Computer, Psion Organizer and even the Amstrad PCW. After that came a
© Marivi Carlton
Strathyre News
whole series of IBM PC-compatible machines running MSDOS (Microsoft Disk Operating System) and then Windows. Eventually, I saw the light and, for the past twenty years or so, I’ve used various forms of Linux, an open-source system, based on Unix which started life well before Windows and was (and is) extensively used by business and educational institutions. All this is by way of an explanation and introduction to a series of articles in which I shall be looking at the impact of Information Technology on our lives today. I’m not a computing expert by any means although, for the last fourteen or so years, I have operated as a sole trader, producing websites for small businesses and non-profit groups and organisations. I’ve learned to write code in various “languages” and now have a reasonable grasp of most aspects of web technology, but things develop exponentially in the IT field and the goal-posts are constantly moving. However, like all “enthusiastic amateurs”, what continues to drive me is that original fascination and the excitement when some new discovery is made, some new feature is published, or when some intricate piece of coding finally runs without a single error message! Over the next few months, I’m going to be looking at some areas of IT that people have asked me about over the years: filing systems; backups; networks; The Cloud;
email; spam; online safety, banking and shopping; passwords; privacy; storing photos and music. I’m not a big games enthusiast, but I’ve played my share over the years and some people might want to look at that whole subject too. Indeed, I’ll be more than happy to respond to any questions that readers may have, that are likely to be of interest to others as well. Nowadays, of course, “computing” covers an enormous variety of devices. Many people who have never remotely considered buying a desktop computer or even a laptop, may well have a “tablet” and almost certainly will make regular use of a mobile ‘phone. These are all “computers” and understanding some of the basic concepts of computing can enable you to get far more use (and even enjoyment) out of them. So, let me close with with a final question for you to consider. What is the biggest lie in the universe...? (“.snoitidnoC dna smreT eht ot eerga dna daer evah I”) Paul
VACANCY The BLS Community Council has continued to meet during the last 6 months of Covid restrictions but, due to personal reasons, a number of the committee have had to resign. This has left the Community Council short of numbers and occasionally short of a quorum at its meetings. Minutes and other information about the work of the Community council can be found at blscc.org. We currently have two vacancies and, to keep a balance of members between the three villages, it would be best if these vacancies were filled from Lochearnhead. If you think you might be interested in joining the Community Council and would like to know more about what it entails, feel free to contact the Chair of the Community Council, David Johnston on 01877 384227 or at chair@blscc.org 3
Recipe for you!
The Eve of St Michael - and the Bringing in of the Carrots www.sulafurnishing.co.uk catriona@sulafurnishing.co.uk
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COVID-19 Important Information We are open - but please note our safety measures:
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Anyone who is currently showing any symptoms, or living in the same household as anyone who is showing symptoms - please telephone the practice first.
Blackberry Fo ol There are some enormous blackberries still to be had in some shops - but if you can’t get them, try to get out and pick your own from the hedgerows! Ingredients 200g blackberries, plus extra for the topping 3 tbsp icing sugar zest and juice of ½ a lemon 250ml double cream Tip the blackberries into a pan with 2 tbsp icing sugar, plus the lemon zest and juice. Simmer until syrupy, then leave to cool. Chill for a few hours. Whip the double cream with 1 tbsp icing sugar, then swirl through most of the blackberry sauce. Serve in glasses with extra sauce and fresh blackberries on top. Completely delicious.
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4
Torcan torrach, torrach, torrach, Sonas curran corr orm, Michael mil a bhi dha m’chonuil, B ride gheal dha m’chonradh. Cleft fruitful, fruitful, fruitful, Joy of carrots surpassing upon me, Michael the brave endowing me, Bride the fair be aiding me.
It was considered particularly lucky to pull up a two pronged carrot. Should a woman find a forked carrot, she breaks out into further rhyme and invites her neighbours round to see and to admire her luck. Fhorca shona, shona, shona, Fhorca churran mot orm, Conuil curran corr orm Sonas curran mor dhomh. Fork joyful, joyful, joyful, Fork of great carrot to me, Endowment of carrot surpassing upon me, Joy of great carrot to me. Thanks to Penny Hannah for discovering this from truehighlands.com!
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Please telephone the practice first to make an appointment for your pet.
Please try to keep the recommended distance of 2 metres from others whilst at the practice. We ask that any payments are paid by card rather than cash and preferably over the phone.
Michaelmas takes place at the end of September and marks the end of the harvest. As legend has it, when Lucifer was expelled from Heaven he fell in a blackberry bush at Old Michaelmas, so you are not supposed to pick brambles beyond this date in case Satan has spat on them! The Sunday before Michaelmas, the women would lift carrots whilst saying a rhyme:
info@darrenrice.co.uk
BOOK REVIEW
One for the Blackbird, One for the Crow Olivia Hawker
Lochearnhead Latest
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 • be careful 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
www.robroycountry.com
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Level: Beginners to intermediate. For more information contact: Melanie Lewis Union Sun&Moon 07525 126482 creative@melanie-lewis.com www.westerauchrawcroft.com
This is a survival story. It is a tale of two families living on neighbouring properties in frontier country in Wyoming in the 1870s. They are twenty miles from the nearest town. It is a hard life made worse when Ernest Bemis finds his wife in a compromising position with his neighbour and on an impulse shoots him dead. He is then sent to prison for two years leaving the two mothers to fend for themselves without their menfolk over the coming freezing winter months. The women are not friends. Crops have to be harvested and stored for over winter sustenance for both families. The sheep, horses and cows must be brought into the barn for protection from the deep drifts of snow blowing down from the Bigfoot mountains. Nettie Mae Webber is full of rage and contempt for the timid Cora Bemis who in turn is so full of remorse that she finds it difficult to look at Nettie Mae, let alone speak to her. Cora’s 13-year-old daughter Beulagh is resourceful, wild and untameable and is in tune with the land and nature. Together with Nettie Mae’s son Clyde they take on the task of running the farms the way their now absent fathers would have done. Bound by the shared difficulties they find themselves in and the challenges that lie ahead Cora and Nettie Mae gradually see a way to forge a tentative sisterhood. But when a love blossoms between Clyde and Beulagh these bonds are tested. Events occur to force them to rethink their differences when they are made to realise the importance of what they hold most dear. This is a beautifully written novel about love, friendship and survival. The author writes poetically of the place, the wilderness and the mountains and, although the plot may be a little thin, the descriptive passages are worth reading slowly to savour the sense of walking with them in Wyoming. 5
This is a tale of the restoration of a segment of the railway track that borders the Common Land in Lochearnhead. The track is a popular walk for locals, and it has deteriorated over the years to the point where it became hazardous for all but the most agile. It starts back in 2014 when I was asked by Councillor Martin Earl and Mr Bill Bateman of Managed Estates to assist in diverting flood water which was causing havoc at Ravenscroft. Seeing my old Kubota digger and the tractor and trailer sitting at the house, they had come to the right place. Soon the machines were being used to good effect in diverting the wall of water which was cascading from the old Common Grazing land on to the gardens and homes of local residents, the results of which were quite a sorry sight. Ditch lines, long blocked by neglect, were cleared of trees and roots. Slowly the flow was diverted into the magnificent culverts created by those railway builders 130 years before. The storm waters which had flowed unchecked on to the track had taken the line of least resistance and this could not be allowed to happen again. In a few days an open drainage channel was created, running from just behind Broomieknowe along to the big culvert at the Scout Camp. For me, this was an interesting job and at the time I had no idea that this would lead some years later to the re-opening of a section of the former track of the Lochearnhead section of the Callander to Crieff railway. This renovated section runs between the old Railway Station southwards to meet up with the cycle track under the Craggan Bridge. It so happened that this work took place at a time when Managed Estates, on behalf of Sir Malcolm MacGregor of MacGregor, were looking to sell off the former Common Grazing ground which had served the Edinchip Crofting community for many generations prior to the war years. Consulting with my neighbour, John Roulston we felt we could scrape together what was needed to make the purchase and made an offer which was acceptable. John Roulston was Technical Director of Ferranti Scotland, based in Edinburgh. His hideaway is the little Canadian cabin tucked in the woods beside Broomieknowe and known as the Rowan’s. He is known internationally for designing radars that significantly boosted the economy of Edinburgh. This was to become our retirement project and I have to say, it has kept me busy! 6
It took an age for the paperwork to rumble through for the purchase. Not only had the boundaries to be confirmed, but the Ordnance Survey map system was in the process of going digital. It took three and a half years to be precise! For a while we were licensed by the Estate to conduct drain clearance and to upgrade the former railway track - so we were not idle. Eventually the sale came through. Some days on the track there are several 70 year olds, socially distanced of course, telling yarns of the good old days and putting the world to rights while turning a hand at addressing the track and drainage upgrades, sort of “Last of the Summer Wine” on steroids! - We love it! We are committed to spending the next few years improving the land and drainage. By opening up our beautiful hillside and clearing the embankments and wind-blown timber, the local community can share the beauty and serenity of this place with us. The rail track had been our main priority, though. The sporadic and somewhat uneven path that wound its way along the old embankments served its purpose but was dangerous and represented a hefty “duty of care” risk. So, this project had to be attended to with a degree of urgency. One event in particular jogged us into action. Joanna and I met an elderly retired Doctor from Kilsyth who had been walking from Balquhidder through the Kendrum Glen to Lochearnhead. He had sustained an injury while climbing up the embankment where the second new bridge now stands. He had fallen backwards down the steep and root ridden embankment injuring his head and right shoulder in the process. Bloodied but still able to stand, we patched him up and vowed that we would restore the bridge decks ASAP. That year (2018) heavy storm weather had flattened two huge multi trunk willow trees, spreading the boughs across one of the former bridge spans. It completely blocked the path. This is where the first new bridge now stands and was our starting point on this project. After two months cutting, lifting, clearing and digging out of the massive root structures, these were successfully extracted, and tonnes of infill was placed where the roots once stood. The first deck was constructed with steel girders laid and secured in the 130-year-old ferro cement bridge structures. These were held in place with concrete. New sleepers were then fastened to the
Lochearnhead girders and handrails secured. It was a rewarding experience and led to a much safer passage for everybody. Shortly after, a second bridge deck lying slightly further to the south was renovated, the path between them was widened and flattened. The local walkers just loved this! By this time the project was beginning to take shape and we were making meaningful progress. It was our aim to complete this project in 2020 and we are nearly there now. Much increased use of the track is taking place and we are gaining a tremendous amount of public support and approval. In the process of doing this work, the removal of scrub trees and roots took much of the time. It can be a major headache and many hours have been spent on machinery repairs. Broken idlers and tracks, hydraulic cylinders, pins and buckets had to be fixed along with broken windscreens from flying rocks and falling branches. These events caused quite a bit of grief, but teamwork and patience win the day. When the weather was foul and the vehicles broke, we would become a little disheartened. But the sun would shine and off we would go again with renewed vigour. It beats the hall out of sitting pushing buttons or watching television. In my youth I had read about
Path Project “Catskinners” , that rare group of men who in 1942 had forged 1400 miles of road 18ft wide through swamp, rock and tundra over raging rivers and through tunnels up what was to become the Alaska Highway. The route that lead from Dawson Creek in the Yukon to Fairbanks Alaska. The name was given to the Caterpillar Tractor drivers who carved out this trail and were likened to the Muleskinners of the gold rush days. It was the childhood excitement at tales of these adventures that drove my love for Bulldozers and Diggers. I have driven that amazing Alaskan Highway 4 times in the last 8 years. Journeys of 8,500 miles of unforgettable excitement and beauty. Everyone should do this at least once in a lifetime. Our project is a bit more civilised and we can always go home for lunch to put our feet up for a break and an afternoon snooze. Those folks had to cope with mosquitoes black flies and bears with daytime summer temperatures of 110f in summer down to -60f below in winter. The magnificent Caterpillar Bulldozers they used seldom let them down. I had a fleeting glance of what it must have been like for these heroes of another age. Slowly our track was being won back from nature. Our only bugs were midges, clegs, and wood wasps! These have actually been quite
exciting days and often I could not sleep at night just waiting to get back to the job, which at times seemed unending. It has been like living out that childhood story of the Catskinners. After a few months, the work extended to the ground behind Bill and Findlay Wrights new house. Over ninety obstructing scrub trees and their roots had by this time been removed. Our next challenge would be the Jungle. A stretch of former rail track stretching from the Wrights house along to John Cooper’s at Allt Beag some 350 yards. Much of this former railway track was covered by dense scrub and some enormous windblown timber which lay in 18” of thick appallingly smelly mud. In places this was covered by up to 6” of water. It was a shock to the system tackling this job but day after day one amazing guy got stuck in and cleared the way for the digger and the Polaris. The project would have been nigh impossible without Jim Forbes, who at 70+ climbed awkward and dangerous trees with his chain saws like he was a 20-year-old. His wife Mary is a brave soul as she quietly watched him at work with her four beautiful dogs. Jim cut heavy sodden windblown trees into lengths and fixed hawsers so these could be dragged out by winch. He cleared hundreds of tangled branches which were often trapped in deep mud. Suffice it to say we got through in the end. Another local man well known and liked, Danny Wallace, was often to be seen too. In his inimitable way he would turn up with fellow volunteer Pauline Rafferty and help to cut and stack wood and build fires to burn off all the mountains of branches. We call Danny the Man Mountain as he lifts enormous trunks and cuts and stacks them. These are great people and our community owes them a huge debt of thanks for their continuous and much appreciated help. My wife Joanna and daughters Kay and Jenny are never far away and just love getting involved too. By the end of this project I guess I’ll owe Joanna a new washing machine! We have been working over the last few months with the approval of several organisations and individuals who have directly or indirectly given us great encouragement and support. Iain Diamond and Ruth Thompson of Stirling Council Flood Control. A special thanks to you both. Mr David Greer and his team from SSE who were working on clearing many dangerous and rotten trees and branches along the adjacent power
lines. Not an easy job but keeping our electricity flowing. Thanks David. In resolving a number of issues, Bob Cook, Jack Riggs and Kirsty of the National Park Service have been very helpful. Thanks for all your input guys. Local advisers include Gus Cameron, Ali Fergusson and Kim Proven. They have offered valuable thoughts, comments and guidance. Liz and Rory Gilchrist and Alan and Heather Ingles have been a constant source of encouragement and support, as has Mark Tripney. Mark Ratley, Maria and George and their drivers from Breedon Contracts did a brilliant job in providing road scalpings. Fortunately, these were available from works on the Lochside just east of Dalkenneth. Tommy Gilmartin very kindly allowed us to store these at the old 45 site. Greatly appreciated Tommy. Thanks to John Cooper and his wife Christine for their advice and amazing wisdom. Sorry for all that mud! Mr and Mrs Bob Kelly got a bit of a shock when the track appeared behind Gowan Brae, but Bob graciously asked that we tidy up and make ready for replanting a selection of broad leaf trees on the banking, safely away from the drainage. Again, sorry for the disruption and thanks for your kind cooperation. Last week when we finally reached Allt Beag, we were able to access the track and lay our first 50 tonnes of road scalpings. It was great to rake these in and I owe a great debt of gratitude to Ian Thomson, Kay and Alan Ingles for processing many trailer loads of this surfacing material in a socially distant way. It’s a heavy job, and it looks great! There is another important element in this tale. Our dear neighbour Mrs Peggy Henderson is 99 years of age and has walked this track for many, many years. In honour of Peggy, we would like to name the reclaimed track “Peggy’s Trail”. We sincerely hope that she and her daughter Joan will continue their daily walks on the track for many years to come. Some of the old drovers’ tracks on the hill above Broomieknowe are open too, and we are delighted to welcome the ever-increasing visitors who are using these walking trails between the low and high railway tracks. More walks will become available soon as bracken and scrub bushes are cleared away. We only ask that people respect the land, leave no litter and let the wild flora stay where it grows. The few illustrations here give a flavour of the environment and show a little of the result at it stands today. Enjoy! Andrew Drysdale 7
The
St Fillans Bit by Bruce Montgomery
Autumn on the Goat’s Path Let’s stand back from all the issues that currently impact our lives and just appreciate - and be thankful for where we live, and the communities we live in. What inspired me to write that? Its not that there are no problems – we have done a lot of complaining recently about abuse of our environment by visitors who care little for it, and see it as something to be used and sadly abused. Unfortunately, I will still have to lightly touch on that later in this article. Nor is it the fact that the government has reintroduced restrictions to our lives following an upsurge of identified Covid Infections, but I am sure that the community will once more rise to any challenge that might face it and continue to care. Oddly enough, it was a simple walk on the hillside that left me with that “wow” feeling. I was feeling less than 100%, having brought back a sore throat from Orkney which morphed into sinusitis, followed by sinus induced cough. Kathy, my wife, blamed the volume of whisky consumed when away, while I, of course, had a nagging concern about the virus. Then again, I didn’t have the described symptoms, and my discomfort followed the same path that a virus starting in my throat always follows, so I figured she was (partly) right (again) and I would survive. However, viruses do impact one’s enthusiasm for action and if you start something, you have limited stamina. Then again, hanging around the house waiting to feel better doesn’t do it for me, so, as soon as I could I got out into the fresh air. On the second day out, I found myself heading up the track from the top of Station Road, with the expectation that I would get part of the way up the Zig Zag path and then turn and head 8
Above: dew-covered cobwebs, Goat’s Path, brambles and rosehips, and below, St John’s Wort and broom seed pods popping in the sun
back, when my body told me it had had enough. Instead, as I approached the first bend, straight ahead was the cut off to the trail known as the Goat’s Path. I hadn’t been that way for at least a year and last time it was in places rather overgrown and unappealing, but it had the advantage of lower level so would require less exertion and commitment. It was one of these startlingly bright September days with a warm sun in a clear blue sky. The vegetation was still damp from the light rain the night before, and these factors combined to accentuate the smell of the earth and colours around me. The entry to the Goat’s Path is through a naturally wooded section and as I approached it, my eyes were drawn to a series of spiders’ webs which sparkled in the sun’s rays, catching the remnants of an earlier dew or light rainfall. Venturing into and through the canopy of trees I noted their vibrant and varied greenness which somehow lifted my spirits. Proceeding further and passing though the gated fence, the
Autumn colours
vegetation subtly changes and while there are still many birch and fir trees, they do begin to thin, and frequency of bramble and wild rose increases. Then comes St John’s Wort and a little later the air is punctuated with the snap, crack and pop of seed shedding Broom. One doesn’t have to look very far or very hard to see this natural bounty. The mix and contrast of colour captures the eye and the sound of the splitting seed pods accentuates your hearing. Towards the end of this track, the woodland gradually peters out and you enter an area that had previously been commercially planted and felled a few years ago. There is some purple bell heather battling the bracken and briar for survival on this more open ground but some fir trees have managed to naturally seed themselves. You find the occasional oak and mountain ash saplings standing proudly above the briar and the bracken which is now beginning to die back. This area allows glimpses of Loch Earn beyond the everchanging colour of the undergrowth. Autumn has arrived in all its glory and its beauty and plenty and I was happy to be out on such a beautiful day. Full details of the Goat’s Path route can be found on the village website but while shorter and with lower altitude than the Zig Zag path, there are a few sections which require care. The photograph above right is intended as a caution. The drop to the left of the section shown in this pic is very steep and the wood rail has failed in places. There is also a short section of scree which is relatively stable, but there are some points at which extended steps both upwards and downwards need to be made. Of course, these are the areas which are also slippery during or after wet conditions and can stay that way for quite a while. For these reasons, Kathy my wife who walks very successfully with poles prefers to avoid this
Caution...!
route. It is also the case that it can at times get overgrown, particularly with brambles. It is thanks to some Villagers who take the trouble to clear it that my walk was as bramble free as it was. Our sincere thanks to them. They know who they are! Before we move on from the natural environment this month, two further things. I am pleased to be able to include another article from Andrea Hudspeth of Anquilla Ecology. Interestingly, she has also chosen to write about the Autumn effect with her emphasis being on our local bird population. You will find this under the Aquilla by-line later in the St Fillans bit. Finally, I got the pic below from Sally Crofts of some very attractive and large “toadstools” (about 10 inches across) which appeared for a short period on the golf course. If anyone can identify the species, I will include that information next month. They certainly were a rather spectacular sight. We haven’t been able to talk about the Playpark for a while given it was off limits for many months and its continuing development ground to a halt. I am pleased to be able to say that it now benefits from permanent and improved signage, which should inform the educational and adventure aspects of the Playpark installations. The sign at the entry point now
explains the content and activities within the park on its front and its rear carries is a wealth of information on things like pictish symbols and runes, roman numerals, insects, faeries and folklore, all of which feature within the playpark. There is also an instruction board adjacent to the sundial explaining how it works. You will probably get no more than an impression of the content from the pics above, so please visit and spend some time appreciating the creativity as well as the work involved in building this from scratch. Continued overleaf
Magical (not magic)mushrooms!
Continued overleaf
9
The St Fillans Bit Continued from previous page
I mentioned last month that we would try the concept of “a postcard from….” and as I was unable to press gang anyone else, I offered to use myself as guinea pig since my wife and I were about to head off to the Orkney Islands. If readers like this sort of idea, then I am sure that The Villagers editorial and formatting gurus would be able to create a template on The Villagers website, which (if the muse took you) would be available to access, complete and send in for future publication.
A bit of news about the 2021 St Fillans Burns Night. Sorry to say that the overriding restrictions are winning and the organisers have regrettably concluded that it will not be possible to organise this. They hope that this can be remedied in 2022.
Neish Island Discs This month our Neish Island Discs have been picked by villager Jim O’Donnell. His selection of tracks includes many that I am not familiar with, so I must remedy that. If you want to do the same, links to these tracks are listed on the https://www.stfillanscc. org.uk/website under the “News” tab. I don’t think Jim has put them in any order of preference. 10
Quoyness Burial Chamber, Sanday
1/9/20 - 5/9/20 Here we are in Sanday , one of the most nort herly isles in the Orkneys. Its na me is an accurate refle ction of its geology. If you like Islan ds with long white sand y beaches it is right up there with the best. Not large, ab out 20 sq mls but long and fairly narrow. It is 1.5 hours fr om Kirkwall by inter island car fe rry. We are staying in Backaskaill farmhouse where Jane & Geof f are pr oprietors. He is a chef so the breakfasts and dinners made with local pr oduce are outstanding. Weather ha s be en kind so we have wa main beaches. Some bear lked the the full brunt of the tide piling sand into high dunes wh ile others shelter inland seas so are gently tidal. Here sea and wading birds pr ospe r. One walk gives access at low tide to Point Lighthouse sits. It a small island on which the Start wa rotating light. Unusually s the first in Scotland to have a , it is painted with vert ical stripes to enable mariners to dif ferentiate it fr om the light on the neighbouring island of houses a large seal colon North Ronaldsay. Start Point y where presently the moulting their baby co pups are at in preparation for going to sea. An adjacent peninsula of Quoyness houses a 50 00 year old burial chamber. Well worth se eing! Best Wishes, Bruce & Ka thy Montgomery Track Artist Norwegian Wood The Beatles My Cherie Amour Stevie Wonder The Lemon Song Led Zeppelin Dreamer Supertramp Mid Air Paul Buchanan Secret Combination Randy Crawford Love Shack The B52s Roadhouse Blues The Doors Would you be so kind Dodie Clarke All I need Jacob Collier
Villagers Readers St Fillans, Lochearnhead, Balquhidder and Strathyre
Jim’s reason as to why they are on his list This was the first album I ever bought. My mum’s favourite. I had to have this explained to me by my yearolder pal. My pal Dougie Thomson was the bass player. I used to be a dreamer! I listen to this, with a glass of red wine in my hand in my loch side huff hut. Brings a tear to my eye. Reminds me of Liz. Best party track ever. Best beer drinking track ever! She makes me smile. Just discovered this guy. Happy music in dire times.
I am going to conclude this month with another item on signage. While the camping pressure on the lochside has declined as the season ends, there have been efforts to improve the quantity, quality and visibility of the signage. Here (above, and right) are a couple of examples. Both are much more obvious than the existing National Park Notices. Thank you to those who made this happen. Sadly, while I was taking pictures of the signage, I was shocked to find doggy poo on the access path within a few yards of the sand pit. Dog owners not cleaning up after their pets is a perennial problem, particularly on the railway path, and one which is regularly addressed by the Community Council. However, what kind of idiot does not clean up when you are inside a children’s play area? It did remind me that I had spotted an interestingly explicit sign reacting to the same problem in Orkney (top right). I apologise for the language and would hesitate to use it in a playpark, but I think it gets the point across. Maybe we need to consider being similarly blunt in our message? Let me leave you to think about that and meanwhile stay well! Bruce Montgomery
Yoga & Flow classes online for the remainder of 2020 Full information at
www.buddhabodies.co.uk
St Fillans October Nature Update from Aquilla Ecology Autumn mists lead into winter frosts, but there is much to be seen throughout the changing seasons in our wonderful patch of the National Park. The season brings a flurry of geese from the north, not the big honking Canada geese which are with us all year, but the more dainty pink-footed geese whose ‘wink-wink’ calls often alert us to their v-shaped formations flying high overhead. In the garden our summer visitors depart and robins and blackbirds escaping the harsher weather on the continent join our resident birds. We will soon hear the ‘tseep’ of Redwings and the ‘chak-chak’ of fieldfares as flocks of these winter thrushes arrive to see out the year in our fields and berry laden trees. Our resident mistle thrush will no doubt be vigorously defending its rowan tree as it does every year at this time. On the tops mountain hares and ptarmigan are changing into their white winter colours as a camouflage from their enemy the golden eagle, although with milder winters leading to less snow cover this strategy may well backfire. For those who don’t venture up the mountains there is one more creature which turns white in winter which we all have a chance of seeing – the stoat. The white coat with only the tail tip remaining black gives rise to its other name of ermine. You may be lucky enough to see one of these quicksilver beasts popping out of a hedge or drystone wall on its hunt for mice or rabbits. Keep a look-out around the golf course as we’ve seen a female there a few times recently. Bats spend the autumn feeding up and mating before disappearing to their winter hibernation roosts. While squirrels and badgers may sleep more in winter in the UK, bats are the only animals in Scotland that actually hibernate right through to spring. Where do they go? Small numbers are found in deep crevices in stone buildings, but it is thought that most spend their winter in tunnels, caves, and old mines where there is a constant low temperature. On the lochs and rivers we can still see dippers and kingfishers during the day while during the hours of darkness otters will be hunting for fish and beavers will switch their diet from greenery to tree bark. The roaring of stags on the hillside means that the red deer rut is in full swing, stags full of testosterone duel to take control of the harem of females. Here in St Fillans you only have to step outside of your front door as dusk falls to hear their mighty roaring. Take advantage of the autumn wildlife and the beautiful autumn colours as it all gets much quieter when the bleakness of winter sets in. More on that next month... Andrea Hudspeth and Terry Williams https://www.aquilaecology scotland.co.uk Aquila Ecology, St Fillans 11
FLU Clinics We have organised various flu clinics. All clinics are by appointment only. The upcoming ones are:
rev.gen@btinternet.com
Friday 16th of October - Drive thru at the Station Road Car Park Tuesday 20th of October - Kirk Hall Thursday 22nd of October - Kirk Hall Tuesday 27th of October - Kirk Hall Patients must phone the practice to arrange an appointment.
at rev.gen@btinternet.com
Lochearnhead Remembrance Service 2020 To protect our village and with great regret, a decision has been reached to cancel our Remembrance Service due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Social distancing would be impractical but local people may pay their own respects at our village Memorial at any time, laying tributes to the Fallen, family and friends of all wars. Thanking you all for your past support. You may want to utilise whatever television coverage of Remembrance is provided, in the safety of your own homes. Keep safe. Malcolm White
CHURCH SERVICES
www.feedsandstoves.co.uk dawn@feedsandstoves.co.uk
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Although the churches remain closed at the moment, we are providing short recorded services online, every Sunday. You will find them on Killin Church’s Facebook page or directly on YouTube via Killin Parish Church. Please join us!
Balquhidder, Lochearnhead Strathyre and St. Fillans
Balquhidder Church News MUSINGS FROM THE MANSE
A CHRISTIAN FUTURE? In these strange and challenging days when the future of so many things seems to hang in the balance and even the Church has a very uncertain future, it is good to remind ourselves of what our Christian roots are. This can only be a brief introduction to that. Who we are we? Why are we? Humans are a symbolic species. We think in metaphors and illustrations and we talk in them too; painting pictures with words, often without realizing it. We explain our world through them: even in science, it is the use of analogies and models which help in the visualization, and hence the conceptualization and understanding of complex processes and data. We are also consummate storytellers as the history of our species testifies. We all love a good story! From time immemorial, our ancestors shared their stories around the campfire and within their homes. These stories were not just for entertainment in a pre-modern age, they were a vehicle for understanding and engaging with the world: of generating identity and purpose; sustaining group solidarity; and orientating the self towards reality. Every ethnic group, tribe, and nation, and every religion has its own “narrative” and symbolical imagery. In fact the philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche declared that “Truth is an army of metaphors.” He’s got a point! So what is the Christian story and the metaphors that underpin it? Let me begin by teasing out some preliminary issues under the rubric of Remembrance. Remembrance The act of remembrance is fundamental to the Christian faith. This involves more than the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper. It is integral to the life of faith in its very essence. It has been said of the Jewish people that they go forward into the future like “a man in a rowing boat” looking back at where they have come from. There is a lot of truth in that. A rowing boat is probably the only mode of transport where you don’t look in the direction of where you are headed. A good job we don’t drive cars like that! The Jewish people have always made sense of their present and found hope for their future by reminding themselves of their past; a past encapsulated in the traditions of the Hebrew Bible. The Church is exactly the same, especially as we share in and identify with many of these very same traditions and in the continuing story of God’s revelation in and through Jesus. In our society we are familiar with an act of Remembrance for the war dead once a year, and in our churches we remember the birth of Jesus at Christmas time and, of course, the events of Holy Week at Easter. However, in the context of our current crisis we, who are Christians, need to broaden, deepen and habitualise our acts of remembrance. It is imperative in our contemporary situation that we remind ourselves who we are and why we are. If the long retreat is not halted; the aimless drift not corrected then there will be no Church at all in ten to twenty years. The Church is not the building or the clergy; it is ordinary members practicing their faith day by day. In fact, it is beyond doubt that there will be a radical and drastic reduction in both buildings and clergy throughout the country in the next two or three years. Congregations will have to adjust to this new normal. Our Calling We didn’t find God, He found us! Given the nature of the Biblical story, we could never entitle it “Humanity in Search of God”, for the opposite is true; it is more a story of “God in Search of Humanity”. The stories of Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Samuel, Elijah, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, among many others, testify to the power of God’s calling in both the dramatic and the ordinary events of life. The calling of the Disciples by Jesus and his subsequent words “You did not choose me, I chose you” (John 15:16) continues this theme with the conversion of Paul being a watershed moment in the history of salvation. It has, therefore, been both the conviction and the experience of the devout throughout the ages that God sought them more ardently and passionately than they sought Him. Remember how you came to faith: reflect on it for a moment. Whatever the varied circumstances of our own personal experiences, we have all found ourselves caught up in something bigger than ourselves; something life-changing, awesome and wonderful. For some of us it was sudden and surprising; for others it was a gradual, natural, and irresistible process; for yet others, the culmination of a very punctuated yet persistent journey. For some it was like the experience of C S Lewis being pursued by the “hounds of heaven” until we surrendered; for others it was a “slow burn”; a gentle awakening to another reality. Wherever we are at this present time in our life and in our faith, we need to view that situation in and through the lens of where we once were. Have we lost our way? Have we drifted a bit over the years? Has our interest waned? Has our vision dulled? Has the fire dimmed? Then remember your calling: Remember your first awakening to faith; Remember God’s story and your part in it; Remember who you are – a “child of God”; called by God; saved by God; to serve God!
Russel
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BLS
Horticultural Society UPDATE
Apologies to all that we were not able to hold the BLS Horticultural Society Show this year due to obvious reasons. All the same we thought you might like to see a selection of photos from various Villagers’ readers. For many of us our gardens have been our sanctuaries this year, particularly through the lockdown period - and still now, as many people opt to stay closer to home than perhaps they might usually. For most working parents it has been a challenge too to keep up with working from home and homeschooling children. So, for some of us, the gardens have been a bit sadly neglected - but it is still inspiring to see the trusty perennials soldiering on and brightening up our gardens. And a good few pretty “weeds” too. You can’t beat a bank of beautiful oxeye daisies nodding in the breeze/ strong winds! A huge thank you to Strathyre Village Shop for their amazing efforts through lockdown to keep us all supplied but, most importantly of all (!), for cheering many of us up when they got in their precious stocks of annuals for bedding and baskets! A highlight of lockdown for some of us!! We hope we might be able to get back to a more normal schedule for next year but in the meantime if you have any cups from the 2019 show could you please contact Karen on karenlmfreeman@hotmail.com and we will arrange to come and collect them. Hope you are enjoying the late roses, crocosmia and asters in this beautiful autumn sunshine (it will be raining again by the time you read this, no doubt!) and tucking into some delicious homegrown apples, plums or tatties. It will soon be time to be putting our gardens to bed for the winter! But not yet… Wishing you all the best. Let’s hope the glorious autumn sunshine continues to let us enjoy our gardens a bit longer yet. The BLS Horticulture Society Committee 14
These beautiful specimens are from the garden of Eleanor Bell
Clockwise from top left: Lilies, Poppies, Sweet Peas, Helenium and Cosmos all did well this summer
Erica Mackenzie, a horticulturalist and gardener from Balquhidder, has been responsible for the lovely walled garden at Ardvorlich. Here are some photos showing the purples and pinks of her beautiful colour scheme.
Plums, Potatoes, Tomatoes and Onions would have made an impressive display the show this year!
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Balquhidder, Lochearnhead & Strathyre Community Council A public meeting took place online via Zoom on 23rd September 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) for part of meeting. Apologies: Ruth McLusky (RM), Angus Cameron (AC), William Dalziel (WD), Jim Heron (JH); Cllr Martin Earl (ME), Michelle Flynn (MF), Stirling Council; PC Will Diamond (PCWD), Police Scotland. In attendance: Cllr Evelyn Tweed (ET) for part of meeting, Cllr Jeremy McDonald (JM), Stirling Council; Paul Hicks, minute-taker. 1) Approval of Minutes It was proposed by DJ and seconded by AP, that the minutes of the meeting on 12th August 2020 should be accepted but this could not be approved formally as the meeting was not quorate. DJ explained that any decisions required would be reached by contacting all members later through other means. The minutes were later approved by RM, AC and WD via email. 2) Declarations of Interest None made. 3) Police report (10 Aug - 23 Sep 2020) In respect of anti-social behaviour, eight separate incidents were dealt with, mainly in connection with offences against the camping management bye-laws, nearly all of them along the South Loch Earn Road. One incident concerned a male who was arrested for threatening or abusive behaviour at the Monachyle Mhor Hotel on 14th August; another, similar incident, occurred at Immervoulin Caravan Park on 31st August. In all, fourteen, separate individuals were arrested or reported for offences. There were no traffic-related incidents during this period but, on 18th August in Lochearnhead, a male was disturbed in the early hours of the morning inside a property where he had gained access through an insecure door. He was apprehended and charged with being there for the purpose of committing theft. Residents are reminded to be vigilant and to ensure that premises are kept secure. Sightings of people or vehicles acting suspiciously can and should be reported to the police as soon as possible. During this period, PC Diamond spent the majority of his time in and around the local communities, engaging with and dealing with the large influx of visitors to the area. In response to queries after the last community council meeting, he had provided a number of answers to both community councillors and elected members regarding the alcohol and camping bye-laws. Police Scotland continues to work closely with the Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park Authority and Stirling Council, to review existing bye-laws over the winter months and ascertain what, if anything, requires amendment ahead of next year. If any changes are to be made, there will be a consultation period in which the community council will be involved. This is considered very much a work in progress and any updates on the review will be reported to the community council. 4) Postponed Business The following items have been postponed until the current restrictions have been relaxed: a) Lesley Milne’s presentation on Town Break Dementia Support Services. b) The installation of lights between Balvaig Bridge and A84, Strathyre. c) Parking in Callander. 5) Matters arising from previous meeting Wild camping. PC Diamond had been invited to comment on some questions that had arisen under items 11a and 11b of the agenda for the community council meeting on 12th August 2020. He had replied as follows. Is the area covered by the bye-laws the same as the Camping management zone? “There is a sign along Stronslaney Road which is outwith the ‘Camping Management’ zone, so I have some doubt whether they match precisely. The camping management zones (CMZs) are fully covered by the alcohol bye-laws. However, there are areas such as Stroneslaney and Balquhidder Station which are not covered by CMZs but have the alcohol bye-law in place. It was decided, during the consultation phases, that this would be advantageous as a preventative measure for people who may have been displaced by the CMZs.” Are there adequate signs in the areas covered? “I think that additional signs would be helpful. I was provided with a very small number of signs by the Council to cover all three communities and a number of them have since disappeared. This is something that would be worth looking at for providing guidance to the public.” AP stated that he was glad that this was going forward. Presently, only one sign for the alcohol bye-law on the stretch between Balquhidder and Monachyle Mhor remains. This is inadequate but, hopefully, new signs will be re-instated. Is the bye-law fit for purpose and is there any reason why it is mentioned so rarely in police reports? “I recall a similar bye-law being introduced in Clackmannanshire about twenty years ago and, within six months, the police declared it to be useless. I think that the local bye-law is fit for purpose and is a great tool to have in the toolbox when dealing with individuals. The reason it is never mentioned is that it would only be dealt with by means of a fixed penalty notice and these are not recorded in community reports, owing to a change in the way these measures are recorded on police systems. Nonetheless, the bye-law as it stands could be changed and I will cover that in Cllr Earl’s query.” From Cllr Earl: Is there any coordination between the National Park Authority (NPA) and Stirling Council about communication of this bye-law? For example, are there signs at the permit sites and does the NPA tell people about the “no alcohol” issue when they book? “From what I understand, I don’t think that the NPA advises the public about this at all, so this is perhaps something that can be looked into. The signs that exist are, in general, at the permitted sites. However, as I stated above, a number of the signs have disappeared.” Response from PC Diamond: “I discussed this briefly with Cllr Earl and he suggested I do some more research. On checking the NPA website pages about camping management, I can find absolutely no mention of the alcohol bye-law in any of the descriptions of local sites or the camping rules. I suggest this is an opportunity missed and we should ask Cllr Earl, with his connections to both Stirling Council and the NPA, to try for some coordination. I completely agree that education, prior to people arriving, would be advantageous.” PC Diamond was also asked to give his opinion of how useful the alcohol bye-law is and whether any changes would be beneficial. He replied: “I think that the bye-law is a very useful tool to have, but enforcement can be difficult. The current model is called the “Edinburgh model”. This requires us firstly to provide individuals with a warning to desist. Should they then continue, we can issue a Conditional Offer of Fixed Penalty (COFP) notice. Other areas of the country use a different model whereby, as soon as a “container” (bottle or can) is opened, then a COFP can be issued. I believe this is known as the “Luss model”. If we were able to look at changing the model, then that would be great and would allow immediate enforcement. I have not yet issued a COFP for the bye-law as all those I have warned have heeded the warning whilst we have been there. That is not to say they haven’t continued once we have left. I believe it may be possible to seize the alcohol under the “Luss model” and that could provide us an additional power which would be a great help.” The following questions were also asked. Would the ability to issue a COFP, rather then submitting a report to the Procurator Fiscal be useful? PC Diamond replied: “Very much so in relation to camping bye-law offences. We already have the ability to issue COFPs on the spot for alcohol byelaw offences. All camping bye-law offences are currently reported to the Procurator Fiscal. If we were able to issue a COFP, that would speed up the process, because we can print them on our mobile devices at the locus and less time would be spent in the office.” Would the capacity to issue a COFP involving a higher financial amount be useful? PC Diamond replied: ”I personally don’t think that the fine levels are an issue. However, one option would be to consider a higher level fine for causing environmental damage. The setting up of a tent can be considered a low level offence, but chopping down trees or causing damage by lighting fires could potentially carry a higher penalty and that would also have a deterrent value.” PC Diamond also stated that it might be worth looking at further extensions to the existing “clearways”. This
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had been proposed by the NPA a number of years ago, in relation particularly to the A85 at Loch Earn, South Loch Earn Road and the C33 Road down Loch Voil. There had been several issues with traffic congestion owing to parked cars and, once the drivers had consumed alcohol, the police had problems getting the vehicles moved. DJ had written to Stirling Council on 26th August, pointing out the problems with disappearing signs and the shortcomings of using the ‘Edinburgh model’ in the alcohol bye-law legislation. He also highlighted the problems with traffic congestion and asked about the possibility of installing ‘No Parking’ signs at certain locations and designating the C33 Road as a ‘clearway’ during the camping management season. It was agreed by those present that these matters should continue to be pursued during the winter months. 6) Fire Hydrants in Balquhidder On 13th August 2020, the following update was received from Ruaridh MacGregor of Scottish Water. “I have spoken with the team leader and can confirm that, as part of the audit of fire hydrants in Balquhidder: - Twenty-two (22) hydrants were inspected; - Six (6) were found with no faults; - Eleven (11) were found to need some follow-on remedial actions (mostly minor work such as marking and lifting eyes); - Four (4) are yet to be inspected.” DJ had written to the Fire Service about this but, to date, no reply had been received. DM commented that it was outrageous that so many organisations were failing to respond, but wished to record his gratitude to DJ for persistently chasing those involved and insisting on getting an appropriate response. 7) Correspondence a) Re-surfacing the A84 trunk road, North of Strathyre. BEAR Scotland, on behalf of Transport Scotland, is proposing to carry out essential resurfacing works on the carriageway of the A84 trunk road situated north of Strathyre. The work is provisionally programmed to take place over four nights between Sunday 11th October and Wednesday 14th October 2020. The work will take place between the hours of 7pm and 5am each night. Unfortunately, due to restricted road widths and on-site geometry at this location, the A84 will be closed as a through route in both directions to ensure the safety of the work force and members of the public. DJ had responded to this, writing to BEAR Scotland and commenting that 7pm was far too early to be closing a trunk road. JM added that the proposals regarding rural road networks being developed by Stirling Council were just as bad. See item (a) under AOCB. 8) Timber Transport a) Replanting and woodland regeneration. The community council had requested support from the National Park Authority (NPA) for the regeneration of native woodland in selected areas where commercial forests have been felled recently or are about to be felled. The local area has a large number of industrial plantations reaching maturity and there is an opportunity right now to improve the local environment substantially, both visually and to increase bio-diversity. On 28th August, a reply was received from Simon Franks, Woodland Adviser for the NPA: “The increasing native woodland connectivity, especially around water courses, is an objective which the Park Authority would wish to see in these restructured forests. The replanting of these woodlands is a requirement of the permission to fell them and the responsibility for this replanting falls to the woodland owner.” b) Industry response to timber transport survey results. DJ and DM both commented that they were dissatisfied with the response from the industry. DM particularly commented on the requirement for a 5:30am start, stating that this could be dropped back by an hour or two and still avoid clashing with the school transport times. DJ agreed and added that he was unhappy about some sections of the roads being allowed unrestricted traffic. Matters of the number of loads per day and the number of days per week were discussed in some detail, but it was agreed that further discussions in the timber transport sub-group would be required before any agreement could be reached. AP commented that there seemed to be a great deal of emphasis on ‘community engagement’ but this wasn’t happening in practice. He also commented on the increasing marks of damage to the roads and Stronvar Bridge and said that it would be useful to have photographic evidence of the current state of the infrastructure. JM agreed to pursue this with the Council and offered to sit in on the sub-group meeting as well. c) Ballimore Farm Timber Felling - resubmission. DJ commented that this was a relatively minor change and unlikely to prove controversial. 9) Planning Matters DJ reported that no new plans had been referred to the community council and none of the new applications appeared contentious. DM raised a query about the new houses being built at Stronvar. Two, in particular, were much larger than had been proposed originally. AP commented that an additional application for planning permission will have been required for this change. One building is to be enlarged for a kiln to be installed, because the person concerned will be using it as a pottery. The other building will be a music studio for the making of instruments. DJ added that all of the plots have now been sold. 10) Stirling Council Payphone Consultation The ninety day consultation about removal of the payphone boxes at Strathyre (FK18 8NA) and Balquhidder (FK19 8NY) ended on 21st September 2020. The average number of calls per month over the past year had been: none from Strathyre and four from Balquhidder. The community council had agreed to the removal of the Strathyre payphone but objected to the removal of the Balquhidder one (situated at Mhor 84), requesting to adopt it if the authorities decided on removal anyway. 11) Place Making in the National Park a) Survey on Place making - BLS community aims for the future. There have been relatively few responses so far, but some good comments have been made. b) Place making project in Lochearnhead. The National Park Authority (NPA) engaged Alan Jones Associates to consult with residents of Lochearnhead about their future needs and aspirations for the village. An executive summary of the findings has been published in full on the community council website. (www.blscc.org). An update on the latest progress with the project, produced by the Access Officer for the NPA (Dave Robinson), has also been published there in the “Filing Cabinet”. Mr Robinson summarised the consultants’ report as follows: “This is very much a reflection of the local community needs and aspirations for the area and, obviously, the Community Council and Community Trust should be involved in helping achieve them.” 12) Loch Lubnaig Camping Area and Car Park On 14th August 2020, a reply had been received from Neil Macfarlane, North West Area Manager for Transport Scotland, indicating that he would liaise with the police about the removal of the blue tape that had been placed to protect the road verge near the camping area and car parks beside Loch Lubnaig. Continued overleaf
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Andrew Poulter
Balquhidder, Lochearnhead & Strathyre Community Council Meeting Minutes continued from previous page 13) Road works at Leny Feus in Callander On 14th August 2020, a reply was received from Neil Macfarlane, North West Area Manager for Transport Scotland regarding the ongoing road works at Leny Feus on the outskirts of Callander. He explained that a collapsed culvert at this location required extensive repairs, including a re-design of the infrastructure. He apologised for the delay but assured the community council that every effort was being made to hasten this work and bring it to a successful conclusion. 14) Matters from ward councillors and the National Park a) Dirty camping. ET reported that this matter had been raised in the Scottish Parliament by Bruce Crawford, MSP. It was a widespread issue that affected many areas throughout Scotland. It had been agreed that a parliamentary committee would consider this. ET had spoken to the Chief Executive Officer for Stirling Council who stated that many councils are hoping that the government will legislate further regarding this problem. Police Scotland has asked for additional powers and put forward some good suggestions. Locally, the police have worked well with the National Park Authority. AP concurred, stating that the local police had been outstanding. Existing powers had been well used but there are still shortfalls. DJ commented on missing signs and the need for variations to the alcohol bye-laws so that drink can be confiscated. He had spoken to St Fillans community council where there is no alcohol bye-law and they are very keen to remedy this. AP mentioned a problem with parking at Loch Voil and commented on the lack of toilet facilities. ET added that there is a problem with infrastructure funding as little has changed for forty years. b) AGM situation. ET said that it was looking unlikely that any physical meetings would be able to take place until at least next year. The inability of community councils to hold an Annual General Meeting is beginning to cause problems. AP mentioned that he happened to be aware that Dollar Community Council was holding an online AGM and said this should be possible in the Stirling Council area as well. JM added that he had talked about this with council staff and there are alternative solutions \u2013 such as using other online facilities - if Zoom is not considered acceptable. c) Internet Of Things. DJ mentioned that Balquhidder would like to install some monitoring equipment at the village hall to detect heavy lorries entering or leaving forest areas. This was made possible by the existence of the new broadband network and the availability of new devices coming under the heading of the ‘internet of things’ (IOT). Such information could then be passed to local residents so that people were aware of when heavy vehicles were using the road. However, although he had spoken to Stirling Council about this, they have been very slow in responding. JM asked if he could be given some information on costs and other details on the project in order to pursue the matter. Action: DJ to provide JM with costings and details of the IOT project. d) JM mentioned ongoing work-streams regarding environmental housing and winter gritting. He also mentioned the ongoing matter of waste disposal. AP mentioned that composting was no longer happening and was concerned that compost was no longer available. JM replied that it might be the case that this was being handled by another council and would check to see when the production of compost was likely to be resumed. e) JM mentioned that Stirling Council’s Enforcement Team would be working at weekends in future. He also mentioned proposals to release lynx wild cats in the area, but added that Stirling Council is opposed to this. 15) Any other competent business a) Rural Strategic Road Network. Cllr Earl had earlier written to the community council to advise members that Stirling Council is considering a report on how to deliver road improvements to the rural road network. The main proposal is to agree in advance with the local community the times and dates when works on certain roads can take place. However, the aim will be to achieve longer times of productive work on any given day, thereby reducing the number of days required to complete the work. Cllr Earl expressed concern that full daytime closures on some roads would be too disruptive and that more consideration should be given to ‘time-banded’ and overnight working. The proposal also recommended that works should only be considered during the months of March to June and September to November - mostly because these months offer optimum weather conditions for road works. Again, Cllr Earl had concerns that this would restrict works to times when the roads were at their busiest. b) Representation at National Park. Gartmore Community Council had circulated a letter to other community councils in the area of the Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park Authority (NPA), drawing attention to the poor state of communications between all parties concerned. Gartmore is proposing that all community councils should be represented at NPA board meetings. DJ stated that there are already elected community representatives, but they become members of the board and, in many cases, see their primary allegiance as being to the board itself rather than the communities that they represent. Unfortunately, the proposals from Gartmore appear unrealistic, but it was agreed that the current situation is not ideal and some better solution should be sought. c) AP had recently circulated a current statement of the community council accounts to all members. There were no financial problems or matters to resolve. d) DJ commented that additional members of the community council are required urgently as there are currently insufficient people available to transact online business when just one of the existing members is unavailable. Further efforts should be made to recruit more people. There was no further business and, at 9:05 p.m. DJ declared the meeting to be closed. The next meeting is scheduled to take place on Wednesday 4th November 2020 at Strathyre Village Hall (if permitted) or online.
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Walkin’ the Walk Sharing your favourite routes
Lochan Breaclaich!
by Christine Merchant
2
Who needs to go abroad when Lochan Breaclaich is a Beautiful cycle ride. Although few miles away? Killin was full of tourists, we I first discovered Lochan Breaclaich two years ago while only met three cyclists during searching for interesting walks around Killin. I was so the whole day, overtaking us as intrigued by the beautiful photographs I saw online that we were pushing our bikes, but I had to go there to look for myself. The tiny green sign we eventually got there – the on a fence (photo 1) on the side of the South Loch Tay ride gets easier when you leave Road leading to the the track and join the road Rob Roy Way (roughly leading to the Lochan (photo a mile on the left 5). 3 coming from the Falls Lunch overlooking the of Dochart) isn’t easy reservoir was a must, and the to spot, I drove past it weather was so hot that we several times before paddled it for a while (photo 6). noticing it. The walk/cycle ride from That section of the Glen Ogle is around 12 miles. Rob Roy Way is not For the return, you can either well-maintained, the retrace your steps or follow road is full of potholes. the Rob Roy Way back to Killin, 4 After walking for a completing the loop by cycling on the route 7 back to Glen Ogle. good thirty minutes, Highly recommended! Love it up there! the climbing is done, and you reach a gate, then a good surfaced 1 road leads you up to the Lochan, with amazing views over Killin and Loch Tay. (Photo 2) It’s very quiet up there, it’s better to be with a friend or two, especially in the hunting season as the only people I saw that day were hunters. I was so enchanted with the scenery that I was eager to go back there with friends, but it was the winter and although 5 Killin was snow-free, it was not the case higher up. Let’s say that my second visit was less magical. The snow was deep, the day overcast, and it was windy. Having lunch in the cold in front of the dam wasn’t that enchanting and we wrapped up our walk as fast as we could. I was therefore waiting for a sunny day to go back there, and a few weeks ago, the opportunity arose. Two friends and I decided to cycle from Glen Ogle. After parking our cars at the Glen Ogle (Snack van) car park, we briefly followed the route 7 to Killin, then turned right at the first junction (photo 3) to follow an uphill forestry www.kingshousetravel.co.uk track (photo 4).
Christine
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October Skylights In this note of Astronomical events I have only included items that can be seen either with the naked eye or with a pair of binoculars. It is always helpful to have a star chart to follow when navigating and observing the heavens. A free star chart which also contains lots of additional observational notes is published monthly by Skymaps. com. Simply go to skymaps.com and scroll down to Download Now. A new page opens to reveal several types of download. Press Download Northern Hemisphere Edition and save. This is then best printed double sided to an A4 sheet. Should you want to download a Skychart onto your pc, Stellarium is available free of charge. It is worth noting that planets do not appear on “skymaps”. Iridium Flares With the nights now dark and long, and the cold temperatures yet to kickin there is plenty of time to stargaze and observe the brighter stars, constellations, Moon and Planets. By this time, you are becoming more familiar with the night sky and stargazing while building up a small arsenal of constellations and pointers to guide you around the sky. It is starting at this time of year that we sometimes see a bright flash, fireball or a shooting star, particularly in October, however, if it was more of a glint than a fireball, there is a good chance that what you saw was an Iridium flare. There are over 60 members of the Iridium constellation of satellite phone orbiters and they are of particular interest to satellitehunting stargazers because there odd shape means they catch the Sun’s rays in a peculiar, but predictable way, which creates a momentary flare that can be as bright as a planet. The Heavens Above website is the place to go if you want to witness an Iridium flare. The site gives exact times and a star chart customised to your exact location. These flares are only momentary but are fascinating none the less. Looking South The Great Square of Pegasus dominates the southern sky. This is framed by the two chains of stars that form the constellation of Pisces, together with the star Alrescha (alpha Piscium) which joins the two chains 20
by Vernon Alexander
together. Also, clearly visible is the constellation of Cetus, below Pegasus and Pisces. Aquarius is to the east and those with a high vantage point and low horizon may see Piscis Austrinus. The main band of the Milky Way runs downwards from the Zenith (the point in the sky directly above you) due west through Cygnus, Vulpecula, Sagitta and Aquilla to the western horizon. Delphinus and the small constellation Equuleus lie between the Milky Way and Pegasus. The small constellation of Triangulum and the zodiacal constellation of Aries are clear to observe high I the southeast. Perseus is high in the east and Pleiades and Taurus are above the horizon with Orion chasing in before dawn. A sure sign that winter is approaching. Looking North Ursa Major is sitting just above the horizon while overhead are the constellations of Cepheus, Cassiopeia and Perseus, with the Milky Way running between Cepheus and Cassiopeia at the zenith. Auriga is clearly visible in the east as is Taurus with Pleiades, Hyades and the orange star Aldebaran. In addition, Orion and Gemini are making an appearance. The three stars of the Summer Triangle, Altair, Deneb and Vega, are still clearly visible with Altair beginning to approach the horizon in the west. Summer Time ends on 25th, reverting to Greenwich Mean Time and European Central Time. Meteors The Orionids are the major meteor shower active in October. Like the Eta Aquariid shower, the Orionids are associated with Comet 1P/Halley. During this second passing of the stream of particles from the comet, slightly fewer meteors are seen than in May, but the conditions are mare favourable for us Northern observers. Both showers have very fast meteors leaving persistent trains making them quite spectacular. The Orionid maximum is quoted as October 21, 22 but there is a broad maximum lasting around a week from October 20 to 27th. A faint shower of the Southern Taurids which often has bright fireballs peaks on October 10, 11th. Around the 20th another shower, the Northern Taurids begin to show
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Nights of Interest Some of the objects described below are expressed in degrees from the Moon. This is far less complicated to measure than you might think. To measure 10 degrees, hold your hand up towards the sky at arm’s length and turn your hand up so that it obscures part of your view. The width of your hand is 10 degrees and holding just one finger is two degrees. October 1st Full Moon, Harvest Moon, closest to the autumn equinox. 1st Mercury at greatest eastern elongation of the year, 25.8 degrees from the Sun. Look for the planet low in the western sky just after sunset. 1st – 6th Orionid meteor shower 3rd 04.30hrs Venus appears next to Regulus as it rises in the East. 3rd 06.00hrs Mars close to the Moon (0.7degrees) low in WSW 10/11th Southern Taurid meteor shower 13th Mars will be at its closest approach to Earth and fully illuminated by the Sun. It will be brighter than any other time of the year and will be visible all night long. 16th New Moon 20 – Dec 10th Northern Taurid meteor shower 31st Full Moon, Blue Moon. This rare calendar event occurs every few months, giving rise to the term “once in a Blue Moon.” activity and peaks in early November. The parent comet for both Taurid showers is Comet 2P/Encke. Comet/s. No predicted activity The Planets Mercury, Venus, Mars, Saturn and Jupiter make appearances during the month. See above for times and locations.
The Villagers’ Contacts Jill Johnston Editor Gardeners Cottage Balquhidder FK19 8PB 01877 384227
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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 Councillors
October Bin Collections
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
3rd October will be grey & blue bins, 10th will be brown bins and blue boxes, 17th grey bins and blue bins and so on. Callander Recycling centre is open Monday-Friday 5pm-7.30pm and Saturday 10am-1.30pm. Details can be found at: https://w w w.stirling.gov.uk/ bins-waste-recycling/householdwaste-recycling-centres-tips/ If you want to start composting there is advice at https://www. gardenorganic.org.uk/compost
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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
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UNLOCHED at last... We’re open again! Monachyle
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21
More ramblings about
Dundurn Parish Tales from the Railway
3rd September 1904 Railway Fatality – Mother and Child Killed Between Comrie and St Fillans A most distressing railway fatality, in which a mother died in an effort to save her daughter, occurred last Saturday afternoon on the Comrie to St Fillans section of the Crieff and Lochearnhead railway. The accident occurred about a hundred yards to the east of Dalchonzie siding, and opposite the cottage occupied by Mr Alan Smith, overseer for Dunira Estate. Mr Smith’s residence Drumlochlan Cottage is situated on the south side of the railway, and the public road from Comrie to St Fillans is on the north side of the line, whilst a narrow footpath leads from the house across the line to the road. On Saturday afternoon Mrs Catherine Smith accompanied by her little girl, about three years of age, the eldest of her two children, had occasion to cross the line to procure supplies from a bakers van, and whilst speaking to the van man, she noticed that her youngest girl, about twenty month old Helen, had wandered after her. Added to her anxiety about the safety of her child was horror of seeing the 2 p.m. express from Crieff to St Fillans rapidly approaching. The poor woman rushed forward to save the child and had apparently just clutched the infant when the express was upon them. Both were struck down and apparently instantaneously killed, the mother’s body being carried along about a dozen yards on the north side of the line. The unfortunate woman’s head was frightfully mangled and the legs of the infant broken and bruised. The Driver and Fireman of the Train – the tender being run in front – did not observe the woman and child on the line and did not know of the sad occurrence until St Fillans was reached. Meanwhile the Vanman who was supplying goods to Mrs Smith, and some passing cyclists informed Mr Davidson, the Signalman at Dalchonzie sidings, near by and the neighbours. A Doctor from Comrie, too,
22
St Fillans Station
happened to come on the scene, but his services were to no avail. The sad calamity has created a painful sensation in the district. The funeral of the deceased and her child took place to Comrie Cemetery on Tuesday afternoon. Writing in the Press after the service her minister The Rev A Crawford Watt, West United Free Church Comrie – observed in the sad accident which overtook Mrs Smith and her child on Saturday, the express was running with the engine turned tender first. At St Fillans where this train stops and returns to Glasgow, there is no means of turning an engine, accordingly the engine has to be turned at Comrie, that it might be in the correct position to begin the return journey from St Fillans. There is a curve in the line before the scene of the disaster is approached, yet after leaving a point about 200 yards from Dunira gates a considerable stretch of railway opens out from which Dalchonzie siding and the overseers house on this side of it can be seen. If the engine had been running with tender coupled to the carriages the driver when operating his engine could frequently have swept the line with his eye and seen the child on the rails where it stood, I am informed, for a considerable time. In that case there was a chance of pulling up and averting this sad fatality. It may be noted that before the formation of the railway the cottage was situated next to the road but to suit the railway the public road was altered, with the result that the railway
is run close to Mr Smiths House, and the public road is on the opposite side of the railway, hence the necessity of a wicker gate and crossing to reach the public highway. Alan Smith lived on at Drumlochlan Cottage until 1933, when along with his second wife Jessie Ann Kay he retired to Glenlednoch Cottage in Comrie, where he died in 1938. During his lifetime he exhibited and won several medals for woodwork at both the Highland and Perthshire shows. He was property convener for St Kessocks in Comrie and a lifetime member of St Fillans Curling Club. Monday 1st October 1921 Railway Smash at St Fillans Over 400 sheep killed A frightful disaster – almost unique in railway history - occurred on the Crieff and Balquhidder line at St Fillans Station on Monday evening, when a special sheep train from various stations on the Oban Railway, comprising some 37 trucks, carrying about 1800 sheep for the Perth sales, and also to Forfar and Aberdeen &c, was almost completely wrecked. The train left Balquhidder at 5.45pm and about 6 o’clock approached St Fillans, where it was run into a siding to allow the passenger train from Crieff to enter St Fillans Station. There being a decline of about one in sixty for a considerable distance here. The train was going at rapid speed, and it
Memories...
is supposed that the slippery state of the rails, along with insufficient brake power, failed to stay the progress of the heavy-laden train. Which dashed on to a dead end close to a bridge spanning the line? The result was a fearful smash. The engine and tender were hurled onto the rocky embankment on the north side and fell over broadside on. The driver and fireman were pitched onto the embankment, making a marvellous escape with their lives. In the smash some 18 or 19 trucks with the sheep were telescoped and piled up, being smashed to atoms, while a scene of indescribable horror resulted to the sheep. Hundreds of the animals being killed outright, and many so dreadfully mangled that they had to be destroyed. The bleating and cries of pain from the animals in the darkness of the night was pitiful in the extreme - those of the stock that escaped were turned out into an adjoining field. Information of the disaster was immediately sent to the railway headquarters, and breakdown gangs arrived by special trains from Perth and Motherwell, along with officials; as well as a number of butchers to deal with the animals killed or injured. Altogether over 400 sheep were destroyed. The breakdown squads were engaged all night removing the carcases and wreckage, and the line was cleared by Tuesday afternoon. A large number of the carcases were buried in the vicinity of the smash, as putrefaction having set in the stench was almost
I enjoyed reading the article about the Lochearnhead Games in August’s edition of The Villagers and it reminded me about how my Gran, Mary Dow, would tell us about the year when the Games managed to book the Glasgow Police pipe band, who at the time were world champions, to play at the show. This was a huge attraction for the village! Everything on the day was running smoothly and all that was left to do that afternoon was to have the band play one last time around the field. Unfortunately the pipers were enjoying the hospitality too much and would not leave the pub to play for the public. Eventually they did fulfil their side of bargain but not without a few anxious moments and a lot of pleading to their better nature. Lochearnhead Hotel was an incredibly popular place and, living in West Yorkshire, I have spoken to umpteen people who stayed there and had family photos taken around the grounds. I never think the old photos do the hotel justice as the hotel’s gardeners kept the borders, tennis court and pool immaculate which attracted a lot of well to do holiday makers. Way back when I was a teenager and working as a postman, I would deliver The Oban Times to a Doctor who lived in a large Victorian house, built by a mill owner. Only rarely would I see the Doctor, as the housekeeper would be waiting to take the mail from me. Once, though, she was ill and he came to the door - and, at well over six foot tall and broad, I had to crane my neck to look upwards as I handed him paper. He told me he had been eagerly waiting for it as his daughter was a journalist there - and then he gave me his life story (which ended with him being a successful consultant at the Royal Infirmary). I in return had absolutely nothing to boast about and the only thing that came into my head was that my grandfather was a crofter at Lochearnhead, and did he know the place? There was silence until the Doctor narrowed his eyes and said in a whisper, “so you will know Ewan Cameron...?” almost as if it was a trick question - and how could a teenager with a Yorkshire accent know Ewan Cameron? Well, I did know him - and maybe not as well as the Doctor, who would holiday every year at Lochearnhead Hotel. But we did have one thing in common: we both enjoyed the Games and the wonderful countryside around Loch Earn. I did not see the Doctor again until Christmas Eve when he came to his front door and handed me a bottle of whisky and a twenty-pound note which back then in 1980 was a third of my weekly wage. This happened every year until the Doctor retired and moved but I owe those tips to Mr Cameron and all the respect so many people around Britain had for him. Michael Cowie unbearable to the rescuers. The smash occasioned a great sensation in the district, and the scene has been visited by many people. One can but wonder what a future would be archaeologist stumbling over the site sometime in the future will make of it, will he or she put it down to some pagan ritualistic gathering, or will they think it was just the crazy gang organising yet another village BBQ. The Old Crock
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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.
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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
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Building affordable homes: growing rural communities
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