Peatland restoration opposite Bruar Lodge. Photo credit: Thomas Plant
Welcome
A very Happy Christmas to you and your family.
One of the few upsides of a wet summer is high performing hydro stations, and Dad’s work over the past 12 years in building and maintaining them with the immeasurable help from Gilkes and the estate team; special thanks to Robbie and Graeme, bought some comfort during some wet days. The weak pound also has the silver lining of encouraging Americans to come to Scotland and we saw a lot this summer and we love Americans especially as they love to spend. The Atholl Highlanders are going on tour to America this April which will include parading at New York Tartan Week. We may be cursing the weak pound then but we will have a ball I’m sure.
The tourist season has ended and we have just had our annual bonfire party to celebrate, it’s really pleasing that many guides will be returning next year, continuity is key to a good customer experience but also to a happy work place. In this issue we will be celebrating the long service awards which are happening this Christmas which will be great fun.
Projects wise as ever there have been several most of which we discuss in the issue from the creation of a Strategic Land Management Plan to the refurbishment of Kincragie Farmhouse, planting at the new woodlands and peatland restoration at Bruar, the farms transition to regen agriculture, and introduction of new native Aberdeen Angus cows, the estates joining of WES, introduction of some more glamping pods in the caravan park and the constant search there for missing water leaks.
So it’s a very big thank you to everyone on Atholl for pushing ahead with these many plans and activities. I hope you enjoy this issue, and it keeps you up to date.
Bertie Troughton, Resident Trustee
Photo credit: Liam Anderstrem
News in Brief
Salmon in the River Garry
SSE are now releasing more water down the Garry, which was dry, and the Tay District Salmon Fisheries Board have in recent years been releasing eggs in the spawning waters of the river from Clunes upstream. SSE have also removed the weir from the Garry where it meets the Errochty (below Kindrochet) to encourage salmon to head up the Garry. Excitingly we are seeing more salmon return up the Garry in recent years and this October we got a late season fishing licence to see if we could capture the DNA from caught and released salmon to work out if these were the same mature salmon originally introduced to the river as eggs.
Hand-reared Red Squirrels
Perthshire is very much the frontline in the battle against invasive grey squirrels in Scotland. Following recent sightings in Dunkeld, traps were deployed by Scottish Wildlife Trust Squirrel officers. Unfortunately no greys were trapped this time but we are likely to set monitoring traps which capture fur samples so we can continue to ensure the grey squirrels are kept at bay.
We have been lucky enough to be able to release young red squirrels hand-reared by the SSPCA. It is a satisfying sight to see them dash out of their travel boxes and straight up a Scots Pine (except for the occasion where one immediately fell out again. Luckily no harm done).
Aberdeen Angus cows
We have just bought five of these beautiful native Aberdeen Angus cows with calves at foot from the Dunlousie herd in Forfar. These girls will feed their native genetics back into the commercial cow herd by producing bulls to sire replacement females. They will be living outdoors 24/7 wearing ‘No Fence’ cow collars to enable sensitive grazing of the Glen Fender wild flower meadows and surrounding hill ground.
Wellbeing Group
The estate is keen to support wellbeing across the team, with some volunteers from the workforce taking the lead. Initiatives such as staff lunchtime walks, promotion of the cycle to work scheme and provision of fresh fruit at the estate office have so far been well-received. While the concept itself is quite broad the general idea is to support mental and physical health via fun, community-centred activities across the estate.
Morrisons’ Port of Tummel Farm Retirement
Alistair and Sandra Morrison are retiring at the end of November and leaving Port of Tummel Farm, where Alistair’s family have been tenants since 1968. Alistair was 13 years old when they moved to the farm, and he has lived there ever since, with his wife Sandra moving in after they got married in 1986. Luckily they aren’t moving far and will remain close to their friends and neighbours in Ballinluig. We wish Alistair and Sandra the very best for their well-earned retirement and thank them for their many years of careful stewardship of the holding.
News from The Castle
photo credit: Graham Reid
Long Service and Retirement Awards Evening
On Thursday 21st November we enjoyed a special evening celebrating and thanking many of our employees who had reached 20+ years of service on Atholl Estates. It had been a while since our last awards evening in 2018, so there was plenty to celebrate, and we were also delighted to be able to welcome back some familiar faces to pick up their retirement and long service awards.
Thank you to all those of you that joined us on the night and congratulations to everyone who received an award.
Retirement Awards
Alasdair Cameron, Forester
46 years’ service, retired 2020
Keith Todhunter, South End Caretaker 26 years’ service, retired 2020
Ella McLauchlan, Estate Office Receptionist 26 years’ service, retired 2024
George Farron, Senior Castle Caretaker 29 years’ service, retired 2024
Long Service Awards
Gordon Learmonth, Balanloan Farm Grieve 40 years’ service
George Scott, Balanloan Farm Shepherd 37 years’ service
Graeme Cumming, Senior Keeper 25 years’ service
Elspeth Cameron, South End Housekeeper 25 years’ service
Andrew BruceWootton, CEO 24 years’ service
Claire Scott, Finance Assistant 24 years’ service
Ronald Hepburn, Keeper - Clunes 24 years’ service
Robbie Dow, Works Charge Hand 23 years’ service
Malcolm Whyte, Forestry Manager 23 years’ service
Douglas Bell, Deer Ranger 22 years’ service, left March 2024
Richard Fraser, Deer Ranger 21 years’ service, left March 2022
Deborah Smeaton, Castle Shop Manager 20 years’ service
Smart Works Scotland Charity Day
In October, we hosted our annual charity day in partnership with Smart Works Scotland, a charity whose mission is to help women return to work through coaching and clothing support. Our event, “Women in Blair,” brought together staff from across the Estate to hold various activities for our visitors, including history talks, outdoor walks, a delightful buffet lunch and a children’s colouring competition.
Archivist Keren held a history event centred on the Women of Blair, showcasing historical items and photographs from family members and close friends of the Estate. Visitors were
encouraged to handle these artefacts and ask questions, gaining insight into Blair’s rich past. Head Guide Magda conducted a special castle tour, while Gardener Jim and Ranger Julia hosted wonderful outdoor activities, inviting visitors to pause and take in the fiery autumn hues and crisp, refreshing air.
Jam from Hercules Garden
We have harvested fruit from Hercules Garden which has all been prepped ready for turning into jams, chutneys etc over the winter months.
These will be on sale in our retail shops next season as well as complementing our offering in the restaurant and on private dining menus.
#HighlandHeatherToSaharaSands
“In September of this year, after two years planning, I set off on a 5000-mile trip, from Blair Castle to the Sahara desert and back in a 30 year old Land Rover Defender, all in 21 days!
What started out as a lad’s expedition became a memorial run and fund raiser in memory of my father-in-law, Tony, who passed away last November!
The 30 year old defender 130, which was Tony’s beloved vehicle, did a sterling job of navigating the streets of London to the sand dunes of the Sahara desert. Despite a few mechanical problems and flash flooding in southern Morocco we made it back unscathed and ahead of schedule.
The trip took me well out of my comfort but the thought of the good we were doing raising money for our two charities, RSABI and Eden Valley Hospice, kept our spirits high!”
Written by Hugh Chamberlain, Home Farm.
To donate head to: www.justgiving.com/campaign/ highlandheathertosaharasands
Evacuees at Blair Castle
Written by Keren Gethie
As World War II threatened Britain, the government launched Operation Pied Piper, a large-scale evacuation plan to shield civilians, particularly children, from anticipated bombings in towns and cities. Over a million children were relocated from cities to rural areas, including estates like Atholl, where they would be safer, albeit far from home.
In September 1939, around 350 mothers and children arrived by train then assembled in the school yard which according to locals quickly became a pandemonium of whimpering mothers, wailing babies and frightened children. It must have been terrifying for these evacuees coming from some of the poorest areas of Glasgow such as Port Dundas, Cowcaddens and Clydebank to what have seemed like such an alien environment so different from their city homes the evacuees had left.
The estate’s factor, Mr. Paterson, and his team prepared lodges to accommodate the evacuees, arranging bedding, stocking food, and ordering coal. The government provided a modest allowance of 3 shillings per child and 5 shillings per mother for lodging, with a small food allowance. Although each lodge was intended to be staffed with a matron, teacher, and helper, staffing was sparse, with a single teacher often rotating between lodges.
Many children arrived with lice, scabies, or impetigo, and a few were treated for diphtheria. Staff used paraffin to treat lice, and a nurse and doctor frequently visited to help maintain the children’s health.
Feeding the children was another major challenge. Government funding was limited, so estate
gamekeepers supplemented meals with local venison, rabbit, and lamb. Isabella Forbes Cowan, a matron at Dalnaspidal Lodge near Loch Garry, remembered her arrival in darkness with 42 children. Fortunately, Dalnaspidal had electricity, though many lodges did not. The children, unfamiliar with the Highlands, faced considerable adjustments.
To assist matrons, the Evacuation Authority provided a booklet, Emergency Cooking and Catering for Evacuated Children, with meal suggestions like soups and stews to ensure the children received balanced diets. The booklet also suggested foods to help manage digestive issues and combat the children’s fright and homesickness.
The isolation of the Highlands proved too challenging for many evacuees, and within a few weeks, nearly 80% had returned to Glasgow. By October 23, the remaining children were concentrated at Clunes Lodge and the castle. Those who stayed gradually adapted, attending the village school and enjoying outdoor activities like building a rope swing by the castle grounds.
The Duchess Kitty of Atholl supported the children, organizing treats and events like a Halloween party and trips to nearby Pitlochry. Over time, the evacuees integrated with village children, forming friendships that would last beyond the war. By the time they left in 1944, the evacuees had become nearly indistinguishable from the local children, with some forming lifelong connections during their time at Blair Castle.
News from The Estate
Photo credit: Liam
Woodland Creation
In the last twelve months there has been a new wave of tree planting on new woodland creation sites across the estate. In Spring, Balgowan Wood near Tulliemet was completed, and this totalled 203,000 trees planted in 116 hectares. There are native broadleaves, along with commercial spruce and pine. The Balgowan scheme has been inspected and signed off by Scottish Forestry as being an exceptionally well implemented scheme, and the grant has been paid. Weeding has been taking place by both mechanical and hand weeding.
At Glen Fender, once the fencing was completed, over 360,000 native broadleave
trees were planted at the start of the year in Phase 1, and planting has now moved on to Phase 2 with another 218,000 trees being planted. There has been beat up in some areas and weeding has been carried out this autumn in some of the grass rich areas to assist the tree growth.
At Dalnamein, fencing and ground preparation is still underway. Around 800,000 trees will be planted here in 2025. The opportunity was taken to fell some of the existing Dalnamein wood which will be replanted in spring 2025.
Strategic Land Management Plan
The vast, open landscapes of the estate which form part of The Grampians look wild but in fact, maintaining their ecological balance requires a lot of management which we deliver through our valued and highly competent game department. Their role was traditionally one of delivering field sports and as our objectives have evolved over time, they have become core to our conservation practices.
One of the significant parameters of managing balance in the hills is herbivore grazing, mainly by deer in our region. As the deer herd is wild, they range well beyond the boundaries of our estate so their management needs to be collaborative with our land owning neighbours, through defined groups. We sit within the West Grampian Deer Management Group.
A few years ago, the Cairngorms National Park approached five estates in the west side
of this management group area, proposing a study that would lead to a collaborative longterm plan seeking to optimise the balance between sporting, bio-diversity and climate action objectives. After an immense amount of work, this plan has now been ratified which will provide strategic direction for the responsible governance of over 58 square miles of The Grampians. As with any effective plan, it will need to be frequently reviewed to stay relevant, but we now have a valuable road map that provides transparency and clarity for all stakeholders of this highly precious land.
Long Service Retirements at Atholl Estates
All the best, Ella.
In September we celebrated 26 years of service from Ella McLauchlan when she retired as Estate Office Receptionist. Ella was the voice of Atholl to so many visitors and guests who contacted the estate over those years, and a kinder, more helpful voice you could not wish for.
Ella had the patience of a saint when confronted with some calls but she was consistently patient and supportive until the caller’s needs were met and that kindness was extended to all our guests to the office. It wasn’t unusual for more familiar guests to have established a friendship with Ella and make a point of a catch up and chat after completing their business meeting.
One of Ella’s particularly impressive skills was the ability to take coffee and tea orders from a room full of guests, with no pen or paper and then to deliver them accurately to each person, flawlessly!
Ella commented on her career at the estate office by saying, “I have really enjoyed my time in the Estate Office, I have made so many friends and I have been very lucky with the colleagues I have worked with over the last 26 years, I have seen a lot of changes all good. I have met so many people who I have hopefully helped and had a laugh with, it helps having a sense of humour! It also really helped having local knowledge and knowing most of the people connected to Atholl.
Working with the The Atholl Highlanders has been a joy too, they were a bit like the kids growing up “leaving what they needed to the last minute”! I have such great memories and will miss everyone.”
Have a very happy retirement Ella, you deserve it.
It’s been a blast, George!
George Farron retired as principal castle caretaker at the end of October this year. He is the fourth generation of Farron to be working on the estate which is an incredible achievement. When asked what he liked best about the job he said “Oh…..it’s been a blast”. A good answer as George has seen so much over his many years here.
George was born in Blair Atholl, the 9th of 10 children, the Farrons are quite a clan. His first job was farming at Monzie followed by Lude, in 1986 he went to America with the Atholl Highlanders and then a year later decided to emigrate to Canada, where he knew Ann whose family had emigrated there from Blair Atholl when she was 2. A wedding soon followed with the reception in Blair Castle. They lived in Canada for the next few years, where their children, Blair, Ryan, Angela and Susan were born.
George had his own landscape business, but they made the decision to return to Blair Atholl when the children were still young, George felt his extensive family could offer help as Ann suffered from MS and sadly was to pass away when they were still very young.
With Elspeth Cameron and his family helping with the children, George could continue his work as caretaker having taken the role on from his brother Hughie. His brother Brian worked in the Caravan Park and his sister, Madge, helped clean the castle – quite a Farron team, which the estate were very grateful for.
George has built up an incredible knowledge of the castle over his time here, he loves the history and is always interested in discovering new aspects of the place. He has enjoyed working with Johnathan Goatlee, the castle’s conservation architect and
intrigued by working out the maze of rainwater passages used by different builders over the ages. Helping Keren, the castle archivist, and her predecessor Jane, has fascinated George, only recently he discovered the wheel for the old hydraulic lift. Such treasures are never thrown away but kept in mind for the moment they can fit into the never-ending jigsaw puzzle that is castle life.
George has always enjoyed getting to know people and the job offered plenty of opportunities for that, whether it be the visitors, the various tradesmen, delivery drivers or colleagues, he will find something to chat about and enjoy their company.
George met Meredith and they married and lived alongside us in the castle we all wish them a long and happy retirement, although I expect there will still be plenty going on in their busy lives, between family commitments, using his small tractor fleet, handy things as George describes them, holidays in their camper van and the logistics of the move down to the village, where George has a house that used to belong to his Grandmother and then his Aunt Jean – the joys of a large family!
Experience of a Days’ Stalking
This stag season I got to experience my first day out on the hill with a stalking party, joining Senior Stalker Graeme and his ghillie Araba for a day on our West Hand beat. Araba and I collected the ponies Jenny and Chim and set out through Gleann Diridh to reach the spot where Graeme and our sporting guest were waiting with the stag. We were lucky with the weather, a lovely sunny day with just a little fog.
We stopped partway and shared a sandwich with Chim, before setting off again. At that point Jenny decided she’d walked quite far enough thank you! Graeme reassured us that if we left her behind, eventually she would follow, which she did to our amusement. The terrain out there is like nothing I’ve ever experienced, and I felt very lucky to see the skill that the team have
in navigating their way, keeping everyone safe and delivering a thrilling stalk for our guests.
Luckily after clocking up nearly 30,000 steps, I returned to my office the next day to recover, whilst the team had to do it all over again, six days in a row! Well done to our Game Department for a brilliant stag season, I was delighted to be able to join you and look forward to many more days.
Written by Laura McDonald, Head of Rural and Conservation.
Atholl Highlands Walk to Braemar & Upcoming NY Trip
The Atholl Highlanders were invited to the Braemar Games in September to march in front of the King and Queen and present the colours to their Majesties. But to get there they first had to march over the hill, setting off from the castle at dawn they were dropped off just shy of the Bedford bridge. Some lucky campers thinking they had escaped into the wild were then treated to a few pipers tuning up outside of their tent before the merry men headed out over the hill towards Mar. It was a scorcher of a day and a great day out for all the Highlanders and their families and a big thank you to the patrons of the Braemar games for their hospitality.
New York, New York, come April around 60 Atholl Highlanders are heading to America to first attend New York Tartan Week followed by parades in Washington, Atholl Massachusetts and Boston. Huge excitement for the trip is
building and a full tour report will be in our next issue. A huge thank you to the Tour Committee for all their excellent work so far in what is a massive organisational undertaking.
Local kids on Atholl
In October, we held our annual Halloween event, inviting local schools to join us for a spooky tour around the castle, followed by Halloween treats and a costume competition.
We have strong connections with Blair Atholl Primary School and enjoy supporting their Forest School initiatives. This year, the nursery children continued to use a section of woodland near the caravan park for their outdoor learning.
This Christmas, we’ll open the ballroom for pupils, teachers and parents of Blair Atholl School for their annual nativity play.
New Signage inside the Visitor Centre
This year, the Visitor Centre in Blair Atholl received a makeover, made possible by a grant from the Cairngorms National Park Authority. The eleven new signs have transformed the centre, adding clear, accessible information about the estate and the Cairngorms, along with vibrant colours and photographs that brighten the space.
In October, Ranger Julia and Marketing Manager Jess hosted a launch event to showcase the signs, inviting the local primary school for two morning workshops and holding a drop-in session for the community in the afternoon.
The visitor centre is now closed for winter, but will reopen in April 2025, we encourage you to stop in and take a look.
Politicians on Atholl
This summer has been a busy period of political engagement with visits from politicians from a range of political parties discussing everything from peatland restoration to the Land Reform Bill. We made our case to the MSPs that large estates can be hugely positive in tackling climate change through working at scale on woodland creation and peatland restoration and that in large landscapes large
Friends of Capercaillie
Taking a break from our desks we were delighted to host the RSPB for a day out to discuss capercaillie habitats and the work we do with RSPB when designing new woodland creations. Keren was also brilliant in finding a series of letters in the archives discussing the
estates makes a lot of good management sense. Relationships between estates, rural communities, the National Park and politicians is essential and we are always very pleased to host politicians and explain what we and the people that live and work here do.
translocation of Capercaillie to the estate in the 1820’s and how the 4th Duke ‘ Planter John’ had enjoyed the eggs for breakfast. The Bird had gone extinct in this country in the 18th century and flourished in the late 19th and early 20th but there are now only around 550 in the country.
Farewell Blair Castle Horse Trials
This August was the last time we hosted the horse trials, we have been hosting the event since 1977 and it became an international event in 1989. So 35 years at the top of the game in terms of Scottish equestrian events and what a journey it’s been. We are delighted that the event in its essence has been taken on by Scone Palace so the event will remain in Perthshire and with many of the same players behind the scenes.
As it was our final year we were determined to go out in style and it ended up being one of the biggest events we have ever had; the numbers were. 2200 horses over 4 days, 60,000 attendants, 200 trade stands and a bar bill in excess of a hundred grand. It was quite wet
though and the ground is fairly hammered and will take a lot of investment to get it back into quality pasture land.
The 4 star long was won by local hero Wills Oakden and rather wonderfully his aunt Frances Hay-Smith won the first international in ’89. So we were very pleased that we ended with a local winner competing amongst quite a few Olympians. On the last night of the event the staff, volunteers and the farm all had an emotional get together and farewell, exhausted but full of a sense of achievement we said goodbye to the event.
A special thanks to Nicky Townshend for her 12 years at the top of the event, always resilient and good fun. We are all going to miss her presence in the office but delighted she is remaining in the glen with her horses.
Photo credit: Nico Morgan
Photo credit: Nick Rosendale
Photo credit: Nick Rosendale
Photo credit: Nick Rosendale
Property Services - Winter Works
With the winter fast approaching the in-house Property Team are working with both contractors and suppliers to complete a defined list of maintenance works around the Castle. The winter season is a pivotal time of the year which allows those maintenance activities to be completed when the visitor numbers are reduced. These intrinsically important work elements are planned to have minimum impact on visitor experience whilst maximising the effect of the tasks to be carried out. The work ranges from minor tasks, such as roofing inspections and gutter cleaning right through to flashing and dormer window
repairs on the Ballroom, improvements to rainwater handling in the Banvie Hall, replacement of failing skylights, right through to wall repairs and harling reinstatement, the tasks are varied.
As part of our sustainable approach, we are also installing insulation material to reduce the heat loss from some targeted areas so we can maintain the correct temperatures for our collections. These works are essential to keep the inclement weather on the outside of the Castle and maintain this historic fabric for years to come.
Milton of Kincraigie Development
In time for Christmas we hope to be launching the renovated Milton of Kincragie, a former farmhouse sitting by the River Fender. It is quite high up so has wonderful views and when you step out of the door you are on the Glen Tilt trail so we expect it to be very popular with walkers and nature lovers.
Although it has a wood burning stove it’s heated by an air source heat pump, has two bedrooms and feels incredibly cosy as it combines modern insulation with the original panelling up the little staircase. It’s a charming cottage with some of the best views on the estate. Thanks to Stuart and the Bruar Construction team and their sub-contractors for getting it done so beautifully and of course Jane for the interiors which always lift our holiday lets and make them feel like home.
News from Blair Castle Caravan Park
Phil Mainka Retirement
We said a fond farewell to Phil Mainka in July after 10 years of service as Park Head Warden. Phil has retired to Spain and we wish him a warm, happy and healthy retirement.
The Larder
Eagle eyed amongst you will have noticed the ‘organic supermarket’ sign pointing towards the reception building in the Caravan Park this autumn. The Larder is open to all and hopes to offer shoppers a few organic and Scottish produced essentials. We are particularly pleased to sell Rotmell eggs, Blackthorn Scottish salt and incredibly good milk in glass bottles full of cream at the top from Mossgiel farm.
New Starts and Promotions
Tina Millar - Housekeeper
Jess Reid - Marketing Manager
Reuben Wallace - Forest Ranger
Mark Smith - Caretaker
Hazel Bowser - Ranger
Jane Heaton - Housekeeper
Julia Maclennan - Caravan Park Receptionist
Vicki Clark - Housekeeper
Kate Smith - Housekeeper
Stephen Oates has been promoted to Head Housekeeper and Gordon MacRitchie has been promoted to Senior Park Warden.
We’ve said goodbye to our seasonal team and look forward to welcoming many of them back next season. A few of our permanent staff have also moved on to new opportunities. We thank them all for their contributions to Atholl Estates and wish them every success in their next ventures.
Deaths
Sadly this year we have said goodbye to, Myra Milligan, Bob Gillespie and Duncan Robertson.
Estate Office facelift
There are always projects, and with the recent water works coming to a conclusion bringing over 30 houses on to the mains water one of our winter projects this year is upgrading the Estate Office. For many years hats and
Tilt Band
Local band Tilt – made up of 2 former and 2 current staff members continues to play gigs in the local area and are always pleased to see
Teal to join Blair Castle
Sarah and Jim have worked together on the grounds and gardens at Blair Castle for over 25 years. Gardens take years to build but can be ruined in a season, so long term planning is essential for the future care of the place as Sarah spends more time on the West Coast these days. We are delighted to introduce Teal
coats have been worn indoors in this fine old building but we are hoping to raise the tone and potentially the temperature as a result of this winter renovation project.
estate colleagues coming along to sing and dance along. Recent gigs have been at the Tulach and McKays in Pitlochry.
to the team who will head up various projects around the grounds allowing Jim to focus on Hercules where he and Sarah obviously retain a vast wealth of knowledge. We look forward to the new team coming together and presenting the grounds in their best light.
Events 2025
Atholl Highlanders Parade
Saturday 25th May
Atholl Gathering
Sunday 26th May
More events will be added to the website in the new year.
For information on events taking place in 2025, please visit our website: atholl-estates.co.uk/events or scan the QR code below.
Newsletter Team & Contributors
Bertie Troughton
Sarah Troughton
Jess
Malcolm Whyte
Julia Duncan
Keren Guthrie
Steve Gilroy
Stuart Burns
Laura McDonald
Hugh Chamberlain
Contact Details
Atholl Estates: 01796 481355
Blair Castle: 01796 481207
Blair Castle Caravan Park: 01796 481263
Lodges: 01796 481355
Ranger Service: 01796 481355
Blair Castle Horse Trials: 01796 481543
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