Pitlochry Life March 2023

PITLOCHRY LIFE

March 2023 Issue 394

The Best of Pitlochry and Highland Perthshire

Pitlochry - Aberfeldy - Dunkeld - Birnam - Kenmore

Kinloch Rannoch - Blair Atholl FREE

CONTENTS

The Pitlochry Tipple

This month Ewan looks at how the whisky industry is performing.

Your Community

All the news from our MPs, Clubs, Groups and Churches.

Sudoku

Our Sudoku is also online this month, play every day and keep your brain active!

Willie's Wonky Computer

Willie looks at some handy tweeks to Windows 11.

The History of Chocolate

We look at the long history of Chocolate, and find it is actually good for you!

The Pitlochry Garden

Sheila looks at growing and maintaining a good lawn.

Advertising

Debbie - 07545299491

Photography & Design

Lynsey - 07305577953

Editor

Willie - 07906375953

www.facebook.com/pitlochrylife

PH16 5EP info@pitlochrylife.co.uk

WELCOME

Recipe

Pork with mushrooms in a creamy sauce flavoured with smoked paprika. Couldn't be easier.

It's Painting Time

We take a look at all the paint finishes available, and where best to use them.

Fitness With Alan Clinch

This month Alan compares the benefits of walking with playing golf.

The Pitlochry Crossword

Lesley is back, to test your crossword ability, along with local and Scottish knowledge!

Welcome to the March edition of Pitlochry Life. I just love March, it’s so full of promise and optimism. The clocks changing are just the start to a great spring!

For you this month we have walks, trips, theatre shows and a great choral concert as well as all our live music venues. Spring really is here. The Pitlochry Tipple this month looks at our whisky industry and the recipe is a fast and easy paprika pork dish. In our fitness column Alan looks at whether golf or walking is best and Willie in the computer pages gives you some great tips about Windows 11. In the garden Sheila gives some advice on the lawn (nearly mowing time again), and if you can’t get out because of the weather then Lesley has produced a great crossword. Give it a go - you may be surprised!

It’s time to pop out and say hello to all your favourite hospitality venues again and enjoy a wee treat. The live music continues and it’s great to enjoy an evening out, but get your Nik Kershaw tickets soon, or it will sell out!

Stay safe and see you in April.

The Pitlochry Garden

Open from 11am midweek and from 10am at weekends, serving brunch, lunch and dinner until late. From our family to yours, we warmly welcome you to Victoria’s.

Brunch, Lunch & Homebaking by day Bistro dining & top notch wines from 5.30 pm

We look forward to welcoming you!

Mother's Day Gift Vouchers from £20 available online

LUNCH

HOMEBAKING DINNER BRUNCH

Follow us online:

01796 472 670 | www.victorias-pitlochry.co.uk 45 Atholl Road, Pitlochry | reservations@victorias-pitlochry.co.uk

Scotch and a Rye Smile

Despite the best endeavors of the Scottish and UK governments to mash the Scotch whisky industry at every opportunity; alcohol advertising bans, the woefully thought through Deposit Return Scheme. Minimum pricing for alcohol, which has been completely ineffective in its purpose. Brexit, which put many hurdles and barriers to international trade with Europe. Despite all of this, the Scotch whisky industry has shown determination to fight through. Even Covid couldn't keep this spirit down.

So, how is Scotch performing? Here are some of the latest statistics:

• 44 bottles (70cl @ 40% ABV) of Scotch Whisky are shipped from Scotland to around 180 markets around the world each second, totalling over 1.3bn every year. That equates to 94% of all Scotch produced!

• Laid end to end those bottles would stretch about 377,000kms - that's 98% of the distance to the moon!

• In 2021, Scotch Whisky exports were worth £4.5bn up from £3.8bn in 2020.

• In 2021, Scotch Whisky accounted for 75% of Scottish food and drink exports, 22% of all UK food and drink exports, and 1.4% of all UK goods exports.

• The Scotch Whisky industry provides £5.5bn in gross value added (GVA) to the UK economy.

• More than 11,000 people are directly employed in the Scotch Whisky industry in Scotland and over 42,000 jobs across the UK are supported by the industry.

• 7,000 of these jobs in rural areas of Scotland providing vital employment and investment to communities across the Highlands and Islands

• Around 90% of barley requirements of the industry are sourced in Scotland.

• In 2019, there were 2.2 million visits to Scotch

Whisky distilleries, making the industry the third most popular tourist attraction in Scotland.

• Some 22 million casks lie maturing in warehouses in Scotland waiting to be discovered - that is around 12bn 70cl bottles.

• There are currently 142 operating Scotch Whisky distilleries across Scotland (January 2023)

• The largest consumers of Scotch in the world, per capita, are the French. All figures relate to Jan-Dec 2021 unless stated. (Courtesy of the Scotch Whisky Association)

So where does it all go? The top ten markets in the world are: (based on latest data from 2020).

1. USA: £729m

2. France: £375m

3. Singapore: £247m

4. Taiwan: £182m

5. Latvia: £176m

6. Germany: £139m

7. Japan: £114m

8. Australia: £113m

9. Spain: £109m

10. China: £107m)

Increased capacity, new distilleries opening and closed distilleries re-opening, all point to an industry in growth and long-term growth at that. We produce incredible Scotch, whether you like Scotch or not, it’s of massive importance to the Scottish economy. It’s time for the politicians to wake up and appreciate this incredible industry and the value it brings.

Ewan McIlwraith Robertsons of Pitlochry

Pitlochry Repair Cafe - 5th March

What do you do with a broken chair, an ornament with a crack, a jacket with a hole, or a bike with a punctured tyre? Bin It? No Way!

Bring it to Pitlochry Repair Cafe! Our friendly team of volunteer repairers will do their best to fix anything (except phones)!

Sessions take place in Moulin Hall on the first Sunday of the month from 12-3pm. The next three sessions are 5 March, 2 April and 7 May.

While you wait, you can enjoy homemade baking, soup, hot drinks and lots of chat while you wait with our friendly front of house and baking volunteer team. There is also a kids area to keep your wee ones entertained.

Repairs and refreshments are all FREE and donations are welcome. Find us on Facebook and Instagram @PitlochryRepairCafe. Interested in volunteering? We are always looking for skilled repairers, front of house. bakers and cafe helpers! Email Julia on repaircafe@sprout-communityeco-hub.com for more info.

Pitlochry & District Climate Cafe - 7th March

“We have to shift our attitude of ownership of nature to relationship with nature. The moment you change from ownership to relationship, you create a sense of the sacred.” Satish Kumar In a Climate Cafe everyone is welcome to come along and join the conversation on climate change and the issues we face and the actions we can take over a cup of tea or coffee.

Here is the list of the dates up to June 2023 for both Climate Cafes and CAP Theme 5 Environment & Sustainability Group should anyone be interested in the Community Renewable Energy Project. They will all continue to be either virtual or in person. The venue for both meet-ups is the Pitlochry Library, 26 Atholl Rd, Pitlochry PH16 5BX.

Climate Cafes (Tuesday 1pm and Thursday 7pm) - Tuesday 7th March & Thursday 9th March, Tuesday 11th April & Thursday 13th April, Tuesday 9th May & Thursday 11th May, Tuesday 13th June & Thursday 15th June.

Theme 5 Environment & Sustainability (All Thursdays, 7pm) - 16th March, 20th April, 18th May and 22nd June. For more information please contact: Carol Aitken caaitken.naturaldesign@gmail.com

Insulate Pitlochry Advice If you're struggling to heat your home and want to reduce your carbon footprint, free help is available. The Heat Project provides a free professional energy advice service to all households and small and medium businesses. Tel: 0783 4962 361 or martin@ theheatproject.org.

Home owners can apply for grants of up to £9,000 from Home Energy Scotland. Tel: 0808 808 2282. For private sector tenants, check your landlord complies with legal requirements (EPC of E or better for tenancies beginning from Oct 2020, D from 31/3/22) then apply to Home Energy Scotland. For Local authority tenants should call 07342 924 787, Paul Stewart. Or www.pridejoyhomeservices.co.uk For landlords, a 0% (plus admin. fee) loan may be available. Business owners can get up to 50% of the cost of EV chargers. Energy Saving Trust. Email: electricvehiclesscotland@est.org.uk

Moulin Scottish Country Dance Class - 9th March

Come come along and join us on the dance floor in Moulin Hall at 7.30 pm on:

Pitlochry Life

Thursday 9th, 16th & 23rd March. No experience required and all levels of dancer welcome. Great fun and proven to be beneficial for both mind and body!!

All welcome. Admission £4.00 nightly. For further details phone June - 01796 473488.

Heartland Film Society at The Birks - 12th March

Inside Llewn Davies

Follow a week in the life of a young folk singer as he navigates the Greenwich Village folk scene of 1961. Guitar in tow, huddled against the unforgiving New York winter, he is struggling to make it as a musician against seemingly insurmountable obstacles - many of his own making - and even thinking of going back to his job as a merchant seaman. Written and directed by the Coen brothers and billed as a ‘black comedy musical drama’, the film features a stellar cast including Oscar Isaac, Carey Mulligan, John Goodman, Adam Driver and Justin Timberlake, plus the music of Dave Van Ronk.

Everyone’s welcome at HFS screenings, but why not become a member? The £10 subscription entitles you to 12 months of reduced prices for HFS films at The Birks, plus other benefits.

Inside Llewn Davies Sunday 12 March The Birks Cinema Aberfeldy

Full details: www.birkscinema.co.uk

www.heartlandfilmsociety.org.uk

Scottish Wildlife Trust - 13th March

Pitlochry and Highland Perthshire Branch

The next meeting will be on Monday 13th March at 19.30, at the Pitlochry Church of Scotland Tryst, Church Road, Pitlochry, PH16 5EB.

The speaker will be Sara Rasmussen (Raz), SWT ranger at the Loch of the Lowes. She will share with us the magnificent ecology of one of the world’s most iconoic raptors; the Osprey! Learn about their incredible migration, hunting adaptations, and the history of their breeding at Loch of the Lowes.

Everyone is welcome. Suggested donation £2 members, £3 non-members. For further information, contact Mark Aquilina, markandrosie@btinternet.com

Pitlochry Litter Action Group - 14th March

The tourist season has more or less come to an end. But it would be nice for residents and visitors if the town is really clean with no litter disfiguring the streets and green spaces. If you agree that this is important do join our team of litterpickers. All equipment is provided including gloves, black bags and grabbers. We do try to separate recyclable waste from the other litter.

Litterpicks take place on the second Tuesday of the month and we meet at 10.0am in the Recreation ground carpark. The next litterpick is on Tuesday 14th February.

Dates for litterpicks in 2023 are: 11th April, 9th May, 13th June, 11th July, 8th August, 12th September, 10th October, 14th November, 12th December.

We would like to thank those residents of Pitlochry who are not members of the litterpicking group and who also pick up litter when they see it. We know you do this and we are very grateful. For further information contact Roger West (rogerwest7@btinternet.com) 01796 474255 or Catherine Holmes (c.p.holmes47@btinternet.com) 01796 473400.

Continued on page 16

Pitlochry Life

e indulgent past-time of Afternoon Tea is a truly unique experience at Fonab Castle Hotel, taking all the classic avours and serving them in a modern and contemporary style, resulting in a ne-dining culinary journey.

Tranquil waters of Loch Faskally unfold from your unrivalled spot in 1892 on the Loch which boast oor-to-ceiling windows. e one-of-a-kind Afternoon Tea is eclipsed only by the view across to Ben Vrackie.

Non-residents welcome. Pre-booking essential.

Pitlochry & District u3a - 15th March

The next meeting of Pitlochry & District u3a will on Health and Wellbeing on Wednesday 15th of March. The speaker will be Audra Webster and will include how community participation can help with wellbeing. There will be time for questions and discussions and tea/coffee and biscuits will be served afterwards. Our special interest group continue to be active – these include Scottish History, two Book Groups, language groups and a Craft Group. A Theatre Going group and Garden Visit Group are being planned for later in the year.

The u3a brings together people in their “third age” – that is people who have finished working full time or raising their family – to develop interests and to continue learning in informal and supportive environments. The focus is on sharing and learning from each other. In addition to our whole group talks, we also offer special interest groups which are led by one of our members - the emphasis is on learning from each other and having fun while doing so.

For further information please visit our website Pitlochry & District U3A: https://u3asites.org. uk/pitlochry/welcome or contact Sandra Cairncross (Secretary) on smcairnx@hotmail.com with any queries.

Pitlochry Flower Club - 15th March

Our next meeting is on Wednesday 15th March at the Tryst Hall, Pitlochry at 2pm when Linda Soutar will give a demonstration entitled “Reflections". There will also be a raffle, where you may be one of the lucky ones to win one of Linda's beautiful arrangements, and we will also have a sales table.

Visitors will be made most welcome, a small charge of £7 is made. Do come along and have a fun afternoon with friends and flowers. For more information, please contact Janice Needham (01738 629933, needham914@btinternet.com) or Lynda Gardiner (01796 472157, lynda.gardiner@ talk21.com). We are a small club and new members are welcome at any time.

Breadalbane Heritage Society - 17th March

Given the inclement weather at this time of year, the meetings for February will be on Zoom.

17th March: ‘Old Ways and New Roads: Roads, Bridges, Landscapes and New Towns on the Highland Circuit, 1720 – 1832’ presented in person at the Breadalbane Community Campus in Aberfeldy by Christopher Dingwall, an independent landscape historian and heritage consultant and currently vice-chairman of Scotland’s Garden and Landscape heritage. His talk will look at the development of transport in the Highlands of Scotland between the building of the first military roads in the 1720s and the arrival of railways in the 1830s, and the impact this had on the Highland landscape. It involved building bridges, diverting roads and establishing new settlements along the route taken by the increasing number of tourists following a circuit through the Southern Highlands. The speaker will pay particular attention to the impact of these developments on the Taymouth Castle estate.

The BHS’s website https://breadalbane-heritage.org.uk features a video of local scenes of interest, and provides up-to-date information about talks and activities, events, publications, projects including maintenance of the Killiehassie private burial ground in Strathtay, and services such as assistance with family history research. Recordings of all the talks for 2020-March 2022 are now available on this site.

Continued on page 18

Updated information on events and talks will be posted on the BHS website. To get the link enabling you to join the Zoom talks, and for any enquiries, please email bhsaberfeldy@gmail.com

Pitlochry Angling Club Open Night - 15th March

The Pitlochry Angling Club Open Night 2023 is to be held on Wednesday 15th March 2023 at 7.30pm in Scotlands Hotel, Pitlochry, to which all are warmly welcome.

Our guest speaker this year is confirmed as Ross Macdonald the well known fly tyer from Aberdeen. Ross is widely recognised in angling circles for his inventive patterns including the Park Shrimp and Calvin's Shrimp which have accounted for many a salmon both at home and internationally. He is a qualified casting instructor and involved full time in the tackle industry working for Loop and Twin Peakes Fly Fishing based in Banchory.

Ross will speak of the use of mobile materials in his flies and demonstrate the tying of one or more of his excellent patterns.

Following a short intermission for coffee we will then have our charity fishing tackle auction with the proceeds being shared with the Children’s Hospices Across Scotland (CHAS) and Scotland’s Charity Air Ambulance (SCAA).

To donate items of fishing tackle please contact Alistair McCartney on 01796472924.

Rannoch History Society - 17th March

Rannoch History Society is honoured to welcome back Professor Marjory Harper of the University of Aberdeen who will present the fascinating subject of Scottish immigration across the Atlantic and to the Antipodes in the 19th and 20th centuries. Her title poses the question ‘Endurance or Adventure?’ It promises to be an intriguing and interesting evening and all will be welcome to join us. Please note that this meeting will take place in Georgetown Hall, Bridge of Gaur on Friday 17 March at 7.30pm.

Light refreshments will be served. Admission for non-members will be £4

Inner Wheel Club of Pitlochry - 18th March

Inner Wheel is an international women's organisation. Our objects are to promote true friendship; to encourage the ideals of personal service; to foster international understanding and we do this this through regular meetings, social events and raise funds to support local and international charities.

The club is hosting a Quiz Night on Saturday 18th of March in the Tryst to raise funds for charity. Doors open at 6.30 for a 7 pm start. A light supper will be provided. Tickets cost £7.50. Please visit our Facebook Page or email innerwheelpitlochry@gmail.com

The Niel Gow Festival - 17th - 19th March

The Niel Gow Festival will take place in Dunkeld & Birnam 17th-19th March 2023. A weekend of the very best traditional music across concerts, sessions, workshops and more. Tickets available from Birnam Arts. See www.nielgowfestival.co.uk for more info or find us on Instagram @nielgowfestival or Facebook.

Blair Atholl Bowling Club - 18th March

Well March is with us and isn’t everything looking greener and brighter! This month sees the revamp of the gents toilets which will make them much more user friendly!

We will be holding a Quiz Night on Saturday 18th March for teams of 4 - £10 a team entry. Let Paul know if you want to take part as space is limited

The fixture list is nearing completion with club competitions, visiting bowling clubs, North Perthshire league games and the Seniors league all organised. The Club Championship games will be put out to members next month.

We are still open on Friday evenings for a social get together and a game or two of Dominoes and of course the ‘Footy Sheet’ is still up for grabs.

We have an introductory offer on this season for new members of just £30 which will give you access to all the clubs facilities – green, clubhouse, bar etc and the opportunity to play in club and inter-club competitions.

If you are perhaps considering taking up a new pastime or activity and would like more information about the bowling club then please contact Paul 01796 481 506 or Linda 07921 264 965 who will be only too happy to help.

Killiecrankie, Fincastle & Tummel Community Council20th March

We are heading to Tummel Bridge. The next meeting of the Killiecrankie, Fincastle & Tummel Community Council will be held in Kynachan Hall, Tummel Bridge at 7pm on Monday, 20 March 2023. We have switched the venue from our usual meeting place in Killiecrankie because the focus in March will be on SSE matters that mostly affect Tummel residents. Representatives from SSE Renewables and SSEN Transmission will be at the meeting to give details of extra wide deliveries that are being made to Tummel Bridge and Loch Kinardochy. Community members are invited to send questions in advance or on the night.

Minutes of our January meeting are on the website www.kftcommunitycouncil.co.uk Remember to email info@kftcommunitycouncil.co.uk to join our mailing list and receive updates.

Pitlochry and Moulin History Society - 27th March

The March meeting of the Pitlochry and Moulin History Society will hear from Gillian O'Reilly of SSE on Power From the Glens, the history of how Highland hydro electricity transformed rural Scotland. The talk will be in the Tryst lounge at 7.30 on Monday 27th March. All welcome, £2 admittance

Coffee Morning - 1st April

We are having a coffee morning on 1st April, 10am - 12noon in the Moulin Hall, in aid of ICP Support and Alzheimer Scotland.

Kids Crafts Table, Guess The Weight Of The Cake and more. Baking donated by Hettie’s Tearooms, Cafe Calluna and The Bakery, Pitlochry.

£2 entry, £1 for children.

Call Gillian 07825290168 for more info.

This Month’s Tricky Sudoku

How to play............

Fill the grid so that every row, column and every 3 x 3 box contains the numbers 1 through to 9 with no repetition.

That’s all there is to it! Use reasoning and logic to solve the puzzle - there’s no maths or adding up.

Look carefully for what numbers can go where and with a little practice it will get easier!

Pitlochry Garden Share - 8th - 9th April

We are a community food growing organisation that tackles food security, strengthens the community by working together towards a common goal, provides a safe place to look after our physical and mental health and enables us to care for our environment, while enjoying fresh, tasty, local pesticide free produce! We started in May 2022, and our group of volunteers has been growing ever since.

We share gardens around Pitlochry to grow food for our families and friends; any excess is donated to the community larder. We work as teams sharing the time, tools, knowledge and harvest! We are hosting a Permaculture course on the 8th to 9th of April (a real bargain at £50 for the 2 days) and we still have a couple of spaces left. If you are interested in signing up, or for more information, e-mail us at pitlochrygardenshare@gmail.com or markandrosie@btinternet.com

We are looking for new households/individuals to join any of our three beautiful veggie gardens in the spring; you don't need any experience or tools; just enthusiasm and a commitment of at least 6 hours a month.

Get in touch via e-mail or our Facebook page – Pitlochry Garden Share.

Pete Wishart MP - Perth & North Perthshire - SNP

I was delighted to hear that Dow’s Deli in Aberfeldy was chosen as ‘Highly Commended’ in the Village Shop / Post Office category in the esteemed Countryside Alliance Awards. I recently visited the deli to congratulate owner Stephen Dow on his success. For almost two decades Stephen’s business has remained a popular fixture among locals, which is a testament to the excellent service he provides.

This can be exemplified by his tireless efforts to feed vulnerable households in Highland Perthshire during the heights of the pandemic. It is fantastic to see his work being recognised through this prestigious accolade.

I also recently visited SSEN Transmission’s Kinardochy Substation Project near Tummel Bridge. I was hearing how it will play a critical role in allowing for the connection of new renewable generation to the grid and helping to enable the transition to net zero emissions. Particularly in these times of energy market instability, this project is a vital part of the national effort to build a clean and robust energy supply for the current and future generations.

I was also delighted to hear about what they have been doing to give back to the local community while construction of the project continues. This has included donating food boxes and grocery vouchers to the local Atholl Centre foodbank over the Christmas period, as well as over 100 tonnes of stone to Loch Tummel Sailing Club to improve the access roads and the parking area. It is great that SSEN understands the importance of maintaining community engagement throughout the delivery of this project.

Over the winter period, my office has been assisting with a huge volume of cases related to energy bill support, particularly from constituents living rurally.

Whilst most on-grid households have been receiving £66 monthly vouchers to assist with their bills, the many off-grid homes in Perthshire have yet to receive any financial support from the UK Government.

Last year, the government announced that it would set up an Alternative Fuel Payment Scheme, designed to provide financial support to those living in homes that are disconnected from the gas grid. But at the time of writing, the scheme has still not been launched despite winter now nearly over.

Continued on page 26

This is completely unacceptable, and I have been hearing about the immense financial hardship that people using alternative fuel have been experiencing as a result of this lack of support.

I have repeatedly called for the government to provide urgent clarification as to when the scheme will launch. At the time of writing, I recently received confirmation from the Minister of State for Energy and Climate that the scheme will open across all local authorities no later than 27 February. That date will have passed by the time this reaches your doorsteps, so I very much hope that readers who are eligible will have already been able to apply. However, if you need information on the application process or have any other issues that my office may be able to assist with, you can get in touch by emailing pete.wishart.mp@parliament.uk or calling 01738 639 598.

Murdo Fraser - Mid Scotland & Fife - Conservative

As we approach Easter and the longer nights are coming in, it is a good time to think ahead.

During the first quarter of the year I have been busy dealing with constituents’ queries and progressing with my Members’ Bill on Fly-tipping at Holyrood. We have seen flytipping taking place all over the country, and unfortunately, there are no signs of it abating. I hope that, if passed, my Bill could see an increase in penalties for those caught fly-tipping and introduce strict liability on the generator of the waste for clearing it up and paying any fines for its disposal. One local issue that has had a positive outcome is the situation with the Scottish Crannog Centre (SCC). As readers of Pitlochry Life will be aware, the Crannog is a five-star visitor attraction that was based in Kenmore, beside Loch Tay. In June 2021, a fire destroyed the reconstructed Iron Age Crannog.

The centre has developed plans for a move to a new site which will vastly improve the visitor experience and will include a café and new crannog. Plans have been approved through the planning process and preliminary work on the site has been done. To date, the SCC has raised £3.088 million from a variety of sources, including public donations and fundraising from trusts and grants.

After architect’s fees, planning and surveys, approximately £2.822 million remains for the remainder of the development.

Perth and Kinross Council was approached to underwrite a contingency of £210,000 to allow the development to progress and fortunately this was agreed. This will help it to deliver on its plans to move to its new site by this summer and help it to relocate its museum artefacts which are of national significance to Dalerb.

Meanwhile, I was also delighted to hear that applications for Perth and Kinross Council’s Community Fund were agreed, which means that there will be £32,048 of funding in the Highland ward and £33,267 in Strathtay. Among the projects that will benefit in Highland ward will be the Young People’s Training Club at the Scottish Crannog Centre, which received £3,000, with Pitlochry Garden Share being awarded the same amount. In addition, £2,732 was given to Aberfeldy Development Trust’s Outdoor Visitor Map.

In Strathtay, £10,509 will be provided to the Extension Project following an application by the Amulree Village Hall Trust Fund, and £7,750 will be given to the Re-establishment Project at Bridgeton United Amateur Football Club.

Murdo Fraser always welcomes feedback from constituents. He can be contacted at The Control Tower, Perth Airport, Scone, PH2 6PL, by email on murdo.fraser.msp@parliament.scot or by telephone on 01738 553676.

Willie’s Wonky Computer Factory

Windows 11 has been with us well over a year now and I don’t hear many complaints. I think once you adjust to the way it looks, it’s easy to get on with and performs very well. There are a couple of things though that are set by default and need a little tinkering to get the best out of it.

A lot of people don’t like Microsoft Edge as their browser. Well you are not stuck with it as sometimes when you open a new browser it will offer to change itself to default for you. If not, or if you missed that step without realising it, just go to Settings > Apps > Default Apps and look for the browser you'd like to use. Then just click 'Set default' in the top-right corner, and Windows will automatically use that browser in the future. There will also be several browser related file types listed there under Set default file types or link types. Some will have changed to your new default browser, but not all, click on the ones that still say Edge and change them now.

Win 11 does have an irritating habit of updating when it feels like it and sometimes forces a restart. To take more control, go to Settings > Windows Update > Advanced options. From here, you can set your active hours (so your device won't restart while you're doing things) or ask Windows to give you a 15-minute warning before automatically restarting to apply updates. Do not switch updates off, your security depends on it.

Win 11 defaults to a low refresh rate (probably to save power), so if you are running a fancy new monitor you will want the best out of it. Go to Settings > System > Display > Advanced display and look for your display. There will be a dropdown menu labeled Choose a refresh rate and pick the highest option your monitor can support. If high end gaming, you might have to knock it back a setting, otherwise you're going to want that refresh rate as high as possible. Likewise with sound. Go to System > Sound > Properties and choose the sound device you're using. Then under Output settings, make sure the Format option dropdown uses the highest

available setting. This will ensure you're getting the maximum audio quality.

If your new computer feels a little sluggish from the word go, the likely culprit is having too many apps running from startup. To save on resources and make things a bit quicker, go to Settings > Apps > Startup and turn off everything you don't need immediately after turning on your computer. (I recommend turning off OneDrive, as that consistently slowed down my PC.) You can always open these apps when you're ready to use them. If there is an app you regularly use after booting up, you can always enable it in there to save you the step of opening it manually.

You will either love or hate Dark Mode. You do however need to try it first to find out and it isn’t in the most obvious place (right click desktop and you would expect to find it under Display Options), instead, Microsoft have it hidden under Settings > Personalisation > Colours. There, you can choose light mode, dark mode, or use different settings for Windows vs. apps. You can also set transparency effects and accent colours in this menu.

If you regularly take screenshots, you will be familiar with the Snipping Tool, it has been around since early Vista days. Win 11 has relegated it to impossible to find without using the search bar, however its replacement, the Snip & Sketch Tool is easier to access, share and annotate screenshots than the old Snipping Tool. It can also now capture a screenshot of a window on your desktop.

The easiest way to call up Snip & Sketch is with the keyboard shortcut (!) Windows key + Shift + S, but you will also find it listed in the alphabetical list of apps accessed from the Start button, as well as in the notification panel where it's listed as Screen Snip. If you're a frequent screenshot taker, I recommend pinning the app to the taskbar :o)

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John Swinney MSP - Perthshire North - SNP

Recently, the Scottish Budget for 2023/24 was debated in Parliament.

The budget, which sets out the Scottish Government's spending plans for the next financial year, was presented amidst unprecedented economic challenges caused by Brexit, inflation, and the cost-of-living crisis.

In light of these pressures, the Scottish Government is doing everything possible to protect our most valuable public services.

One example of this commitment is the allocation of £13.7bn to support our NHS, £2 billion to establish and improve primary healthcare services in communities, as well as £1.7 billion for social care and integration, paving the way for the introduction of a National Care Service. This is a record level of investment in health and social care, and will see an overall uplift of £1bn to the health budget.

The cost-of-living crisis has been particularly difficult for those who were already struggling. To that end, we are more determined than ever to eradicate child poverty. Having already increased the unique Scottish Child Payment to £25 per week as part of our efforts to achieve this goal, the Budget invests £428 million to uprate all other devolved benefits in April 2023 by September’s Consumer Price Index inflation level of 10.1%. This will ensure that some of the most vulnerable individuals in our society will not be left behind.

We are also working to improve the prospects of families across the nation. To achieve this, we have committed a £1bn investment in high-quality early learning and childcare, as well as £80m to support the expansion of free school meals.

In order to ensure that our first-class public services remain sustainable, it has been necessary to make some difficult decisions regarding taxation. Due to the negative fiscal consequences of Liz Truss’ mini-budget, and the necessity that the Scottish Government balance its books, we have had to propose some modest tax rises for those who can afford it.

It is worth noting that, even after any proposed tax rises, the majority of people in Scotland still paying less in taxation than if they lived in the rest of the United Kingdom. And even those who will be earning enough money to contribute a little more in tax will continue to benefit from services such as free prescriptions, free university tuition and free bus travel for over 60s, as well as council tax bills that are generally hundreds of pounds lower than in England.

It is estimated that these tax increases will provide an additional £1bn in revenue, which will be invested in our health service.

I look forward to continuing to advocate for this budget, which is a testament to the Scottish Government's commitment to supporting our public services and our people. Despite the extreme challenges that we are facing, we will always ensure that we do everything in our power to build a stronger, fairer Scotland.

Pitlochry and District Neighbourhood Watch Be careful with electricity

Each year, around 70 people are killed and 350,000 seriously injured due to an electrical accident in the home. Electricity causes more than 20,000 fires a year, almost half of all accidental UK house fires. More than half of all accidental house fires start in the kitchen. Statistics show that the majority of accidental reported fires caused by electricity in the home are down to people misusing electrical cooking appliances, including microwaves.

A CONCISE HISTORY OF CHOCOLATE

Chocolate.

It’s our our emotional

remedy, the not-so-guilty guilty pleasure and a reliable gift choice and if you don’t like it you are often met with a very open face of slight judging disbelief and placed in a different social category. On average in the UK we consume an estimated 660,900 tonnes of chocolate a year, an average of 11kg per person per year; roughly 3 bars per week. This puts us in 4th place as the world’s biggest chocolate consumers after Switzerland (unsurprisingly) taking the top spot, Germany and Ireland. However, our beautifully refined, sweet, smooth indulgent heaven in a bar is a far cry from its origin. Chocolate was in fact a healthy bitter beverage from the gods and the use of cacao beans dates as far back as 3300BCE. Throughout history chocolate would become increasingly popular and play an important political, spiritual and economic role.

CHOCOLATE, WHAT IS IT AND WHO INVENTED IT?

Chocolate is made from the fruit of cacao (kukow) trees, which are native to Central and South America. The fruits are called pods, all be it technically, it is a berry, and each pod contains around 40 cacao beans. The beans are dried and roasted to create cocoa beans. You can eat the fruit flesh, of which is said to have a complex sweet and tart flavour with hints of citrus, mango and even pineapple.

It’s unclear exactly when cacao was initially discovered and used; but archaeologists have

discovered the earliest traces of cacao residue including theobromine and caffeine in pottery and stone artefacts used by the ancient MayoChinchipe culture 5,300 years ago in the upper Amazon region of Ecuador. Ancient Mesoamericans believed chocolate was an energy booster and aphrodisiac with mystical and medicinal qualities. The Mayans in particular believing it was a gift from the gods. The cacao beans were roasted and ground into a paste, mixed with water, vanilla, chili peppers and other spices to brew a frothy chocolate drink and was used in ceremonies and as spiritual offerings, as well as readily available to everyone to enjoy alongside their meal.

AZTEC GOLD

By the 1400s the Aztec empire spread across Mesoamerica and took chocolate admiration to another level. Calling it xocolatl and like the Mayans also believed cacao was a gift from the gods. However, because it wouldn’t grow in the dry highlands of Mexico it became a valuable asset in its rarety. Thus only making it available to the wealthy, and being used as currency, and was even considered to be more valuable than gold. Perhaps the most notorious Aztec chocolate lover of all was the Aztec ruler Montezuma II who allegedly drank 50 cups of chocolate a day out of a golden goblet to increase his libido.

CHOCOLATES ARRIVAL TO EUROPE

By the 1500s cacao makes its arrival to Europe. There are many stories to its initial arrival, with one story suggesting it was Christopher Columbus who discovered cacao beans after intercepting a trade ship on a journey to America and bringing back the beans to Spain in 1502. Another tale suggests the Spanish conquistador Hernan Cortes kept his chocolate knowledge a well-guarded secret after he was introduced to it by the Aztecs of Montezuma’s court. And a third story claims that friars who

presented Guatemalan Mayans to Philip II of Spain in 1544 also brought cacao beans along as a gift. Who knows? However, chocolate became a muchloved indulgence within the Spanish court that by 1585 Spain was importing it.

Chocolate’s popularity spread to other European courts, where aristocrats consumed it as a magic health boosting elixir. Leading to European powers establishing colonial plantations in equatorial regions around the world to grow cacao and sugar cane. Sadly Mesoamerican labour began to deplete due to an influx of diseases brought in by the Europeans leading to the importation of African slaves to continue working on plantations and maintain chocolate production.

By 1689 physician Hans Sloane created chocolate milk, after being inspired by a trip to Jamaica where the locals boiled cacao water, and he added milk and sugar to try and make it more palatable. Upon his return home he began selling his ‘Sir Hans Sloane’s Milk Chocolate’ at a London apothecary as a medicinal drink.

Chocolate became so popular by 1729 it was then commercialised in the UK. Walter Churchman from Bristol invented the first patented cacao bean grinder. A hydraulic engine that allowed for a faster and finer cacao crushing process.

THE OFFICIAL FOOD OF THE GODS

Although the Aztecs and Mayans already believed chocolate was a gift from the Gods, it wasn’t until 1753 that chocolate was officially coined ‘Food of the Gods’ by Swedish taxonomist Carl Linnaeus. He identified the health benefits and medicinal uses of chocolate, and while putting together the systematic list of names for living things, he sought out inspiration from the Aztecs. Naming the cacao plant Theobroma cacao; from the Latin name Theobroma meaning ‘food of the gods’ and the Aztec word xocolatl meaning ‘bitter water’.

CACAO POWDER

By 1815 Dutch chemist Casparus van Houten and his son Coenraad open a chocolate factory in Amsterdam, and by 1828 have their hydraulic cacao press patented. The press mechanically, and inexpensively, separates the cacao butter from the beans, making the beans drier and finer, almost powder like. It was then Coenraad van Houten who discovered that by treating the powder with alkaline salts that the powdered cacao was easier to mix into water. This process became known as ‘Dutch Processing’ and the powder called ‘Dutch Cocoa’. This process became the foundation of nearly all chocolate products and allowed chocolate to be more readily available to everyone rather than the just the wealthy.

FROM DRINK TO BAR

The first ever chocolate bar was credited to British chocolatier J.S Fry & Sons in 1847, where cocoa powder was mixed with melted cocoa butter and sugar and then pressed into moulds. It was then the Swiss who took things further. In 1867 Henri Nestle created condensed milk and in 1875 he supplied Swiss chocolatier Daniel Peter with condensed milk to add to his chocolate thus making the first ever milk chocolate bar. Together bringing Nestle’s milk chocolate to the mass market.

Just as when you think the chocolate bar couldn’t get any better, another Swiss chocolatier Rudolph Lindt in 1879 invents a machine known as the chocolate conching machine. This machine evenly distributes the cocoa butter and aerates it, allowing the chocolate flavour to be enhanced and its texture to be irresistibly melt-in-your-mouth smooth.

By the late 19th Century and early 20th century other family chocolatiers such as Cadbury, Mars and Hershey began mass producing their own milk chocolate in Britain and America.

HEALTH BENEFITS

All be it today’s chocolate bars have been continuously refined and are no longer considered healthy due to the high quantities of sugar, raw cacao has earned its place as a superfood. Rich in antioxidants, vitamins and minerals such as iron, magnesium, copper and zinc, and packed with flavonoids, cacao has huge health benefits; improving heart health, reducing the risk of diabetes, lowering blood pressure, easing inflammation and protecting cells from oxidative stress, reducing stress, improving energy levels and even improving cognitive function.

Now thats the perfect excuse to ingulge in a bar of rich dark choclate.

Scotland Prestige Awards Winner of Mortgage Broker of the Year 2022

Finalists in the 2019 and 2020 Scottish Mortgage Awards for both Best Mortgage Broker Edinburgh & Scotland categories and Shortlisted for the 2022 Awards for Best Regional Broker: Edinburgh and Best Regional Broker: Central Region

The Pitlochry Garden March

It takes devotion to grow and maintain a good lawn. As spring sunshine sweeps across the lawn it may reveal mustard yellow moss, crusty patches of dog lichen and some mysterious slimy black grass.

Poor drainage is the cause of most lawn problems. Clay soil is easily compacted and there is a lot of rain. Bare spots appear in the shade of big trees; weeds and moss come in because the grass is sparse.

There are three key things to do: aeration, proper mowing and feeding. These three actions will strengthen the grass. Aerating the turf is the first step. Unless you have acres, on a dry day, put on your gloves, take up the spring tine rake and go out in the sun. Raking out the moss and debris opens the ground and is very good for your core muscles. Get the mower serviced and sharpened while you do this. Don’t do all the raking at once: rake in one direction today and then in a few days rake again across that at right angles. For big lawns hire a scarifier or get a professional service in to help.

Proper mowing is an essential part of lawn care. There are two easy ways to improve your lawn: first, set the blade height right for the season and, second, start from a different corner each time.

Blade height should not be too low at first –about an inch; cutting grass too short reduces vigour. If you mow up and down this time, next

time go side to side at right angles to the first cut. Each time you mow will bush out the grass on the side of the cut. Always mowing in the same direction makes ridges in the lawn and weakens the grass.

At the first sign of drought raise the mower blade height to just over an inch and reduce the number of cuts from weekly to once every ten days. It won’t be necessary, or helpful, to water the lawn; use water in the vegetable garden or to help keep any newly planted trees and shrubs alive.

The last task is applying a spring weed and feed mixture. On a small or medium-sized lawn you can do this by hand but it would help to use a spreader on large areas. Get enough fertiliser for the size of the area and empty it into a bucket. Add grass seed if there are bare patches. Now fill the bucket with compost and stir it well to mix thoroughly. The compost is good for the lawn but really just shows you where you have been. Now sprinkle, walking up and down in one direction. A small handful of this mix to one square metre is about right.

Then take a stiff broom and brush the lawn at right angles to the direction you were walking. The mix will soon get watered in and by April you will see a huge improvement. Put a pinch of rock salt on each dandelion.

Sheila Drummond

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil

2 onions, finely sliced

400g pork fillet, trimmed of any fat, cut into thick strips

250g pack mushrooms, sliced

1 ½ tbsp smoked paprika

1 tbsp tomato purée

200ml chicken stock

100ml soured cream

tagliatelle, egg noodles, or rice, to serve

Paprika Pork Method

• Heat the oil in a large pan, tip in the onions and cook for 10 mins until soft and golden.

• Add the pork and mushrooms and cook on a high heat for 3-4 mins until browned.

• Add the paprika and cook for 1 min more.

• Stir in the tomato purée, then pour on the stock and simmer for 5-8 mins until the pork is cooked through.

• Finally, mix in the soured cream and some seasoning.

• Serve with tagliatelle, egg noodles or rice, and an extra dollop of soured cream, if you like.

So always take special care when using electrical appliances. The mixture of water, hot surfaces, flexible cables and electricity can be very dangerous.

To avoid water coming into contact with electricity, ensure that sockets or switches are fitted at a safe distance (at least 30cm horizontally) from the sink. If a socket is likely to be used to supply portable equipment outdoors, it should be protected by an RCD. Never use switches or any electrical equipment when your hands are wet

Simple tips for kitchen safety

• Don’t leave electrical appliances like dishwashers or washing machines running unattended

• Don’t wrap flexible cables around any equipment when it is still warm

• Check that flexible leads and appliances such as kettles and toasters are in good condition

• Don’t try to clean or repair an appliance when it is still plugged in

• Never try to get toast that is stuck out of a toaster while it is plugged in, and especially not with a metal knife as there are often live parts inside

• Make sure you thoroughly clean your oven and grill – a build-up of fat and grease is a major cause of fires

• Check your plug sockets are not overloaded with too many electrical appliances as this can lead to overheating

• Avoid storing objects on top of appliances like the microwave, which can block ventilation

• Defrost your fridge and freezer at least once a year to ensure these appliances continue to work properly

• Ensure you have a working smoke detector in case something does go wrong.

Heartland FM

The lyrics of Pink Floyd’s Another Brick in the Wall Part 2 opens with the lyrics “ We don’t need no education” - STOP we do need the education. When looking at the objectives of the Heartland Radio Foundation, the charity which manages Heartland FM, media training, education and giving people the skills they need to get back into work. To make this happen.

I spent a great afternoon at the Breadalbane Academy careers fayre, a great afternoon with employers, training opportunities and education providers really inspired the young people of Breadable and Pitlochry High. We have an idea about starting a schools’ radio programming this year, so some quick market research from the Heartland team so watch this space. We have a student from Perth College working on his foundation apprenticeship in creative and digital media, this has been ongoing from August 2022, Christie is getting through his course balancing his college work with a bit of fun in the studios as his interest in music and perhaps presenting in the future can be realised. I have been to Perth College to establish our links with the Music and Music Business and the Creative Industries departments to see what opportunities we have for collaborative working and giving the students real work experience.

I have also been back to Breadalbane Academy talking to S1 English classes about a project they are doing to describe and record a walk outside and bring the walk to life with descriptive language. It was great to spend time teaching them skills to help them with their project. We were also at Pitlochry High School last session to do a talk to another group of students who were interested in journalism and creative writing. Myself, Chris Beattie and Nathaniel Goddard spent a great afternoon chatting to the group about writing formally for news, and more creatively for articles in this magazine. I’m also looking forward to a visit from music students from Pitlochry High

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who are coming to see our studios and find out how we can work together to produce some great content with the schools’ radio project. We are going to be doing fundraising to allow us to start on these education based projects. So we do need this education, and the children are our future. As they say every day is school day!

Thanks for listening Alistair Smith - Station Manger

Andrew Cook Joins Fonab Castle Hotel

Fonab Castle Hotel has recently appointed new General Manager Andrew Cook who has previously worked in various luxury properties around the UK and worldwide.

Andrew is extremely passionate about building a strong relationship with the local Pitlochry community and looks forward to meeting you all in the near future.

Speaking with Andrew he said; I am honoured to have the opportunity to lead the team at Fonab Castle hotel, I have been extremely lucky to work in beautiful locations around the world and Pitlochry is no exception.

I have personally experienced the most amazing warm welcome in the few restaurants and cafes that I have had the opportunity to visit so far and am looking forward to sharing this with my family when they arrive in Pitlochry in April, being part of a community is very important to us personally and professionally.

I have enjoyed short walks around the local area taking in the beauty of the forests, mountains, loch and town and especially enjoyed the New Year’s Day Street party – although I certainly have some dance moves to learn before the 2024 celebrations!

In addition to enhancing the facilities and services at Fonab Castle, I am working alongside the established team to introduce some exciting plans which will welcome all ages of the Pitlochry community into our beautiful castle, and we all hope that everyone enjoys their experiences at Fonab whether just for a coffee, evening drink or dining experience. A key goal of ours is to be actively involved and supportive in promoting the local community and Pitlochry as a whole to our visitors, whether than be from offering job opportunities or working with local business providers to enhance our offering at Fonab Castle.

I can really feel the community spirit in Pitlochry and am passionate about contributing to your vibrant local hospitality and tourism scene in the coming months and years.

See you soon!

GrowBiz Spring Into Support from GrowBiz

It’s time to look ahead to the brighter and milder days of spring, and to make sure we have definable goals and intentions for the new season. Here’s a few ways GrowBiz can help:

One-to-one advice: The GrowBiz team all run their own businesses, so understand the highs and lows of being self-employed. They are able to provide support to help you with challenges, as well as the reassurance that comes from having an experienced person by your side.

Downloadable resources: GrowBiz is here to support you to achieve your goals. We have free resources available to help you create a business plan, marketing plan, cash-flow template and more, and we can talk you through how to use them.

Regular updates: The GrowBiz newsletter, website and social media pages are regularly updated with the latest events and opportunities for rural enterprise, as well as inspiring client stories. Most recently, we added a cost of living support page to our website.

Mentoring: If you would like to gain confidence, develop your skills and resilience, and make meaningful connections in a flexible and open environment, the GrowBiz mentoring programme is for you.

Specialised support: In addition to our core range of support, designed for small rural enterprises in all sectors, we have other services that offer more specialised support in Perth and Kinross:

Creatives can apply to be part of Perthshire Artisans, care and wellbeing practitioners can become members of the Care and Wellbeing Collective, young entrepreneurs between 18-25 can benefit form the SEED programme, social enterprises can join the Perth and Kinross Social Enterprise Support Group, and micro businesses can get listed on the REDS online directory for free. Learn more about support available from GrowBiz at www.growbiz.co.uk

Atholl Centre Office Open hours

The Atholl Centre Office open hours are Monday - Friday 10.00am4.00pm.

Food Bank Referrals & self referrals all welcome. Please ask if you need some help to cope with the increased cost of living. Please note; our Emergency contact number: 07443 738240.

Pitlochry Baptist Church – Friday Soup Lunch.

We meet again weekly, every Friday at 12 midday, in the Atholl Centre, behind the Church. All very welcome. Come & enjoy a hearty Soup Lunch and meet new friends.

The Community Larder– is quite separate from the Food Bank; it is Open 24/7 for anyone to ‘give’ or ‘take’ food items along with other household items. Each day food on it’s ‘Best Before’ date is collected from the Coop shop, and is placed in the Community Larder. This is to avoid food waste and to support many with the rising prices at this time. Other items are donated by locals, in order to share with others.

We are expanding the Larder to include a fridge and freezer, also available 24/7. Follow the signs to the Larder cupboard at the Atholl Centre. Thank you for the kind donations of fridges & freezer, along with electric supply provided by RW Bell of Pitlochry. We can look forward to fresh produce throughout the Year.

Changing Places Toilet - New and fully equipped Rest room facility for the disabled

The Coat Rail - Please come along to choose one that is right for you. If you are struggling, this year to replace your old Winter coat, or if you would like to swap it for another. The Centre is open Monday – Friday. This year is a year for sharing with one another. Every coat donated to the Coat rail, has been given with the hope that someone else will benefit from the Service.

Warm Places - Pitlochry Churches is providing the following venues where you can be assured of a free friendly and warm welcome, serving tea/coffee/soup & snacks, alongside a programme of activities; board games, crafts, jigsaws and much more.

Atholl Centre Mondays 10.00am – 1.00pm

Pitlochry Church of Scotland Tryst Wednesdays 10.30am – 3.30pm

Pitlochry Baptist Church Cosy Café in Atholl Centre Fridays 10.00am – 2.00pm

Look out for the posters around Town, or call 01796 473044 for more info.

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Cookery & Baking Classes - Every Monday evening in March 7 – 9.00pm in the Atholl Centre Kitchen. Come along to learn the basics, learn new skills & recipes, reduce food waste, money saving specials, and the traditional Polish menu. Four local catering experts invite you to join them. Sign up at the Atholl Centre Office to book your place. All free of charge, and all welcome. Funded by PKC Cost of Living Community Fund.

C.A.T.H. Churches Action For The Homeless

The outreach service will be at the Atholl Centre, Pitlochry on the first Tuesday of every month, between 10.00am and 12 midday. We can provide support with Housing issues and Benefit queries/applications. We also provide support to access a range of available services. Please feel free to drop in for a chat, or phone Helen Tilly 07739 858 987 Helen Kirkwood, Atholl Baptist Centre SCIO15113, Atholl Centre, Atholl Road, Pitlochry, PH16 5BX Further information from 01796 473044.

Rotary Club of Pitlochry

Our Dinner Dance on the 27th January turned out to be a huge success! We would like to take the opportunity to thank each of you who attended our event for your generous support. The Atholl Arms Hotel turned out to be a perfect venue, the band, ‘Cut the Cake’, lived up to their reputation of being top class, and as always, we are eternally grateful to our sponsors for the many prizes that we were able to hand out on the evening. It is at times like now, when so many people around the world are overwhelmed by disaster and humanitrian crises, that your ongoing support of our activities and fundraisers enables us to join hands with other Rotary Clubs and International Disaster Relief Charities to provide emergency relief to affected parts of the world where people are left homeless because of natural disasters or conflict. Pitlochry Rotary Club has again bought 2 Shelterboxes to be sent to affected areas. The average cost of a Shelterbox is around £590. If there is anyone who would like to make a contribution towards the cost of a Shelterbox (it can be ANY amount, however small) please contact our club at : secretary@pitlochry.rotary1010.org

A reminder that the deadline for nominations for our annual ‘Citizen of the Year’ Award closes at the end of March. If you have someone in mind who you feel will be a worthy recipient, please do so without delay!

In the photo: The hardworking organisers of our Dinner Dance: Judith, Fiona, Linda & Sheena.

JustSingin` Birnam

Everyone is very welcome to join Just Singin`, a friendly, mixed all age community choir which gathers in the upstairs studio of Birnam Arts, Station Road, on Wednesdays 7.30pm-9.30pm.

The choir is happy to welcome back Adelaide Carlow as leader for the month of March. There are no auditions to join our a capella choir, just come along and enjoy sing with us in unison and harmonies. Please visit www.justsingin.co.uk for fees and full details, or email to enquiries@justsingin.co.uk or phone Katie on 07765 405203.

Discover Scotland Holiday Cottages Receives

Feefo Platinum Trusted Service Award 2023

Discover Scotland Holiday Cottage are thrilled to have won a Feefo Platinum Trusted Service Award, an independent seal of excellence, which recognises businesses that consistently deliver a world-class customer experience.

Jane Cameron from Discover Scotland Holiday Cottages commented: “We’re delighted to receive a Platinum Trusted Service Award from Feefo for a consecutive third year. Keeping our customers happy is our priority so the fact this award is based on feedback from our verified customers gives us confidence we are providing an exceptional level of service. The award also recognises just how hard our team have worked and continue to develop their knowledge and working practices with each new challenge, overcoming the impact of Covid coupled with the recent Short Term Let Licensing Legislation along with both rising inflation and the cost-of-living crisis affecting both guests and property owners alike. As we enter a new year, we will continue to listen, understand and deliver what our customers ask for.”

Congratulating Discover Scotland Holiday Cottages, Tony Wheble, CEO at Feefo, said: “This year has been a difficult one for so many businesses. The Trusted Service Awards have always been about recognising companies that go way beyond the norm in customer service and in turn receive great feedback from delighted customers.

Particular congratulations to Discover Scotland Holiday Cottages for winning a Platinum Trusted Service Award by providing great customer service consistently over a number of years. I look forward to seeing them continue to achieve next year and beyond.” www.discoverscotland.net

Pitlochry Station Bookshop

Recently, a Bookshop colleague reminded me of the story of Allen Lane, the founder of Penguin Books. In 1934, Lane found himself on a station platform with a long wait before his train was due and was frustrated when he couldn’t find anything worthwhile to read at the station bookstall.

By the time his train arrived he had conceived the idea of producing cheap, affordable books of quality writing which people could buy easily. To make the books attractive and keep costs down he would produce them in paper covers, a horrifying prospect to his rivals at a time when all books were published in hard covers. They regarded “paperback” as a dirty word which would reduce profits

A year later, in July 1935, Lane published his first Penguin books, priced at sixpence each. They sold out quickly and reprints had to be ordered, thus starting a publishing revolution which opened the world of literature to people of all kinds who had been restricted by the prices demanded by the hardback publishers.

Seventy years later, our Station Bookshop followed in the tradition of Allen Lane when Priscilla Lorimer and her friends set out to provide quality reading material at low prices on the platform of Pitlochry station. With the help of our book donors, her mission grew and we are now a longestablished source literature for everyone.

“Paperback” is not a dirty word for us. Nor is “profit” because we give it all away.

Pitlochry & Moulin Men's Shed

The Pitlochry & Moulin Mens Shed (PAMMS) provides a community space for men to meet, connect, chat and create. Our activities centre on those that groups of men can enjoy together to help reduce loneliness and isolation. Equally importantly, we aim to make them enjoyable. Our Men's Shed can give purpose to those who have either retired or who just have some time on their hands. Activities such as ours aim to improve mental health, knowledge, skills and confidence in a informal environment.

We are located in the old Handam Shop in Burnside Road in Pitlochry, postcode PH16 5BP. Once in Burnside Road, you can’t miss us!

At present, we open every Thursday 2 - 4 pm and also operate as a warm space where people can gather for free in a warm, safe, welcoming place, where they can enjoy a hot drink and some company.

We extend an invitation to adults of all ages to come along and join us. For more information, please contact Peter or Ray via email on pammensshed@gmail.com

Pitlochry Library

Opening hours: Thursday 10am-1pm & 2pm-7pm, Saturday 9.30am-12.30pm

Bookbug sessions are held at Pitlochry Library every Thursday from 9.15am-9.45am. Come and join us for a session of songs, stories, and rhymes for under 5s. Prebooking for each session is essential. Please contact Pitlochry Library to book a spot.

76 Atholl Road, PITLOCHRY PH15 5BX

01796 474635 / pitlochrylibrary@culturepk.org.uk

Culture Perth and Kinross Museums & Galleries

The galleries at Perth Art Gallery are currently closed while they receive a refresh, but the doors to the building are open and looking forward to welcoming you.

The Messy Museum in the Marshall Gallery is open, as well as our shop, coffee bar and toilets, from 10am to 4pm, Friday to Monday.

Why not come along to one of our lunchtime lectures given by curitorial staff and learn about the treasures and stories in the collections and the work that goes on behind the scenes.

3 Mar - Modern Scots

10 Mar - The East India Company and Perth Museum

17 Mar - Power to the People!

24 Mar - Tales from the Natural History Collections

31 Mar - Care of large water vessels

Full details can be found on the Culture Perth and Kinross website: https://bit.ly/PAGlunchtime Bag a bargain at the AK Bell Library Book Sale

Book lovers everywhere can find great deals, expand their book collections and support their local library by shopping at the next Culture Perth and Kinross library book sale. A mixture of pre-loved books from the library collection and books donated by library customers will be available. Adult material in fiction will be the predominant offer at this pop-up book sale but keep

your eyes peeled for other bargains in adult non-fiction and children’s material. Also on offer will be a fantastic selection of pre-loved jigsaw puzzles at a bargain-discounted price.

Please support us by coming along and grabbing a bargain or two between 9.30am – 3.30pm on Saturday, 11 March. Every penny we make from selling these books is directly reinvested in the services and helps distribute thousands of affordable books back into the community. We hope to see you there!

Princh Printing

Culture Perth and Kinross Libraries have installed Princh, a new printing solution in libraries across Perth and Kinross, including Pitlochry Library. With Princh, it is now possible to print from any mobile device, tablet, or laptop from home or in one of our participating libraries. Just print, pay online and pick up your items. You can send your print jobs at any time from any place, and what's more, you no longer have to wait in line at the printer.

Details can be found on our website www.culturepk.org.uk/libraries/internet-and-computers/ princh-printing/

Vale of Atholl Pipe Band

We were delighted to get back to our Junior Piping and Drumming competition in person, in Pitlochry High School on the 21st January. A great turn out of competitors, a great day of music , a lot of hard work form our band members and parents and a huge thank you also to the school janitor, Stewart Sheriffs for all his help. 24 trophies and over 100 medals were given out to our winners, with the Champion Titles going to the following. Champion Piper under 15 Lachlan Rennie, Runner up Kai Hay. Champion Piper 15 to 18 years Katie Duthie, Runner up Archie McNab.

Our engagement list for the summer is filling up with lots of appearances around the area and competitions from Aberdeen to Dumbarton. We're busy preparing for our Highland Nights which start on Monday 30th May and we'll hopefully have some visiting bands from abroad coming to join us during the season. We're extremely grateful to Landrover Experience for their continued sponsorship to help the junior section of the band. The youngsters are being taken up the hill in their Landrovers for a photo shoot soon and they're really looking forward to it!!

In the meantime , it's lots of practice for the competing bands and lots of tuition for the learners!!! If you're interested in learning pipes or drums please contact either me or our lead tutor Roddy Weir on pipemajorrhf@gmail.com All lessons are free of charge.

Gillie McNab gmcnab00@aol.com 07733152223.

Killiecrankie Village Hall

The Management Committee of Killiecrankie Village Hall wishes to thank all the volunteers who helped make this year’s Burns Supper such a success.

Besides haggis, neeps and tatties, supplied by the incomparable Macdonald Bros, there was high quality music, song, poetry and toasts provided by Henry Farron, David Harris, Murray Scrimgeour, Christine Cheape, Peter Barr, George Farron, Pete Clarke, Ian Bruce, Finlay Macintyre, George MacLean and Anthony Cuthbert.

Thanks are also due to all the local businesses who contributed including Highland Fling Bungee,

Happy... Painting Time?

Easter - A religious festival spent painting our houses? Well, so it seems, with the likes of B&Q selling more paint over the Easter weekend than at any other time of the year.

Every time I tackle a painting job in the house it takes me ages to sort out the colour, and then there's the problem of sheen - what's the best for a particular job? What sheen should you go with for the kitchen? The bedroom? Does it even matter? Well, yes, the sheen of the paint can make a huge difference and choosing the right sheen level can completely transform the look of your walls, so make sure you consider different finishes to make the most of your space. Here's a quick guide to help you:

Paints are available in a number of different sheens. Before you select the sheen you will use for your room, it’s important to understand the qualities that each one has to offer. Paints without a shine or sheen are referred to as flat or matte finishes. They diffuse the light reflecting off the paint– that is, the light bounces off the paint in many different directions, with little or no shine. A semi-gloss or glossy sheen reflects light more directly, much as a mirror reflects light, which will create more shine.

Flat or Matte

Paint starts out glossy and loses lustre with the addition of titanium dioxide, a chalky material. Flat finishes have the most, making them very low on reflectivity. That means they mask flaws in irregular surfaces, but they scuff easily and all but the gentlest clean will damage the surface. They are commonly found in new houses where they camouflage an imperfect taping job on the plasterboard. Don't use in high traffic areas of the house as they damage too easily. The best place for flat paint is on the ceiling, where less reflection is a plus, however mattes can enhance the richness of a deep colour by giving a velvety appearance when used on a feature wall.

You will find two kinds of matte in the shopcontract matt, which is for new plaster and unpainted surfaces, and vinyl matt, for previously painted surfaces. It gives a stronger more durable

finish, not as velvety, but easier to clean.

Eggshell

This has a very slight sheen which is similar in appearance to the surface of an egg (obviously). This slight sheen creates a soft but still velvety finish. This now the most common paint finish for walls, it is tougher than matte and easier to clean.

Satin and Silk

A touch shinier, these are classed as ‘mid sheen', they look slightly polished and reflect a bit of light. Silk is a finish associated with walls (emulsion) and satin for woodwork (oil based). You can wipe silk wall finishes easily, which makes them very practical, but if you have less than perfect walls, all the lumps and bumps may show up a bit more. A satin finish on woodwork helps to hide imperfections and gives colour a softer appearance. Mid sheen paints make good accents on complex moulding profiles or wellprepped window and door casings. They resist fingerprints, scuffs, and stains and are ideal in kitchens or bathrooms.

Silk is also great in kids bedrooms or play areas as it cleans easily but is considered by some to be too shiny for the living room. Silk has become less popular as people discover eggshell.

Now we move on to the glossier paint, these are usually for woodwork and doors. Apart from some 'quick-dry' types, they are generally oil based paints, so are tough and easier to clean. If painting outside the house, like windows or doors, just make sure the paint says it is suitable for exterior use.

Semi Gloss

Some 'high end' manufactures produce semi gloss. It has all the characteristics and advantages of gloss paint, shinier than satin, without looking wet, this finish can work on any trim. It's better, though to reserve it for the likes of interior shutters, or allow its superior smudge resistance to protect a banister. All mid lustre finishes are a matter of taste - just prep well and anything can work.

Gloss

The shiniest finish available, high-gloss dries to a hard, glasslike sheen. The most brilliant oil-based glosses reflect light almost as well as a mirror, making them great for panelled interior doors or fine furniture, but too shiny for an intricately carved moulding or ceiling adornment. They can be scrubbed clean with ease. Gloss needs thorough preparation and careful patient application to get a perfect smooth finish.

Non Drip Gloss

You will be faced with the choice of non-drip, or what is sometimes labelled ‘Professional' gloss. The non drip is best for DIY as it is very easy to use (doesn't drip!), is self undercoating and self levelling. The professional gloss gives a very high standard of finish, but only if applied right and that means lots of sanding, preparation and a coat of undercoat first.

Quick Dry Gloss

Great if you don't want to wait overnight to apply a second coat, and as they are mostly water based they don't come with a like it or hate it paint smell. I always find them slightly translucent and definitely in need of a second coat. Also make sure you give it a really good stir as all the colour (even white) sinks to the bottom

of the tin. The biggest advantage of water based gloss paint is that there’s no oil in it, that means it stays whiter for longer.

One Coat

The only way you will achieve a good finish with a 'One-Coat' paint is to apply as directed on the tin. That means thick, and that means you will probably use twice as much as the ordinary stuff, so great for saving some time, not for saving some money! Also, too thick means runs and sags in the finish, so spend some time getting it just right.

Paint technology has evolved greatly in the past few years with the larger manufacturers offering special types for kitchens, bathrooms, even a tougher finish for kids areas. Companies like Dulux and Valspar can not only mix paint to any colour you want, but can mix it to any of their finishes as well. This is useful when matching a more expensive brand and in B&Q they will save the colour mix to your profile so you can buy again in any branch.

Right, pass the colour chart..........

Willie

FITNESS

with Alan Clinch

What’s Best – Golf or Walking? (Spoiler Alert… Both!)

Not even a remotely controversial opener eh? You might have seen an article in the press recently, suggesting that golf may be a ‘better’ exercise for people over the age of 65 than either walking or Nordic Walking (walking with poles). This was derived from a recent (rather limited) study carried out in Finland – researchers studied what are referred to as ‘cardiometabolic markers’ (blood pressure, blood glucose, triglycerides (fats) and HDL cholesterol) to assess any benefits accrued in older people from these activities.

Aerobic exercise benefits have been extensively researched in young people, but the same benefits in older adults have not been so widely reviewed. Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) is a leading cause of death among the elderly, with the key influences being sedentary behaviour (not moving enough) and a general lack of physical activity. Aerobic exercise has been shown to improve cardiovascular health, but most related studies have involved younger people in exercise lasting 30–60 min at moderate to high intensity – that doesn’t help much if we’re looking at older adults. Additionally, the resulting health benefits seems to vary depending on exercise type, intensity and duration.

This study tried to concentrate on what it loosely described as ‘age appropriate activities’. Golf, nordic walking and walking are generally safe and accessible, but the research only looked at 25 healthy people over one session of each exercise type. Playing golf resulted in an improvement in blood glucose, fats, and HDL cholesterol compared with Nordic walking and walking. In addition, all groups had significant decreases in systolic (when the heart beats) blood pressure, and Nordic walking and walking also demonstrated a decrease in diastolic (while the heart rests between beats) blood pressure.

It should be emphasised that it’s important when playing golf that clubs should be carried and buggies avoided!

What did the study actually show? In terms of heartrate and pace there were predictable differences between the activities (the intensity of golf was approximately 61%, while for Nordic walking and walking it was 76%–77% of the maximum HR). Nordic walking is a more effective moderate-intensity exercise, whereas golf is considered low-to-moderate intensity because it involves stops, but appears to be a more effective exercise based on energy expenditure, steps and distance. Nordic walking requires active use of upper body muscles, which should lead to a higher heartrate and greater energy consumption compared with walking.

The conclusion was that all three types of aerobic activity improved the cardiovascular status of older adults despite differences in duration and intensity. Overall, the lower exercise intensity, longer duration and higher total energy expenditure of golf compared with nordic walking and walking resulted in a slightly greater positive effect on fat profile and blood glucose. For these reasons, all aerobic activity is recommended to healthy older adults as a form of health-enhancing physical activity to prevent CHD, and can also be used as a strategy to improve heart health among those who already have some heart disease.

More on Nordic Walking next month.

As always, if you haven’t exercised for a while, or have any medical conditions which might cause problems, check with your Doctor to ensure it’s safe to increase your activity levels. Remember, pain is a sign that something is wrong…

This Month’s Easy Sudoku

How to play............

Fill the grid so that every row, column and every 3 x 3 box contains the numbers 1 through to 9 with no repetition.

That’s all there is to it! Use reasoning and logic to solve the puzzle - there’s no maths or adding up.

Look carefully for what numbers can go where and with a little practice it will get easier!

Killiecrankie Zip Park, River Garry Lodges, Jacobite Cafe, Killiecrankie Hotel and The Shepherd's Hut. Due to Covid, this was the first real event that the committee has presented in 3 years. Encouraged by the success, we are planning another social event on 1 April 2023. Keep an eye on www.killiecrankievillagehall.co.uk for details.

Pitlochry Bowling Club

March the month when everyone starts to come out of hibernation and flowers are budding. Meanwhile we continue to make improvements to our bowling club to make it a pleasant place for everyone to come along and sit and enjoy the wonderful view with a glass of Prosecco a beer a coffee or tea.

We are not just a bowling club we do have other activities going on. Our Wednesday Bingo nights are very popular they are held once a fortnight. March dates are 1st, 15th and 29th. But always best to check our FB page for confirmation. Watch out also for our first “Games night” cards, dominoes,Giant connect, darts and short Mat bowls. Our Warm Hub days are also proving very popular. They are held on a Monday and Wednesday each week 11am till 3pm. All you need to do is turn up and enjoy free teas, coffees, soup, rolls and a friendly welcome.

If you would like to give short mat bowls a try just give us a ring to arrange a time to suit. Bowls are available you just need to have flat shoes.

If you are interested in any of the above which I’m sure you are or have any questions you can phone John on 07833664121 or Agnes on 07918122415 and watch out for further information on Pitlochry Bowling Club Face Book page.

Senior Badminton

Monday afternoons 3.30-5.30pm at the Atholl Leisure Centre. £5 per session. New members welcome. Come along to a session. Rackets can be hired. If you need more information call David Ramsay on 01796 472781 or Pam Sim on 01796 470160

Blair Atholl & Struan Community Council

There is a potentially exciting future for the currently unused station building in Blair Atholl. Across the UK, the 'Adopt a Station' scheme invites local community groups to adopt and transform their local railway stations and contribute to their use and welfare. One local example is the Pitlochry Station Bookshop.

Local residents are now forming a ‘Friends of Blair Atholl Station group, supported by the community council, with a view to adopting the beautiful Victorian building at Blair Atholl Station. If this is something that you would like to get involved in then please email Miranda at the community council blairathollstruancc@outlook.com

Blair Atholl & Struan Initiative

In a previous issue, we reported that the surface on our sports court in the Memorial Park, now over 20 years old, has reached the end of its life. We are pleased to tell you that this does not mean we have all given up and taken our bats and balls (or rather, tennis racquets!) home with us. Instead, we are going to arrange for the old carpet to be lifted and disposed of in an environmentally-friendly way, so that we can, for the foreseeable future, continue to use the tarmacadam surface underneath. We hope that residents and visitors alike – of all ages - will enjoy playing on the court again by the Spring. Fingers crossed!

Meanwhile, we have a new treasurer (David McKenzie) and a new secretary (John Charles) so we are in good heart as we prepare for the year ahead. Contact us as before: blairathollstruaninitiative@gmail.com

Tenandry Kirk, Killiecrankie

Interim Moderator: Rev. Neil Glover

Session Clerks: Marion Faulds - 01796 472415

Edward Elworthy - 07770842502

Every Sunday service at 10.30am

1st Sunday of the month Coffee/Tea following the service

All Welcome

Aberfeldy, Dull and Weem and Grantully, Logierait & Strathtay Parish Churches

Minister – Rev. Neil Glover - nglover@churchofscotland.org.uk 07779 280074.

PA - Judy Ewer - judy.ewer@adwgls.org.uk 07836 565528.

Regular Sunday Morning Worship

Dull and Weem Parish Church – 9.30am.

Please consult the website for the current information on our services. www.dullandweemparish.org

Strathtay, Grantully and Logierait Parish Churches -10.30am.

Please consult the website for the current information on our services. www.glschurchofscotland.org

Aberfeldy Parish Church – 10.30am.

Please consult the website for the current information on our services. www.aberfeldyparishchurch.org

We ‘meet up’ at our weekly Zoom Service - details can be found on all the Church Websites.

1st Sunday of the month is a joint service with Aberfeldy, Dull and Weem, and Grantully, Logierait & Strathtay (GLS) – 10.30am

March – Logierait. April - Dull and Weem. May Aberfeldy.

Church Based Activities

‘Warm Welcome Cafe’ and Stay and Play in Aberfeldy Parish Church on Tuesday mornings -teas, coffee, biscuits and homebaking - all free thanks to grant funding from Perth and Kinross CouncilCost of Living Fund and the Church of Scotland – Small Grants.

Continued on page 66

Pitlochry Life

*10,000 Copies each Month, with 1 magazine!

• Pitlochry Life - Delivered FREE to over 6,500 homes and businesses every month.

• 3500 Extra copies (max) each month for visitors to pick up from over 100 outlets.

• 100 % Coverage from Kinloch Rannoch to Pitlochry, Dunkeld, Birnam AND Aberfeldy.

• Free magazine - no cover charge for readers.

• Full colour adverts only - your business is worth it.

• Established - Perthshire’s favourite magazine has been running for over 30 years. Our advertisers stay with us - because it works and generates lots of business!

• Price - Pitlochry Life is a cost effective way to reach all the residents and businesses in the Pitlochry, Aberfeldy and surrounding areas and with big discounts - you can save more.

• It is truly local - our advertisers operate in, or close to the area.

• Longevity - Everyone keeps it !

*Up to 10,000 copies during Summer, 8,000 in Winter.

Advertising Rates - In Full Colour Hi-Definition (+VAT)

We offer a generous discounts for repeat adverts in blocks of 3 ,6 or 12 issues. To advertise in Pitlochry Life, to discuss your requirements, or for more information - please contact Debbie on 07545299491 or info@pitlochrylife.co.uk

Stay and Play 9.30 – 11.30am. Warm Welcome Café – 10am – 12pm

If you would like to be involved, please contact Judy judy.ewer@adwgls.co.uk

Aberfeldy Prayer Meeting - Aberfeldy Parish Church - 5.00pm every Wednesday evening in Farragon – all are welcome to come along.

Aberfeldy Alcoholics Anonymous - Aberfeldy Parish Church, Kitchen 7.30 – 9pm every Tuesday

Contact - 01887 820936.

Aberfeldy Quilting Group - Aberfeldy Parish Church, Lawers Hall – Thursdays - 11.am – 3pm

Contact Jane - 07771641390 or Annette - 07736384035.

Dull and Weem - Chit Chat Café - is 1st Monday of the month in the Macdonald Room, Dull and Weem Kirk. For further information please contact Liz Bruce - elizabeth_1_bruce@btinternet.com

Strathtay Coffee Break - The group meet every Wednesday in the John Kyd Hall, beside Strathtay Church at 10.30am - all are welcome to come along and join in!

Strathtay Quilting Group - John Kyd Hall 7 - 9pm on 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month.

Contact Marie MacLeod - stytchandturn@btinternet.com

Please look at the church website for the latest information.

The Scottish Episcopal Church in Highland Perthshire Offers All a Warm And Inclusive Welcome

Part of the Diocese of St Andrews, Dunkeld and Dunblane

Rector: The Rev Canon Liz Baker 01796 472005: Email: bethmaybaker@yahoo.co.uk

Lay Reader: Lesley Whitwood 01887 840416: Email: lesleywhitwood@btinternet.com

Website: www.hplc.scot Facebook: https://en-gb.facebook.com/ highlandperthshirechurches

The Episcopal Churches In Highland Perthshire March 2023 are welcome at the services in all our churches and on Zoom. Check our website for updates.

Holy Trinity Church, Perth Road, Pitlochry -Contact - Robin Baker - 01796 472005.

Holy Trinity is open daily throughout the year.

Sunday services - Normally 9.30am Holy Communion or All Age Communion.

Thursday Services – 10.30am Morning Prayer followed by Coffee and Cake.

8th March 2.00pm Julian Group Meeting (Call the Rector for details of this Ecumenical Group)

Kilmaveonaig (St Adamnan’s Church), opposite former Tilt Hotel, Blair Atholl.

Contact - Mrs. Lavinia Gordon 01796 481230.

Kilmaveonaig is open daily throughout the year.

Sundays at 11.15am - First Sunday All Age Communion third Sundays, Holy Communion. Second and fourth Sundays Matins/ Morning Prayer or Communion by Extension.

St Andrew's, Church, Strathtay, opposite the local shop.

Contact - Ms. Lesley Whitwood 01887 840416.

Sundays at 11.15am - First Sundays Mattins, second and fourth Sundays Holy Communion; third Sundays Service of the Word/Communion by Extension; fifth Sundays Joint Service Church of Scotland.

House Group - Last Wednesday of the month contact Ms. Lesley Whitwood 01887 840416 for details.

All Saints, Kinloch Rannoch Square Contact - Reverend Canon Liz Baker 01796 472005.

5th March 9.30am Holy Communion.

Online Zoom Services

Sundays - 6.00pm Evening Services (see Website for details).

Thursdays - 10.30am Morning Prayer – from Holy Trinity.

Lent Course - 2.30pm 23rd February to 31st March

Contact the Rector Liz for further details and Zoom invitations.

Pitlochry Baptist Church

Atholl Road, PH16 5BX

Pastor: Rev David Barrie pastor@pbcweb.net www.pbcweb.net

Keep up to date with us on both Facebook and Instagram

Sundays:

We gather from 10:30am at our church building on Atholl Road. If you’re exploring faith or looking for a place to call home, come as you are and join us. Our provision for the younger ones include - crèche (babies and pre-school), His Kidz (primary-aged children) and there is a new group for secondary school pupils. We look forward to welcoming you.

Community:

We love being a part of our community - whether in Pitlochry, Kirkmichael, Kinloch Rannoch, Blair Atholl, Aberfeldy, and so on. Below is a selection of initiatives we thought you would like to know about:

Community Larder - situated outside the Atholl Centre. Bring, or take, whatever is there.

Everything is free and for the benefit of the community.

Cosy Café and WA soup lunch - Come join us on Fridays from 10am in a warm welcome space with the soup lunch starting 12pm. Located in the Atholl Centre behind our church building.

Food Bank - situated in the Atholl Centre behind our building. Contact 01796 473044 or admin@athollcentre.org.uk for information.

Heart & Soul - a topical mix of music, chat, news, community focus and issues, plus interviews every Sunday on Heartland FM from 8-9am (97.5FM & www.heartland.scot)

Make & Bake (nursery and primary children) - an after school, term-time event in the Aberfeldy Town Hall. Tuesday fortnightly from 3:30pm (March 14 & 28) You will be most welcome! For more info call Gill on 07725 669816.

Sounds Inspirational - an hour of gospel, spiritual, and inspirational music with a wee bit of chat thrown in as well. Every Tuesday from 7pm on Heartland FM (97.5FM & www.heartland.scot).

Repeated Thursdays at 10pm.

Stay & Play (babies and toddlers group) - a meeting place for anyone caring for pre-nursery aged children. For the children there’s plenty of play, craft, singing and energy sapping fun. In the church building, Wednesdays 10am-12pm during school term-time.

Youth Basketball - for secondary boys, Wednesdays, at the Atholl Leisure Centre, 7:15pm. Send a PM on our social media platforms or website for more information.

Blair Atholl & Struan Linked With Braes Of Rannoch And Foss & Rannoch

Interim Moderator: The Rev Grace Steele.

Phone – 01887 820025. Email - GSteele@churchofscotland.org.uk

Session Clerk Blair Atholl & Struan Harold Ingram 01796 481275

Session Clerk Braes of Rannoch ~~

Session Clerks Foss & Rannoch Robert and Elizabeth Anderson 01882632272

Blair Atholl and Struan Church – Weekly service in Blair Atholl Church at 11.15am.

Coffee Corner is back in Blair Atholl Church Hall every Thursday at 10.00am – 12.00. All welcome Services in Rannoch are held weekly, at 9.45am at Braes of Rannoch and 11.30am at the Old Church, Kinloch Rannoch.

St Bride’s Catholic Church

Parish Priest: Fr. Emmanuel Adindu

Rie-Achan, Pitlochry PH16 5AL Tel. No: 01796 472174

E-mail address: stbridespitlochry@dunkelddiocese.org.uk

Also served by St. Brides;

Sunday Masses:

St. Columbia’s, St. Mary’s Road, Birnam Vigil Mass 6p.m.

Our Lady of Mercy. Sunday 9.30am.

St. Bride’s. Sunday 11.30 am.

Weekday Masses:

Our Lady of Mercy. Tuesdays 9.30am.

St. Brides Wednesday, Thursday, Friday at 9.30am.

Lent Services:

Ash Wednesday - Birnam 9.30am, Aberfeldy 12 noon, St. Bride’s 6pm. Stations of the Cross

Aberfeldy - Tuesdays after morning Mass

Pitlochry - Fridays after morning Mass

Birnam - Saturdays 5pm.

Pitlochry Church of Scotland

Interim Moderator: Rev Fraser Penny 01350 727 249.

Session Clerk: 01796 472791

Website: www.pitlochrychurchofscotland.org.uk

Sunday Service - 10.30am. We invite you to join us, whether you live locally or are just visiting the area. Worship begins with a warm welcome, followed by a mix of music and words, ancient and modern. The wearing of masks within our building is now optional. Everyone is welcome for Tea,

Coffee and Juice in The Tryst after the service. There will be a service of Communion on Sunday 5th March at 10.30am.

Guild Meeting on Wednesday 8th March at 2.30pm in The Tryst. Easter in Word, song and Pictures led by Marjorie Paton followed by refreshments. All welcome.

Friday 3rd March – World Day of Prayer service from Taiwan: in St Brides Catholic Church. Tryst for Prayer: is on Wednesday’s 10am – 10.30am in the Tryst.

Warm Rooms: The Tryst Lounge will be open on Wednesdays from 10.30am to 3.30pm for this event. There will be a warm space for people to socialise and have refreshments, including soup lunch. If you would like to join us and keep warm do come along. All welcome.

Wednesday Coffee and Chat: 10.30am – 11.45am Everyone is very welcome to catch up with friends, neighbours and to meet new people over tea, coffee and biscuits in the Tryst lounge. Table Tennis: meet weekly on Thursdays 2pm until 4pm in the Tryst Hall

Church Office – The Tryst – Hours 9am – 11am, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday Tel: 01796 474010.

For details and availability of Tryst hire contact finance.pitlochry@gmail.com telephone 07752470235

Tryst Office for deliveries and other enquiries telephone 01796 474010; email thetryst@btconnect.com

ScotThoughts Podcast – Thoughts for the day, short stories, Parables, inspiration, Reflections, Hymn writers, sermons. Listen on Spotify or Anchor podcasts. Weekly Sermons are published on the Church website.

Jehovah’s Witnesses

What does the Bible say about sex? During the meeting on the 23rd we will be investigating this question. Our meetings are held at our Kingdom Hall in Moness Terrace, Aberfeldy. If you have a Bible, bring it with you; if you would like a Bible, we offer copies without charge. If you would like a lift to the meetings, get in touch using the contact below.

Thursday 2nd March, 7.00 p.m. Short talks, videos and discussions including: 1 Chronicles 20–22, ‘Help Younger Ones to Succeed’, ‘Use Bible Principles to Help Your Children Succeed’, ‘Respect the Life of an Unborn Child’.

Sunday 5th March, 10.30 a.m. A talk: ‘Follow the Way to Life’. A discussion: ‘Be Convinced That God’s “Word Is Truth” (Psalm 119:160)’.

Thursday 9th March, 7.00 p.m. Short talks, videos and discussions including: 1 Chronicles 23–26, ‘Temple Worship Becomes Highly Organised’, ‘Why Are Christians Organised?’, ‘How to Help After a Disaster’.

Sunday 12th March, 10.30 a.m. A talk: ‘Choose Your Associates Wisely’. A discussion: ‘“Be Transformed by Making Your Mind Over” (Romans 12:2)’.

Saturday 18th March, 9.50 a.m. to 4.00 p.m., Assembly Hall, Appleton Parkway, Livingston. The theme: ‘Jehovah’s United Family (Ephesians 4:3)’, including the talks: ‘Cherish Your Place in Jehovah’s Family’, ‘Is Your Home a Place of Rest and Peace?’, ‘Be a Force for Peace’.

Thursday 23rd March, 7.00 p.m. Short talks, videos and discussions including: 2 Chronicles 1–4, An Introduction to 2 Chronicles, ‘King Solomon Makes an Unwise Decision’, ‘Our Prayers Should Come From the Heart’, ‘What Does the Bible Say About Sex?’.

Sunday 26th March, 10.30 a.m. A talk: ‘A Clean People Honours Jehovah’. A discussion: ‘Jehovah Blesses Our Efforts to Observe the Memorial (Luke 22:19)’.

Thursday 30th March, 7.00 p.m. Short talks, videos and discussions including: 2 Chronicles 5–7, “My Heart Will Always Be There”, “Safeguard Your Heart”, ‘Jehovah’s Standards Benefit Us’.

Jehovah is the name of Jesus’s father; to witness is to share the truth. Enjoy a free study of the

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Bible at your convenience—ring or text 07 802 753 193. At www.jw.org you can study the Bible in a language of your choice, and, you can find the Bible’s answers to life’s questions.

The Baha’i Faith

What is a Baha’i?

Abdu’l Baha, the son of Baha’u’llah, once replied to that question: “To be a Baha’i simply means to love all the world; to love humanity and try to serve it; to work for universal peace and universal brotherhood.” In one of His talks in London in 1911 He said that a man may be a Baha’i even if he has never heard the name of Baha’u’llah, adding: “The man who lives the life according to the teachings of Baha’u’llah is already a Baha’i. On the other hand, a man may call himself a Baha’i for fifty years, and if he does not live the life he is not a Baha’i. An ugly man may call himself handsome, yet he deceives no one…!”

The Baha’i worships not the human personality of Baha’u’llah, but the Glory of God manifest through that personality. He reverences Christ and Muhammad and all God’s former Messengers to mankind, but he recognizes Baha’u’llah as the bearer of God’s Message for the new age in which we live, as the Great World-Teacher who has come to carry on and consummate the work of his predecessors. How to reach this position? Justice and the Search after Truth are vital. We are called on to use reason, not suppress it. “Clear seeing and free thinking enable us to penetrate the clouds of prejudice, to shake off the fetters of blind imitation, and attain to the realisation of the truth of a new Revelation.”

Discussion, your opinions and thoughts, are welcomed by the Baha’i community. Try Hilarie on 07967 601423 or Rachel on 07707 994812 or delve further in to www.bahai.org on a subject of your own interest.

The Atholl Medical Centre

Ferry Road, Pitlochry. Tel: 01796 472558

Mon - Fri 8.00am - 6.00pm (Doors open at 8.30am)

Except Wednesdays Closed 12.15 - 1.45pm

Out with Surgery Hours NHS 24 - 111

Prescriptions - tay.amcprescriptions@nhs.scot

Pitlochry Community Hospital

Ferry Road, Pitlochry.

Tel: 01796 472052

Visiting Hours:

GP Unit - Contact for further info.

MIIU - Temporarily closed until further notice.

Kinloch Rannoch Medical Practice

The Surgery, Kinloch Rannoch.

Tel: 01882 632216

The Reception is open Mon - Fri 8.00am - 6.00pm

Surgery Hours 9-10.15am, 2-3pm and 4-5pm. For all urgent appointments please phone reception

Out with Surgery Hours NHS 24 - 111

Pitlochry Post Office

Within Premier Store

63 Atholl Road, Pitlochry. Tel: 01796 474301

Blair Atholl Post Office Tel: 01796 481233

Ballinluig Post Office Tel: 01796 482220

Strathtay Post Office Tel: 01887 840203

Kinloch Rannoch Post Office Tel: 01882 632347

Pitlochry Library

26 Atholl Road, Pitlochry

Tel: 01796 474635

E-mail: pitlochrylibrary@pkc.gov.uk

Sun, Mon, Tues, Wed & Fri - Closed

Thurs 10.00am - 1.00pm & 2.00pm - 7.00pm Sat 9.30am - 12.30pm

Housing & Community Safety and Registration Services

26 Atholl Road, Pitlochry

Mon, Tues & Fri 8.45am - 12.30pm & 1.30pm - 5.00pm

Appointments arranged out with these days 01738 476000 (select option 2)

Registration of Births,

More Helpful Numbers to Hand

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The Pitlochry Crossword

By Lesley

ACROSS

1 Reconstructed citadel - perhaps doric (7)

5 Cost fluctuates for Caledonian (4)

9 Bake hasty tart, somewhere near Grandtully (9)

10 Azaleas cover field (3)

11 Muck perhaps embraced by Elsie in retirement (4)

13 Led rain dance, across the water (7)

14 Some characters in Calvine are really not so far away (6)

15 Broken finger during August in Edinburgh (6)

18 Musician who can’t sit still (7)

20 Initially saw you nearly eons ago! (4)

22 Chilling stuff, not in whisky (3)

23 Bad end can spoil Jimmy Shand’s group, for example (5,4)

25 Tartan hidden in crossword (4)

26 Abscond holding second cranachan perhaps (7)

DOWN

1 Gloaming starts to discombobulate useless Scottish kelpie (4)

2 Ventilate this Scottish town, by the sound of it (3)

3 Meet Rex - abnormally intense (7)

4 Begin toast and eat it messily - with mince? (6)

6 Primarily creamy, occasionally low calorie, and never nasty, outstanding nosh from 13 Across (9)

7 Walk like a duck after tango? Rubbish! (7)

8 Wall found in muddy Kenmore (4)

12 Saw trends developing in Fife town (2,7)

14 More agile if inert strangely (7)

16 More hasty with small part of full Scottish (7)

17 Bee stopped at last, like bagpipes? (6)

19 Lied about Scottish ben (4)

21 Turning tide - Willie will do it (4)

24 Does this loch inspire wonder? (3)

HOROSCOPES

BY CHRISTINE CHALKLIN

For March 2023

March is an astrologically power packed month, we haven’t experienced anything like this in our lifetime! Major planetary shifts will colour all of our lives for the decades to come, as we have the opportunity to open our hearts and move into our personal power. The main player here is Pluto, planet of endings and beginnings, will arrive in the sign of Aquarius on March 23rd. The last time Pluto passed through this sign was between 1778 and 1798 – a revolutionary and transformative period of time that changed the way the world viewed power, money, technology and society as a whole. Aquarius is a humanitarian sign, championing individuality, equality and freedom of expression; so hopefully whatever is ahead will be for the better. This month also sees the arrival of the planet Saturn into the water sign of Pisces. Saturn, our wise teacher, last travelled through this sign from 1993 to1996, marking many big changes on a global scale. Venus and Jupiter are both in fiery Aries, suggesting a sense of excitement and optimism. Action planet Mars arrives in Cancer on the 25th, a big energy shift after a 5 month stay in Gemini. This year’s Spring Equinox falls in the evening of the 20th, closely followed by the powerful Aries new moon the day after. The full moon is in Virgo on the 7th.

ARIES MARCH 21 - APRIL 20

The combination of the radiant Sun and mystical Neptune in the most intuitive sector of your chart presents exciting opportunities for you and your career. Venus and Jupiter, both strong in your sign, offer amazing and creative new insights as your personal charisma reaches new heights. Watch out for the new moon in your sign on the 21st - it marks an important turning point!

TAURUS APRIL 21 - MAY 21

March is all about finding a much gentler way of life, particularly if things have been rather hectic during the last year. The Sun and Neptune are joined in spiritually minded Pisces and encourage you to tune in and connect with your life purpose. Interesting new groups of like-minded friends appear on the horizon and creativity is highlighted, this is the year to find your deepest passion.

GEMINI MAY 22 - JUNE 21

March is a powerful career month with the emphasis on you reaching your goals; action planet Mars remains in your sign until the 25th, make the most of this positive energy. Optimistic Jupiter in fiery Aries highlights the need for you firm up connections with like-minded people, who in turn will help you to accomplish your plans for this year. The new moon on the 21st brings an energy boost.

CANCER JUNE 22 - JULY 22

Finances and resources are in the spotlight this month as Mercury and Saturn ask you to begin a thorough reassessment. Keep yourself focussed as you now have the power to be very persuasive in any necessary negotiations. Jupiter and Venus, both positively placed in dynamic Aries, offer the chance of a profitable breakthrough, suggesting that this could be an extremely productive month.

LEO JULY 23 - AUGUST 23

Planetary alignments suggests that higher education and travel plans will be top priorities for you this month. Powerful Pluto arriving in your opposite sign on the 23rd offers great insight into where you are on your life path. Self-awareness and renewed confidence should enable you to push forward with some inspirational ideas. The Aries new moon on the 21st indicates a marvellous energy boost.

VIRGO AUGUST 24 - SEPTEMBER 22

The full moon in your sign on the 7th illuminates where you are on your life journey. Stern Saturn arrives in your opposite sign on the 8th, helping you apply your wisdom and your energies to constructive pursuits. The Sun and Neptune are also prominent around this time highlighting inspirational and intuitive experiences. New and exciting ideas to push you forwards occur at the spring equinox on the 20th

LIBRA SEPTEMBER 23 - OCTOBER 23

The month’s events hinge around Venus, your ruling planet, and optimistic Jupiter both active in your opposite sign. Relationships are the main topic, be sure to talk to partners and colleagues about the bigger issues and dig deep to unearth new truths. The Equinox on the 20th and the new moon on the 21st both show that freedom and individuality are more important than ever before.

SCORPIO OCTOBER 24 - NOVEMBER 22

This month’s major planetary activity turns your attention to your home and family; transformational Pluto arrives on the 23rd, be prepared for change and big shakeups. Use this month to look ahead as the radiant Sun and Mystical Neptune encourage you to find intuitive and creative solutions to any challenges. The Aries new moon on the 21st encourages optimism.

SAGITTARIUS NOVEMBER 23 - DECEMBER 21

March is dominated by a restructure of your personal finances and earning capacity. Transformational Pluto encourages you to dig deep and stick to your plans, so that you have a really good chance of succeeding. The fiery Aries new moon on the 21st suggests that a long term creative project can finally get underway, as long as you trust that the universe is supporting you.

CAPRICORN DECEMBER 22 - JANUARY 20

March indicates that finances and resources are in the spotlight, challenges and change are on offer and you’ll need to make some important decisions. Saturn, your ruling planet, is about to leave Aquarius and enter the more fluid sign of Pisces. This shift encourages your intuition and offers a more creative outlook. The spring Equinox on the 20th and the Aries new moon on the 21st are important dates.

AQUARIUS JANUARY 21 - FEBRUARY 18

March is a very important month as stern Saturn, in your sign since 2020, is about to leave for a more fluid and intuitive journey through the mystical water sign of Pisces. Transformational Pluto arrives on the 23rd, both these major shifts indicate innovative insight and big changes in the pace of your life. The powerful Aries new moon on the 21st puts the emphasis on communication.

PISCES FEBRUARY 19 - MARCH 20

The powerful full moon in your opposite sign of Virgo on the 7th brings much needed clarity and focus into many areas of your life. This full moon also illuminates the arrival of Saturn into your sign for a two and a half year stay. This is the time for manifesting your dreams by initiating new beginnings, particularly if you focus less on the material and more on the spiritual side of your life.

NAVIGATE YOUR WAY THROUGH these challenging times, discover your unique birth map and take a refreshing new look at this important year ahead. Find out when positive and productive planetary cycles are working in your favour. Aim to reach your fullest potential in 2023 by booking an astrological reading now - Consultations are available on Zoom, WhatsApp or by telephone.

Christine Chalklin

Inspirational Astrologer and Life Coach

Email: christine_chalklin@hotmail.com Website: www.yourguidinglight.org

Mobile: 07813 483549 Find me on Facebook: www.facebook.com/restyleyourlife