Scottish Thistle Awards 2013

For the second time the B&B has made it through to finals of the Scottish Thistle Awards  Correction it has made it through to the regional finals for this year and made the grand finals in 2010 before they changed the format and had regionals.  If you look at the website you can see all the categories and criteria for entry and you must provide a huge amount of back up material to actually prove what you are saying, not a case of take my word for it.
If you are in the hospitality industry you should give it a go next year, and if you want me to write up your entry, my fees are very astronomical! seriously though if you are thinking about entering any awards give us a call and I will happily give you some pointers. ie if a guest sends you a lovely thank you e-mail, keep it don't delete it.
Funnily (or not) an estate agent said to me recently that I should become a B&B consultant, think he was serious!, although when my B&B days are over I would love to be a travel writer/ blogger exploring perthshire and beyond with my camera, need to upgrade my camera kit and be more descriptive in my writing style though.

Carn Aosda

Lovely warm day so grabbed a window of opportunity, packed the small rucksack, and headed up the road to climb up Carn Aosda. Of course when I reached the car park at glenshee the mist was down over the tops, but decided to press on regardless in the hope it would lift, and it did.  It only took 30 minutes to get to the desolate rocky top and unusually I met 3 other walkers who made friends with the faithful hound.  I then dropped down to Loch Vrotachan before heading back.
I stopped briefly to walk part of the old road where the notorious devil's elbow was, well still is, and had a look at the tank traps built during World War 2 as part of the Cowie Line.  

Greyfriars Burial Ground

Hidden behind a gate in Tay Street in Perth or it can accessed from the car park in Canal Street is the wondrous Greyfriars Burial Ground.  There is a plethora of 17th/18th and 19th century headstones and the earliest headstone dates from 1580.  The carvings on many of the headstones are very ornate which may nowadays be considered slightly morbid.  A small collection of restored headstones are under a covered shelter.  Whilst taking photos I was interrogated by the cops asking how long I had been in the graveyard, got the impression they were looking for someone. Shame the 'light' wasn't better this afternoon for the photos, but enjoy another of my perhaps a bit strange interests!

Random Pictures in Perth

Perth Festival of the Arts is on until the 26th May and today was Art on the river, so I nipped down the road for a wee look, you see I do have some other interest's! Mind you if you have stayed in the B&B you will have seen for yourself I have a fair old collection of pictures/prints on the walls, with a cupboard full still waiting to be framed.  Difficult to get photos as too may people in the way, so just took a few snapshots in the immediate area.

Butterstone Loch

Long time I haven't blogged. To be honest haven't really been up to much of any interest and distracted by some negative stuff going on, everything happens for a reason, but this blog isn't about me.
  I don't want to repeat myself on here with my outdoor excursions or it will turn into a groundhog day of beavers, ospreys, wildlife and all things outdoors which you know I love.  Maybe I should blog more about shops, but 'retail therapy' ain't my thing!
 Well this afternoon I went along to Butterstone Loch, yup repeating myself! The cafe/bistro and the fishery have ceased trading, in fact I think the whole Cardney Estate is on the market, but it is still possible to drive down, doesn't say anywhere you can't.  Unfortunately it had clouded over after a bright start to the day but still beautiful.  I was hoping to spot an Osprey and momentarily got excited when something flew over from the Loch Lowes direction but it was a seagull.

So what is happening in Bed and Breakfast land..........emm not much to report really, all my guests seem to depart happily which is what it is all about at the end of the day and I have had a good number of returning guests already this year.  The ski season only finished a couple of weeks ago and the garden is weeks behind in blooming due to the cold weather so maybe that is a sign for a good summer, who knows what lies ahead.

Hope you enjoy the photos