The Villagers 2019 Balquhidder, Lochearnhead, Strathyre and St Fillans by LETI Group

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T h e Vo i c e o f B a l q u h i d d e r, Lo c h e a r n h e a d , S t r a t h y r e & S t Fi l l a n s • J U LY 2 0 1 9

Fun at Beithir’s Lair...

St Fillans Village Play Park is now open for business! See page 6

Editor’s Bit Congratulations this month to the Broch Café, who not only received an award in Glasgow but then were told of another (even more prestigious prize?) namely the best “A Day in the Life Of...” competition we had been running for the last year or so in The Villagers! Susan from The Four Seasons had kindly donated the prize, so we hope to have a photo when the Broch sort out who did most of the writing and ideas. We have had to say goodbye to one of our great regular contributors as Kasia (of Kasia’s Cookin’) has returned with her lovely family to the Czech Republic. Therefore we’ll welcome anyone who can send us their favourite dishes over the next months; for summer I thought it would be nice to feature recipes children can help to make - preferably ones that are not too complicated! I’m remembering a plaintive Facebook post from my daughter-in-law about a sticky, chocolate mess, wasting two hours of her life and the final straw being “actually, Mummy, I really prefer proper Jaffa Cakes.” JJ

BALQUHIDDER, LOCHEARNHEAD AND STRATHYRE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY

Annual Show

Saturday 31 August 2019, 2-4pm BALQUHIDDER VILLAGE HALL

ONLY 2 MONTHS to go!

GROW - MAKE - BAKE

Theme: Dragons and Castles

Pick up your schedule at Strathyre or Lochearnhead Village Shops. Full details inside. Or you can have one emailed to you - contact gill@mercatdesign.com for a copy. Open to all ages. Hope to see you there!

HELP! The BLS Horticultural Society would be very grateful for any offers

of help... we need people to assist with the refreshments, the raffle, taking money at the door and just generally being there to share the responsibility of making the show a success. If you can lend a hand, either on the evening of Friday 30th August or on the day - even for just a couple of hours - please let us know! Contact Gill 07778 702304 / gill@mercatdesign.com Thanks!

Art & Crafts Fair Strathyre Hall 7th & 8th September 2019 The Village Hall in Strathyre will be an art and craft hub for a weekend in September this year, showcasing the creativity in the area. Local creatives will be showing their work - some pieces for sale. Come along and support them! We are currently featuring the artists taking part. This month it’s Linda Anderson Wool Spinner and Felt Artist from Strathyre.

Complete stove solutions from sale, installation and maintenance to fuel and accessories. Plus pet foods, toys and supplements.

When did your start doing this art/craft? I have always been interested in Arts & Crafts and in 1990 I learned to spin and felt. What attracted you to this activity? I love the feel of and diversity of wool. What influences you in your choice of subject? My own Shetland sheep! What makes this enjoyable for you? Working with a project from the raw materials through to the finished article. What is your best outcome? (e.g. did you win any awards?) I completed an Open College course in Arts & Crafts and set up my own business. Do you diversify with your work? I like working in mixed media and incorporate yarns and materials - and use natural ones as much as possible. What is your current project? I have six items for the Royal Highland Show. Included are a robin, a nativity scene, two crocheted items and a Christmas card. Also some homespun Shetland yarn. How easy is it to learn your art/craft? Felting is a very easy craft to learn and comparatively inexpensive in material costs, but it does take some time to learn. I could be available to run workshops if anybody is interested in learning! 2

• Kiln dried hardwood • Kindling, coal & firelighters • Chimney Sweeping • Fireside Accessories • Wide Range of Animal Feeds • Animal Supplements • Pet Toys and Gifts Shop opening hours: Monday - Saturday 10am-5pm 21 Main Street, Callander FK17 8DU 01877 330 643 • 07795 966 514 www.feedsandstoves.co.uk Dawn@feedsandstoves.co.uk

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Strathyre News Another award for the Broch Cafe, Strathyre The Broch Cafe has won the “Most Wanted Cafe” award for Central Scotland in this year’s Scottish Cafe Awards. The event was held at Glasgow’s Marriott Hotel on the evening of May 22 and a great evening of entertainment was enjoyed by Team Broch and all the other cafe nominees. We would like to thank all our patrons who voted for us through the various social media channels and who have helped to make our cafe a success. Kind regards, Lesley and William

The Broch Café Team receive their award

STIRLING SCHOOLS TAKE ON MINI STUC A’ CHROIN HILL RACE Stirlingshire pupils took to the hills on Friday 3 May at the third annual Mini Stuc a’ Chroin Hill race in Strathyre. Hosts Active Stirling in partnership with the Stuc a’ Chroin organising group brought together 15 primary schools and 4 secondary schools to compete in this challenging hill race. Approximately 120 primary school pupils from across Stirling tackled a 1 mile course which started with a steep climb up part of the Stuc a’ Chroin hill. This year for the first time the event included a secondary schools race and 30 pupils from S1-3 took on the challenge of a hilly 3km route. Team prizes on the day went to Dunblane Primary School and Balfron High school and there were podium finishes for pupils from Port of Menteith, Callander, Aberfoyle and Strathyre Primary Schools, McLaren and Stirling High Schools. Claire Peebles, Active Stirling’s Active Schools Co-ordinator said “Well done to all the children who took part in the event. Our thanks go to the Stuc a’ Chroin organising group who helped on the day along with local businesses such as the Munro Inn who provided refreshment for participants and spectators.” 3

Lochearnhead Latest BOOK REVIEW Recent circumstances had forced me to take things a little easy for a while which meant sitting down and reading a book or two! So, on a visit to my favourite bookshop I came away with several, including this one. The story revolves around the disappearance of a girl on holiday with her parents in a small northern village. She and her family are strangers to the area and their tragedy has repercussions which reverberate for years afterwards in the community. Once the alarm is raised there is the inevitable initial search in the hills, quarries and reservoirs with rescue services, police and locals joining in. But these searches find nothing and eventually normal life resumes. The school term begins, and local children return to school. The sheep are sheared, the hotel reopens, the hall which was requisitioned as the crisis centre returns to its former use. Life goes on. This is a close-knit community and as such there are the usual truths, half-truths and gossip one would expect in such an isolated place. From time to time there are hints at a breakthrough; the girl’s parents return to the village on the anniversary of her disappearance. Rumours and speculation abound, accusations and inferences allow the reader to imagine there will be a solution to the mystery. What is so clever about this book is that whilst all the time we are reminded of the missing girl, the genius lies in the power and poetry of the author’s words as he depicts how mundane day to day life can be in a small community despite the notoriety of it being the scene of a potential crime. Nothing happens but everything happens. Clever.

CLACHAN COTTAGE HOTEL ONE OF SCOTLAND’S ICONIC SETTINGS ON THE SHORE OF LOCH EARN The Clachan has been here for a long time, tending to travellers and residents alike - and is now the largest hotel in the area, boasting deluxe bedrooms and amazing loch view rooms. It’s summer - but the evenings can still be chilly, so snuggle up in front of our blazing log burner... Try our ‘smoked venison with grilled wild mushrooms’ accompanied by one of our 20 trendy gins. Sample our fresh scallops from Loch Broome - and finish off with an old favourite: home made sticky toffee pudding, smothered with butterscotch sauce. Hotel residents can take advantage of our free bikes or canoes to really explore the surrounding countryside. This gives our overseas visitors the chance to see Cycle Route 7 without the hassle of travelling with bikes. Weddings and small functions are hosted by the Clachan. Our stunning setting provides the perfect backdrop for those all important videos or photos.

Clachan Cottage Hotel • Lochside, Lochearnhead • Perthshire FK19 8PU info@clachancottagehotel.co.uk • 01567 830300

Residents of Balquhidder, Lochearnhead and Strathyre...

Your village needs you! The annual charity football match(es) will take place THE DAY AFTER the Highland Games, Lochearnhead, Sunday 21st July 2019 at 3pm Once the volunteers have cleared up the Games field the married men of the villages usually play the single men for a trophy and, at half time, the married ladies play the single ladies for their very own trophy. Players of any age and standard are very welcome and needed to boost the numbers. In 2018, due to lack of players, mixed teams took to the field...!!! Can you help? Strathyre primary school and the three villages’ Christmas parties benefit from the funds raised in the famous raffle. A national cancer charity also receives a donation. Prizes for the raffle would be most welcome. Refreshments and burgers will be available at the beer tent. If you can help out in any way contact: George Weir 07855 023360 or Martin Sanders 07719 773230

MHOR FEST 2019

MHOR FEST 2019 See more images on our back page!

The ‘Feast’

We had similar numbers on the campsite to last year - which was around 1500 guests including children. We had just under 400 tents plus camper vans. Most of the campers arrived on the Friday and many meant to stay until the Monday, but unfortunately the weather put a stop to that. By Sunday morning the tent pitches were up against the elements: the wind and rain were so strong that they simply couldn’t stay and had to leave on Sunday morning. Our day visitor numbers were down as a result. The ‘Health and Wellbeing’ attractions were a great addition this year and we plan to expand this side of the festival in 2020. We had Calum MacLean talking about wild swimming, Gabriella Bennet presenting her book Art of Coorie and a Q&A with Clare Hunter and Janice Forsyth on Clare’s wonderful book Threads of Life - all were very much enjoyed and well attended. We had wonderful collaborations happen within the Market place too. Andrea Chappell, designer and creator of Acme Atelier (kilt maker) https://www. acmeatelier.co.uk has hooked up with Angela Fotheringham, who was using our own Monachyle Blackfaced fleece to spin yarn live in the Market place. They will collaborate with Angela, supplying Andrea yarn for the kilts. Andrea is also collaborating with Trakke https://trakke. co.uk to create the Trakke kilt. This is exactly

The Chefs relax after the Feast

the kind of magic that we hope to engender between the makers and creators and we are so delighted this happened at Mhor Festival. The Yogi Yurt was another success with Dhanakosa leading meditation workshops all day on the Saturday and Chi Gong on the Sunday. The Yogi Yurt transformed into a cinema in the evening running two programmes of high-quality shorts, developed and produced with support of Creative Scotland and BFI Network, all Bafta nominees or award winners. Of course, Balquhidder’s youngest big band, No Marcs, were one of the standout acts of the festival. They were absolutely fantastic, and we were so impressed by the talent of so many who are still so young. Also, one of our newest residents in Balquidder Glen, Morven Sutherland Pelly, put on a wonderful show with her uniquely beautiful and hilarious mix of rock/folk/ cabaret. Carol Laula’s performance at The Friday Night Feast was another highlight. Huge thanks to all of the locals for their continued support of the event and to the local businesses who advertised in the magazine. Big shout out to Caroline Kenny, Graphic Designer living in Callander, (carolinekennydesign@gmail.com) for nailing the design of all of our festival artwork - and for doing a wonderful job on our first festival magazine! Lisa Lewis

The weather certainly didn’t get in the way of a great weekend at Monachyle Mhor Hotel for the MHOR Festival. Some people would do anything just to get there...

Morven

Live music crowd on Saturday night

The

St Fillans Bit

by Bruce Montgomery

The Beithir’s Lair Playpark Opens!! First of June 2019 at 12 noon – the formal opening of the St Fillans Village Play Park happened! It had been years in the making. First discussed within the Parish Council in the 1930’s, considered again from time to time and no action taken, until about 10 years ago, the Community Council pushed it forward. We must acknowledge the countless hours of work freely given by Russell Cunningham in overcoming huge initial problems of funding, negotiation with Authorities, planning, working with Consultants, and finally keeping a watchful eye on the Contractors as the construction slowly, hesitatingly moved forward to this day. We must also recognise the huge input of Murray Henderson to the concept and design. Over the period, other Villagers too many to mention by name, including the Garden Group, have got involved when necessary to push it to completion. It would not have happened without that local input and we must record our thanks to all. The ribbon was formally cut by Rhona Brock, our Independent Regional Councillor, who had been personally involved and supportive of the planning and the development for a very long time. After the speeches and ribbon ceremony, our Village youngsters and their pals rushed forward for their first experience of the rides and attractions. Some parents were in there too, but refrained from “having a go” although there were a few who managed to “sneak” on later. Most sat back and continued to enjoy the picnic we had all brought and were more than happy to watch the kids having fun in these surroundings. Here are a few pics of the goings on.

From top left: The ribbon is cut; The Tower (note exit by chute and entrance via stairs or ropes to windows); Chute with an added bend; The Witches Flying Coracle; The Eagles Nest; A traditional roundabout, and above, Insect House

During the introductory remarks, it was explained there is still more to come!! Russell advised that due to delays with various third parties involved in supply of fixtures and construction, the “Cloud Cradle” is still to be delivered, as are balance logs, ropes (and their required fitments) for scaling the tower, are still in manufacture, the animal scat proved hard to come by, but is finally being encased in perspex, before it is installed at the “Poo Point”. However, none of that diminished the enjoyment of the day. Importantly, the Playpark also has educational roles and a puzzle built in. The latter via inscriptions and symbols (particularly of “beasties” both mythical and real) carved and inscribed into the woodwork. See the pic below of a “Tick” taken inside the Tower. It could

Is the Tick a clue in the Puzzle? One day all the secrets will be revealed...

also have something to do with some Faerie houses which have appeared nearby. Perhaps there is also a clue in the Playpark name. The Beithir is from Gaelic Folklore and is described as the largest and most deadly kind of serpent or as a dragon without wings or fiery breath. It dwells in mountainous caves and corries. The educational element is further exemplified through the provision of an insect hotel and sundial within the Playpark area and the Animal Scat display to come. There will also be a nature quiz permanently available to visitors to the park. I must also mention the provision of additional picnic tables and benches round the Playpark which have been funded directly by Villagers. Thanks to Prof. John Forty, Prof Steve and Isobel Howell, George & Milly Borthwick, and to the Festive Committee via their fundraising activities. I can report on some events trailed last month and since successfully completed: At the end of May, Killin Drama Group performed John Godber’s September in the Rain, the continuing story of Jack and Liz during their annual holiday to Blackpool. The Village Hall was set out with Club style tabled seating and the Drama Group’s rendition was hugely

enjoyable. We were then treated to a wonderful plate of stovies courtesy of the Golf Club Caterers, before the evening was rounded off with a couple of well delivered comedy skits. The proceeds of the evening will be shared between the Drama Group and St Fillans Golf Club. Thank you Killin! The garden of Dundurn Parish Church became a temporary camp site on the night of June 15th as the parishioners held a sleepout to highlight the plight of those who have no option but to sleep on our streets and at the same time raise funds to assist the efforts of the Salvation Army. 20 folk participated in the event. This included members of Comrie Church, Leaders and 8 members of the Comrie Youth Group (2 of whom are St Filllans kids) as well as Dundurn Members. They were quick to point out that they had the advantage over the rough sleepers in as much as they were under canvas and could visit the loo if required. To their great credit, the youngsters from the Youth Club chose to sleep on the ground with only flattened cardboard boxes under them. Some Sleepers also participated in a Twenty Four hour reading of the New Testament, to highlight the importance of the bible as the basis of their concern for others. They started at 11am on Saturday, and completed ahead of schedule at 9.34 am precisely on Sunday. Dundurn Church members are very grateful for the support, both practical and financial, of villagers from both St Fillans and Comrie. At the time of writing this, donations and sponsorship have already exceeded £600 (with more still to come in) and the final total will be passed on to the Salvation Army to assist their efforts to aid rough sleepers. Well done, all! Aquilla Ecology’s “safari” to Mull organised at the request of a single client produced regular sightings of Hen Harriers, Sea Eagles and Golden Eagles in close proximity to their accommodation.

Eagle chicks

On a day trip across the sound to Iona, they saw Twite and heard but did not see Corncrakes. Back on Mull, sightings of Otters were common. Since arriving back in the Village, their role in the Scottish Raptor Study Society has allowed them to attend the ringing of 2 local juvenile Golden Eagles. A pic of these young birds, reckoned to be about 8 weeks old, is above. Their parents have successfully bred twins in 4 out of the last 5 years thus boosting the local population. We are fortunate to be situated close to a number of Golden Eagle territories. On June 22, the Krazy Gang held their Summer Solstice BBQ – well actually it was a Spit Roast - at the top of the Zig Zag trail on the south side of “The Girron”, the stone topped mountain directly overlooking the Village from the North. Earlier the same day, a group of Villagers had taken on the heights of Ben Vorlich. Ok, it wasn’t the fastest ascent ever recorded, but it was completed by most taking part, and that is what counts. That many of the same group then went on to attend the Spit Roast is a testament to their perseverance and stamina, given that the climb up the Girron added another 600 feet to the climb up Vorlich, Continued overleaf

Continued from previous page

which stands 3232 feet (985 meters) at its summit. Both these events took place as the copy deadline for this article hit, so I shall try to round up some pics of both and give further information as to their success next month. Susan Stuart at the Four Seasons Hotel tells me that Summer business is now well underway. She and Chris Temple, her recently appointed Head Chef continue to develop the food offerings and general comment round the Village is very positive. More detail is provided, particularly of Children’s portions, in the Hotel Blog in this magazine. Laura Muirhead and Panu Lehti at the Achray Hotel are very disappointed to lose the services of 2 staff members. Chris their Head Chef has decided to move to Glenturret Distillery, shortly after an AA reviewer had advanced their award rating. Temporary arrangements are currently in place and are working well. However, as I am writing this, I have just received an update from Panu. While not exactly word for word, here is the essence of his message. “We have just signed a contract with a new head chef, who will start July 1st. Hope they will move to the village with their 3 year old daughter, but of course they need to find a house to rent. I will provide you a short introduction in due course but as a hint he has published a cook-book which has sold more than 300 000 copies, has appeared on a main TV channel cooking program, all in addition to working as a head chef for high class restaurants. He will help us achieve our mission of providing affordable quality dining experiences based on local ingredients and fabulous cookery.” Sounds like a great signing, Panu! We all look forward to meeting him and hope he and his family settle well into the Village. The second member of staff to move on is Jemma, who has had a major front of house role. She has also decided to join Hansen’s in Comrie, but she will continue to assist on a part time basis for a while yet to maintain continuity. Both Staff Members have been part of the Achray Team for a number of years but felt that time was right to spread their wings and take on a new challenge. If they carry forward their Achray experience, I am sure they will do well and bring a lot to their new roles. While Villagers are sorry to see

Message From Luke

Since the Prime Minister announced she would be resigning as leader of the Conservative and Unionist Party, the race to succeed her has been hotting up. Despite how it may appear in the media, I wouldn’t say it has dominated proceedings in parliament, with the business of debates, departmental questions and ministerial meetings continuing as usual, but I must confess it has dominated the gossip and conversations that have taken place between MPs of all parties. 8

them move on, we wish them good luck for their future endeavours. At last, I managed a few words with Gerald Michaluk of Arran Breweries and asked him about the delay to the cider and beer production which he had previously advised would commence late April. He said that due to a major equipment failure at the home brewery in Arran, he needed to redeploy his engineering effort back to base which caused an initial delay. Subsequently, he was informed that it will be necessary to move an overhead power line which crosses part of his site too close to gas storage, and he awaits the Electricity Distribution Company’s action on this. Looking ahead to the Festive Weekend on 16/17/18 August, we have planned a theme for Saturday afternoon involving mythical and/or real Scottish Beasties, hence picking up one of the aspects of the Playpark I described above. Are Scottish Beastie Costumes feasible? – I hope so, as if not, the Festive Committee will have to eat the Prizes! As last year, we will challenge our young folk with activities and games throughout the afternoon. However, not everything stays the same. This year there will a change of Saturday afternoon menu. The BBQ, while always enjoyable, has become a little predictable and our intention is to have a Picnic theme (all food provided), but I am personally pleased to add that the yummy Orkney Ice Cream Cones after the games will still be served! At night, our Band is a five piece Wedding and Function Group from Edinburgh called Rocket Jam. Their instrumentation is diverse, their lead singer a lady who also plays brass, and their repertoire contains something for everyone. A meal will be provided and it should be a very good night. Tickets for the weekend are expected to go on sale from the Festive Committee (Norman, Ruth, Gordon, Ulrika, Pete, Nick, and myself) around the 15th of July. Sadly, I need to end this month’s article with a few words about St Fillans long-time resident David Kerr who died on 2nd June at the age of only 60. As an artist of portraits and landscapes he excelled. I have seen examples of both and they are impressive. Moreover, after the death of a close friend he created a pair of complementary modernistic paintings which

utilised the African Zulu concept of the Tree of Life. They were loaned for a couple of years to the Drummond Hotel (as was), and hung in the Lounge. Not many folk recognised them for what they were, but during the 70s and 80s, I spent a series of years in Africa where I came across a book written by a Zulu witch doctor called Credo Mutwa, who explained the Tree of Life story. It must have stuck in my memory, as one night in the Drummond Bar, before too many beers had been consumed, David challenged me to interpret these paintings. I could immediately relate to their essence which lay in that same story. That was a result, as he had to buy the next beer! I am sure he would not mind if I described him as a marmite character, folk would either take to him or not, with not much in the way of middle ground. He was a complex man, talented, hugely intelligent, sharp and humorous. He was a Greek Scholar and trained in art in Paris, which would partly explain how he appeared to be able to easily converse with Tourists in various European Languages. Early evenings in the Drummond would see him engage with anyone willing and able to have an intense conversation about all sorts of philosophical, semi-scientific or world problems of the day. He always said that there was a time when Scientists and Artists were two sides of the same coin, and some day they would be so again. May he rest in peace. Bruce

What was once a field of thirteen has finally been whittled down to a final two of Boris Johnson and Jeremy Hunt. While thirteen candidates were perhaps a touch unwieldy, it should be noted that the wider field the party initially put forward for the leadership reflected a much more modern party than we are sometimes given credit. We had two female candidates, the runner up last time, Andrea Leadsom and Esther McVey who has argued hard for ‘Blue Collar’ Conservatism and trying to

represent everyone in the UK as oppose to traditional class/geographical ties. We also had four more candidates from ethnic minority backgrounds; Sam Gyimah whose parents are from Ghana, Dominic Raab whose father was a Jewish immigrant who escaped the Nazis in 1938 from Czechoslovakia, James Cleverly whose mother is from Sierra Leone, and Sajid Javid - who made it into the final four - and whose parents are Pakistani immigrants to our country and who grew up in a two bedroom flat above a shop. It should also be remembered that both Michael Gove and Esther McVey spent

David Kerr

OBITUARY

George James Cunningham March 1953 to June 2019

Don’t be sad it’s over, be glad it happened.

time in care as children, with Michael being adopted by an Aberdeen family, where he grew up. It has been exciting to see a contest in which opportunity for all people, from all backgrounds, race, ethnicity or gender, has been at the foreground. I would also like to acknowledge our very own local boy from Crieff, Rory Stewart, whose ideas, energy and unique campaign style has contributed so much to the debate as to who should be the next Prime Minister of the country, and has helped to make it a far more vibrant, open and welcoming contest than it might otherwise have

Many of you remember George as the cheerful, cheeky taxi driver from Highland Glen Travel. Others know him from Lochearnhead hall committee, Lunch Club and other events. George was born in Stretford (Manchester) in March 1953 and as a small child moved with his family to Wigan. He was the eldest child of Jean and George, having three younger brothers. In 1969 he met Gywnneth (the love of his life) and they married in 1974 having their daughter Marie in 1977. He started his working life as an apprentice Turner Fitter with Hawker Siddeley at 16 but sadly, with cuts in the 70s, this profession didn’t last long after he qualified. He went on to be a bus conductor then a driver. He continued with this until Gywnneth became ill and he needed to care for her. Sadly, she died from cancer in November 1996 just before the birth of their first grandson George. Marie later had his second grandson Ben. George loved being a Grandad. He started working on the coaches in 1997 and came up to Highland Heritage - and his passion for Scotland - its scenery and history - kept him here. He continued to work there on and off until 2011. In 2009 he met Helen, moving to Lochearnhead in 2011. They married in 2012 and remained very happy until the end. He gained two stepchildren and more recently 2 more grandchildren Ailsa and Rhona, who he adored. Helen and George started Highland Glen Travel in 2012 which combined his passion for the area and history with his desire to be his own boss. Sadly in 2016 he was diagnosed with terminal prostate cancer so they had to make the decision to close the business as it depended on their tours and his

been when thirteen Tories threw their collective hats into the ring. In an increasingly diverse country this contest to be our next Prime Minister has shown that there is no barrier to anyone who wants to make it to the very top if they wish to; whether that be as a leader of industry, science, education or politics. Be under no illusions, we take the challenges the country faces, and our responsibility as public servants, seriously, but it is for all of these reasons, and many more, that I am remaining positive about the future of our country and believe there is still much to be optimistic about.

George

occasional coaching jobs which Helen couldn’t fulfil. This was a huge decision, but they decided they wanted to make the most of the life they had left together. As many will know this didn’t go quite to plan when Helen was seriously ill in 2017. In the four months she was in hospital he only missed visiting on days through his own illness. He was her rock, and hopefully, her his, in the past few months. He continued enjoying his life together with Helen; his last holiday, to Wales, ending just the week before he went into hospital for the last time. He was a great believer, and planned and wrote part of his funeral which took place on June 14th at Balquhidder Parish Church. March for Men Last year as a family we joined March for Men (an event to raise money for prostate cancer UK). We had planned to do the same event this year (although George would have been in a wheelchair). He sadly never made it, but the rest of the family did - three of us marching 10km. We have managed to raise the magnificent sum of £1151 for this great cause in his honour. We would like to thank everyone for their generosity. If anyone would still like to contribute the JustGiving page is still open: https://www.justgiving.com/ fundraising/helen-cunningham10

As Jo Cox, who sadly was killed three years ago this month, said “We are far more united and have far more in common with each other than things that divide us”. I believe this is as true now as it was when she said it in her maiden speech only four years ago, and they are words I will be bearing in mind as we take on the challenges we will face together in the coming weeks, months and years. If you have any issues or concerns please contact me at my office on 2 Comrie Street, Crieff, by telephone (01764 680 384) or by email (luke.grahamoffice@ parliament.uk). Luke Graham MP 9

Scottish Wildlife Trust

Management of Healthy River Systems For many the river Teith is an attractive feature of Callander and somewhere to share sandwiches with the ducks. However, it is designated as a Special Area of Conservation (SAC), primarily for its population of brook, river & sea lamprey but also recognised as important for Atlantic salmon and trout. The SWT’s March talk ‘Management of healthy river systems’ by Jonathan Louis of the Forth Rivers Trust covered so many interesting aspects that contribute to a thriving river. The three main natural processes of erosion, transportation and deposition create river features of runs, riffles (‘white water’), slow glides, pools, waterfalls and gravel beds. However, these can be affected by neighbouring land management eg slow water behind a fallen tree in the river allows sediments to deposit while the faster flow diverted around it may lead to erosion of the opposite bank. Surveys along rivers by FRT are undertaken every five years, mapping different flow types and features to identify where restoration may be needed. FRT also investigates incidents such as spillages. Drones are being used to map river systems and to identify features such as redds, spawning gravel beds for salmon and trout, supported by underwater photography. Fishing is a major driver of most river management, ensuring water quality and river features support their breeding cycle. Erosion of river beds downstream of weirs may generate steps too big for migrating fish so good design, removal or inclusion of fish ladders are essential. Dredging to allow rivers to take higher volumes of water actually speeds up flow, leading to upstream erosion. Hard river banks such as stone can accelerate flows,

undermining the walls. ‘Green’ bank protection is better eg using willow brash to cushion the banks, slow the water, trap sediments and provide nooks and crannies for smaller animals. Increasingly important, local tree planting also provides essential shade. Other river wildlife plays an important role in a balanced habitat. Invertebrates such as stonefly, mayfly and caddis fly are at the bottom of the food-chain and key for fish and river birds such as dippers. Both otters and beavers are protected species; otters are apex predators and present along the length of the Teith while beavers from the ‘unofficial’ Tay population have now spread into the Teith and Forth. Another important species in the Teith is the fresh water pearl mussel, now in low numbers and protected but Pearl St in Callander is a reminder of the old industry. They grow very slowly, larger ones reaching ~100 years old, and act as water filters but large amounts of sediment in land run-off are problematic. FRT is involved in several projects as a partner in Callander’s Landscape; green protection of the river bank and tree planting in Little Leny Meadows, bank support and cattle fencing on the Leny Burn (an important spawning site), engagement and learning via fishing workshops and volunteer surveys along with development of the Forth Rivers Centre on Cambusmore estate. This includes training space and a fish hatchery using its own brown trout eggs for sustainable genetics. ‘Fish in the Class’ provides tanks and eggs for Primary Schools to observe the fish life cycle. More at http://forthriverstrust. org/projects/ Lesley Hawkins

Our next local event will be the fund-raising stall in Ancaster Square on Sat 3 August at which we will have a ‘bottle’ stall, plant sales aiming at year-round plants for insects and information stalls from SWT and the SSRS project. All profits go to wildlife/conservation projects; last year we donated £1000 to SWT projects. Come along for a chat, cheap plants and maybe even win a prize!

At Tuesday’s Callander SWT meeting we showed slides of lots of events and volunteering ‘opportunities’ taking place locally over the next few months. Several people asked me to email them out so here they are with either a link to a website or an attachment for full details. Plant surveys at Little Leny Meadows on 12 July & 27 August. Part of wet meadow restoration project within Callander’s Landscape HLF project. Helps to have some expertise in plant/ grass identification but instructions will be given. Anyone interested email me (Lesley)

Himalayan Balsam

• Himalayan Balsam Bashes: Sun 14 July, Sat 24 Aug, Sun 15 Sept 10am12. Meet in Geisher Road Medical Centre car park. I will send out a reminder nearer the time) • Sat 3 August Our annual fundraiser: 10-4 (9 for set-up and 4 to pack up) Plant Sales & Bottle Stall in Ancaster Square plus SWT HQ + SSRS stalls. Donations of plants or tombola prizes, helpers and squirrel costume wearers needed! Let me know if you can help for a couple of hours. • via https://woodlandtrusttickets. cloudvenue.co.uk/GFEaster • Woodland Trust Glen Finglas ‘Capture the Light’ photography workshop with Paul Glendell. 10-16:00. Cost £95pp. Booking via https://www.glendell. co.uk/albums/3kJQub/capture-thelight-glen-finglas • CASHEL FOREST BIO-BLITZ Sat 17 August 2019 at Cashel Forest on East shore of Loch Lomond. Millennium Forest of native woodland plus crags, open moorland, streams, gorge woodland and SSSI Oak woodland (see attachment for details) Have a good summer and don’t forget to put our talks dates in your diaries the second Tuesday every month from September 2019 to April 2020. Meet 7:30 in Callander Kirk Hall Library as this year. Lesley

Beekeeping in Strathyre Hive in the orchard

Bees arrive in Strathyre!

We very quickly found ourselves at the bottom of a steep learning curve. We positioned our new hive and its buzzing contents in our small apple ‘orchard’ – a sheltered, sunny spot with a pergola supporting a rambling honeysuckle and different varieties of Ivy. The bees seemed content in their new environment and spent the rest of the autumn happily foraging on pollen from the last blooms of Michaelmas daisies and ivy. They seemed to know what they were doing – even if we did not! We voraciously pored over beekeeping manuals. Our next door neighbour, Peter Matyjasek, gave us useful tips but we soon realised that we could not learn beekeeping from books - expert advice and support was required. Winter was fast approaching and by mid December the weather became cold and icy. We had learned enough to know that the bees would require some extra feeding in addition to their own honey stores. We sourced some special Ambrosia bee fondant, popped this on top of their storage frames of beeswax, crossed our fingers and left our newly acquired honey bees to their own devices – frequently in a hive shrouded in snow. Meantime we joined the Dunblane and Stirling Beekeepers Association and enrolled on their amazing beekeeping beginners’ course to start in January. This consisted of an eight night theory programme finishing in April and then weekly visits to the Association Apiary at Stirling University. We began to understand how to look inside a colony of bees and recognise what we were seeing, manipulate the frames and check for brood and honey stores. It was a thoroughly enjoyable and uplifting learning experience – meeting some friendly, knowledgeable people while gaining hands on knowledge. We were encouraged to register (free) with BeeBase through the Food and Rural Affairs (FERA) National Bee Unit which can provide support and advice to all Scottish beekeepers especially regarding disease management and notification.

Hive inspection

We are Pete and Paula Moor and have lived in Strathyre for many years. We both have a long standing love of the outdoors and the environment. Our garden is large and wild with a pleasing variety of weeds and wilderness, flowering shrubs and trees all of which play host to an amazingly diverse selection of wildlife - frogs, toads, newts, hedgehogs, visiting pine martens and foxes as well as many bats, butterflies and insects. We also have our own ‘wildlife’ in the form of ex battery free range hens, three energetic spaniels and a mouse hunting moggy.We had discussed keeping bees at some stage but this was just plan for the future - until September 2017 when an elderly gentleman friend decided to reduce his own stock of bees and presented us with a hive complete with its very own bee colony! As temperatures plummeted to -8ºc we were amazed to learn that bees cluster together in the hive and maintain a constant 35ºc. By the end of February 2018, we spotted bees flying and watched them returning to the hive with pollen from snowdrops and crocuses. By early May the weather had warmed up enough for us to carry out our first deep hive inspection. This was a daunting thought for us ‘beginners’ so we were fortunate to be able to ask for help from the Association. Kelvin Towner, a very experienced beekeeper, came to visit and help us review the situation. We presumed that all would be well as we had consistently seen bees coming and going. However, our inspection was to reveal no Queen in the hive supported by the fact there were no eggs or brood. Our bees were doomed! After some discussion we decided to attempt to introduce a new Queen into the colony. It seemed hilarious to us that she could be bought online and came delivered via Royal Mail - alive with a few worker bees in a little plastic cage with the entrance blocked up with sugary fondant. This was suspended on cocktail sticks in the hive where the existing bees could nibble at the fondant over a period of time to release their new Queen. We were assisted by local beekeeper, John McIsaac from Callander to carry out a further inspection after a few weeks, but unfortunately our new Queen was nowhere to be seen. Again, the Dunblane and Stirling Beekeeping Association were a terrific help and we ended up taking the beehive to the Apiary for their assistance. After several unsuccessful attempts to ‘re-queen’ - sadly, our first colony of bees failed. By now we had really got the Bee Bug! So by using our Association connections we were able to purchase a Nucleus of bees from another member. How delighted we were to carry out an inspection on our own and to identify a living Queen bee, calm worker bees, brood and eggs – all looking healthy. This colony has survived the winter and is now very active and rapidly expanding.

We carry out weekly hive inspections to ensure the bees are healthy and that they have enough space within the hive for the queen to lay eggs, stores of honey for them to feed on and no evidence of disease. It is important to do this weekly as part of swarm prevention. If all continues to go well in the hive we hope that we may be able to extract our first batch of honey later on in the year - just enough for a few jars for friends and family. It is important not to be greedy as the bees require their stores to see them through the cold weather. We are continually fascinated by the contrasting colours of pollen being brought into the hive and are constantly learning new things. We remain members of the Association and have attended many interesting meetings, talks and demonstrations and are very grateful for the on-going education, support and friendship from the group. So finally, we would thoroughly recommend beekeeping to anyone who is interested - especially in the current climate of environmental awareness of how the pollinating insects are vital for crops, plant diversity and ultimately our food supply. However, we would advise people to join the Dunblane and Stirling Beekeeping Association BEFORE getting a colony of bees - to undertake the beginner’s classes, hands on sessions and to learn about the basic equipment - and the protective clothing required!

Surviving winter

Pin-Feathers*

*Once in demand by Victorian miniaturists, the tiny pin-feather comes from the leading edge of a woodcock’s wing and only two such feathers occur on each bird (one on each wing). This month, Old Nyati shares a treasured possession... There have been some wonderful tales on television and in the papers of veterans of D-Day 75 years on, so it seemed appropriate that this one ought to be told. Look at the picture on the right. A cooking book? That might seem rather odd but read on. This book is about cooking game and other things, even things like squirrels (grey) rook pie, rabbits, wild duck and geese. How many of you, dear readers, would even think of plucking and dressing a pheasant, let alone a grey squirrel - or young rooks for a pie? But thereby hangs my story. “Old Henry“ was a long-departed shooting friend and published this book many years ago and my treasured copy is signed by him. But let us get on with the story of that recipe for a cock pheasant. It was in June 1944 in Normandy, shortly after D-Day. Pegasus Bridge had been crossed and Old Henry had set up his battery of 25 pounder guns in the orchard of a battered Normandy farmhouse. But now look closely and read his remarkable story of the recipe for PHEASANT 44. Not so much a story of bravery and “derring do”, (though there was much of that to get this far) but more of one of kindness and thanks to a liberating army. Study Old Henry’s sketch of his gun battery and the wrecked farmhouse, use a bit of imagination and think about that farmer’s wife... you might just hear the sounds of battle. And if you do, try out his recipe - and raise a glass to those brave men and Madame. They would have been very grateful. Old Nyati

Concert at St Mary’s, Aberfoyle 21st July 2019 at 3pm

Feis Fhiort Ceilidh The Féis Fhoirt Céilidh Trail is an annual project that allows young musicians to tour the Stirling, Falkirk and Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park area throughout the summer. The 2019 Ceilidh Trail already have a wealth of experience, with past and present members from The Gordon Duncan Experience, The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, University of the Highlands and Islands and have individually toured across the UK and Europe. Nadia French, Evie Waddell, Robbie Subke, Megan Leishman, Gregor Rodger and Mairi Docherty come together for a one off tour showcasing their talents across Clarsach, Fiddle, Scots and Gaelic Song, Accordion and Guitar. The Féis Fhoirt Céilidh Trail comes to St Mary’s each year. Please come and support these young talented musicians who are learing to perform in public - some for the first time. 12

Callander Ramblers Club

Balquhidder Church News MUSINGS FROM THE MANSE

Sponsored Walk

Sponsored Walk Our annual sponsored walk took place on the morning of Friday 31 May. The walk followed the well-trodden route from the school through Coilhallan Wood toward the fish farm, returning along the Invertrossachs Road. In advance of the walkers a group of runners completed the course and classes then set off at five minute intervals allowing a fairly even spread of participants along the way. Congratulations go to Ethan Thomson who broke the school record with a fantastic run time of 18 minutes and 18 seconds. Ethan was closely followed by James Morgan and Alistair Cantlay. First back for the girls was Catriona Norman followed by Heather Riach and Mara Gillan. Catriona finished her run with another great run time of 22 minutes and 6 seconds. Despite the rainy morning there was a buzz of energy and enthusiasm amongst pupils as they enjoyed their morning walking with friends, chatting, taking in the scenery and passing the time with teachers and staff who were walking or stewarding the route. Special thanks to members of our PTA who helped out with stewarding duties this year. Most classes completed the 5km route within the hour and the mood amongst the pupils afterwards was good despite the weather. A welcome hot chocolate on return was available in our nurture room thanks to Mrs Underwood. All of the money raised from the sponsored walk will stay in the school to the benefit of McLaren High pupils. As we go to press the projected total raised is £3,000. Thank you to everyone who took part and were involved in making this such a successful day.

Archaeological Dig All S1 History pupils at McLaren High School have been given the opportunity to visit and participate in an archaeological dig in Leny Woods. Staff and pupils were supported in this by Northlight Heritage and Callander’s Landscape. Pupils were taught some basic skills, given a site tour and even allowed to dig (right). Despite some groups doing the dig in the pouring rain all the pupils had a fantastic time some now want to be archaeologists. This experience was part of the Humanities Faculty’s plan to introduce Archaeology two periods a week next year as part of an S1/S2 elective. If anyone with archaeological experience would like to help support this or find out more, please contact the school. The Boys...

Central Schools U15 Girls and U15 Boys Rugby On Wednesday 8 May, both the U15 Girls and Boys squads travelled to Stirling County RFC to take part in 7s tournaments. Although it was a wet and windy night, both teams played some great rugby, and everyone had a great night. The boys were drawn against Braes HS and Balfron HS in pool 2 of their competition. The teams played each other twice. The boys won both fixtures against Braes. The first match against Balfron finished a draw, and then in the pool decider Balfron came out winners. This meant that the boys finished the pool in second place. This set up a semi-final against Wallace HS. The boys gave it their all, but they lost to a strong Wallace team. Wallace went on to beat Balfron in the final. The girls were in a round robin style tournament against Braes HS and Wallace HS. The girls played excellent 7s rugby, scoring a number of length of the park tries. McLaren won all four of the fixtures and finished in first place. Well done girls. This rounded of an excellent week for a number of the players, who were part of the Stirling County U15 squad that won the national final at Murrayfield on Sunday. ... and The Girls!

Duke of Edinburgh Charlotte Murphy, Heather Riach, Tommy Scott and James Morgan It’s the season for Duke of Edinburgh expeditions. Several groups were out recently walking from Loch Venachar over to Aberfoyle, camping nearby in the Dalzell Wood. The second day was a circular route passing Loch Ard. The group enjoyed fabulous sunny weather and a great camping spot. Individual Athletics Last week we held the S1 and S2 individual athletic championships. Three pupils broke school records dating back to 1979! Scott Hopper broke his Uncle’s High Jump Record set by Thomas Maher in 1996. He also broke Andrew Roxburgh’s 1979 Shot Putt record. Katherine Fowler broke the HJ record set by Nicola Barr in 1984. Allie Buchanan broke the 100m record which was held by Kirsty Cameron (1980) and Helen Michael (1980). Callander Primary School Health Week On Thursday 6 June, McLaren High School Sports Leaders delivered a session about Mental Health to P6 and P7 pupils from Callander Primary School as part of their Health Week. The theme of the session was about a juice bottle and how that represents bottling our feelings. Pupils were given the opportunity to participate in different activities that promoted positive mental health including colouring in and making stress balls! Race for Life On Sunday 12 May staff and pupils from McLaren High School participated in the Race for Life at Stirling University. This was the second year that McLaren High School took part and it was fantastic to be part of such an amazing event. All staff complete the 10k course and we cannot wait till the next one.

Duke of Edinburgh

Athletics

Aquathlon On 26 April, a group of S1-S3 pupils participated in an exciting Aquathlon race at the Michael Woods Sports Centre in Glenrothes. The race involved 12 lengths in the pool followed by a quick transition into an outdoor run. Congratulations to Connor Stewart (S2) who placed 13th in the S2 race. Stuc a’ Chroin Hill Race A group of S1-S3 pupils took part in a challenging hill run at the Stuc a’ Chroin Hill Race in Strathyre on 3 May. The course involved a 2K trail run that featured steep climbs, marshy terrain and windy single track paths. Congratulations to Ryan McGuire (S3) who placed 2nd in the S1-S3 boys’ category.

mclarenhigh.co.uk 17

A breakdown of incidents of note this month is as follows: • On the 21st May, a male was found to be driving through Lochearnhead at 52mph within the 30mph limit. As a result, the male has been reported to the Procurator Fiscal. • On the 1st June, a collision occurred on the A85 at the top of Glen Ogle, resulting in the closure of the A85 for a number of hours. The circumstances being that a motorcyclist was overtaking a car, and the car has pulled out into the path of the motorcyclist. The motorcyclist has required to take evasive action and came off his bike, struck the edge of a parapet and ended up down a 30m embankment. The rider was seriously injured, and the car continued Southbound towards Lochearnhead and failed to stop. The vehicle was a dark coloured Vauxhall Astra Estate. I would ask that if anyone witnessed the collision or was on the road around 1430hrs that day, that they check any dashcam footage they may have and contact the police with anything they think may be of benefit. • On the 10th June, a male was driving along the C33 between Monachyle Mhor and Balquhidder at excessive speed. The road was wet, and it was heavy rain at the time. He rounded a corner at speed and met a marked police car, and in order to prevent a collision, he ended up in a ditch. The male has been charged with careless driving as a result. • On the 21st June, a male was found in possession of a quantity of controlled drugs on the A85 at Lochearnhead. He was given a Recorded Police Warning as a result. On the 14th June, my colleagues and I were lucky to be invited along to Blair Drummond Safari Park to take part in their annual “Dreamnight at the Zoo”. This is an

‘Dreamnight at the Zoo’

annual event that I have supported for a number of years, where the park opens its door after hours to 1000 selected children as well as their respective families. The children either have a disability, a lifelong illness or are terminally ill. The weather held off for most of the night, and overall there were several thousand people in attendance. It was a brilliant night and the officers thoroughly enjoyed themselves, just as much as the kids! Also, on the 14th June, I attended to a road safety meeting along with my Callander colleague and the community Sergeant for the area. The meeting was chaired by Councillor Jeremy MacDonald, and present was MSP Dean Lockhart, and representatives from both Transport Scotland and Bear Scotland. A number of issues and concerns were discussed that involve the A84, A85 and A82, from Stirling to Tyndrum. Locally, there were a number of issues raised, which included the pavements in Strathyre and Lochearnhead, the issue of a pedestrian crossing in Strathyre, and issues surrounding speeding vehicles in both villages. A number of assurances have been made in relation to proposed future works which will include new road markings within each village regarding the speed limit, and also the provision of crash barriers through the length of Glen Ogle. On the 21st June, my colleague and I attended to the Royal Highland Show where we represented Police Scotland at the Partnership for Action against Wildlife Crime (PAW) Stand. We were assisted by representatives from Scottish Government on the day. There was a steady presence from the public at our stand, and there were plenty of queries in relation to what was and wasn’t permitted. A number of visitors also provided pieces of intelligence surrounding wildlife crimes being committed across the length and breadth of the country, so these will now be looked into and actioned where possible. I also had the opportunity to have a chat with MP Mairi Goudgeon, who is the Minister for Rural Affairs, and has wildlife and rural crime as part of her portfolio. We chatted with Mairi and her staff about the issues we encounter in regard to wildlife crime, and some suggestions for how Scottish Government could assist with further powers and punishments in order to assist with and also prevent wildlife crime. Our community team has also finally joined the digital age! This month, my colleagues and I have been provided with a Twitter page to allow us to highlight the work that we do locally, as well as sharing local news and updates. This could include road closures or weather updates

HOME DELIVERIES AVAILABLE

At the Highland Show

for example. The page can be visited at https://twitter.com/CptKillin The page will feature the work and updates from myself, PC Murray at Crianlarich, and PC’s Fleming and Kennedy at Killin. If you use Twitter, please follow us and you will receive notifications when we post. If you don’t use Twitter, you can also view the page using the link above, the only difference being you won’t receive any notifications. As always, I can always be contacted on 101 or for those who prefer email, I can be contacted directly at william.diamond@ scotland.pnn.police.uk. Regards, PC Will Diamond

More ramblings about

Dundurn Parish The Halcyon Days of Tourism

From 1850 until the arrival of the railway, a mail coach ran daily between Crieff and Killin, stopping for an hour at St Fillans to rest the horses and refresh the passengers. The coach left Crieff at 6.30am on its outward journey arriving at Killin at 10.30am and leaving there again at 12.15, at Lochearnhead it connected with coaches bound for Callander and Loch Lomond. In 1866, Andrew Davie announced in the Perthshire Advertiser that ‘he begs respectfully to call the attention of his friends and the public to this house upon a lease of which he has entered. St Fillans is well known to be one of the most beautiful places in the highlands of Scotland and is situated amidst scenery of the most picturesque kind. The St Fillans Hotel is close to the Loch and has good boats from which excellent trout fishing is to be had.’

A boatman’s tale

For over 40 years William McKay was chief boatman for the hotel beats on the Loch, He had his favourites – what highland boatman has not! – And with them, his quaint, pawky stories of auld lang syne, made hours which would otherwise have proved wearisome for the want of a nibble, pass pleasantly away. A story about William is told in connection with his favourite beverage. One day a Free Church Clergyman, a pledged teetotaller, arrived at St Fillans to spend a day on the loch and William was told to act as his boatman. At the close of the day William was accosted, “well Willie, how got ye on the day?” “No ava,” said Willie, “The auld beggar had nae whusky, so I took him whaur there was nae fush.” This story was perfectly true; he had taken the teetotal clergyman to places he had as much chance to catch trout as if he had been on the top of Ben Vorlich. For this offence he was suspended by Mr Davie as chief boatman for one month. Mr Davie was an astutely popular innkeeper and hill farmer, who from his base at the hotel operated over several hirsels, including as they became vacant, the farmlands of Findoglen, Ardrostan, and the pendicles of Tynreoch and Cachladow. In addition to this he acted as a letting agent for a number of absentee property owners wishing to ‘cash in and make hay while the sun shone’ on what was rapidly becoming an extremely lucrative and much sought-after holiday destination.

An experienced cook

In 1878, according to an article in

St Fillans Hotel

the Evening Telegraph, – a case was heard at the instance of Isabel Smith, cook, formerly at St Fillans Hotel, then residing at 2. West-Bothwell Street, Glasgow, who sued Andrew Davie, of the St Fillans Hotel, for £12 of wage and board wages, owing to her having been unwarrantedly dismissed on 1st August last, the engagement between parties not terminating until 11th November next. It was admitted by Mr Davie that she was engaged for five months commencing 11th June at £2.10s. Her conduct however was so bad, and being besides an inefficient cook, that the defender considered he was justified in dismissing her. He paid her £5.15s the amount of wages she had earned – and 10s to pay her fare to Glasgow. He stated she cooked so badly that the soup she prepared was frequently rejected by the guests, and that her conduct to her fellow workers was tyrannical, indeed so much so that she drew a hatchet and threatened to take “Boots” life. This frightened the lad so much that he left the service. (But was induced a few days later to return). Smith constantly complained about the inadequacies of the kitchen and the cooking apparatus; but her predecessors, it was claimed, had always been satisfied with these. At the time of her dismissal she had behaved in such outrageous manner towards her mistress that the lady hastened from the kitchen to the bar where she fainted. Mrs Smith was the only witness summoned in support of her claim. She stated that she had been in some firstclass hotels, where between eighty to ninety guests would sometimes dine in the day and had always given satisfaction. She had never been dismissed before but had always borne a good character for “punctuality, sobriety, and civility.” As she had been engaged as an “experienced cook” she therefore expected to find a suitable kitchen and cooking appliances at St Fillans, which to her disappointment,

were not supplied. Her predecessors, lacking in experience, might have worked on without saying anything of the insufficient culinary equipment of the establishment, because they did not know of anything better. The Sheriff said that a judge must decide a case on the evidence produced, and as proof brought forward was sufficient to prove that the dismissal was justified, the case was closed.

Riding to a Fall

An Edinburgh Gentlemen in 1895, made the alarming discovery that the new woman actually exists in picturesque Perthshire, and, evidently thinking it a grievance, he has written to the newspapers about it. “While on his way to Edinburgh the other day,” he says, “when passing along the banks of the River Earn, outside of that charming little Hamlet of St Fillans, Perthshire. Lo! To my astonishment even here I find her ‘riding astride’ a handsome charger, much to the apparent delight of her groom, who evidently had this fair maid of over twenty summers under training,” and he winds up his epistle by expressing his opinion that “the new woman is riding to a fall.” The Old Crock

Balquhidder, Lochearnhead & Strathyre Community Council Minutes of a meeting held at Strathyre Village Hall on 5th June 2019.

Please note that these minutes have not yet received formal approval and should be considered as a draft version only. Present: David Johnston (DJ), Ruth McLusky (RM), William Dalziel (WD), Angus Cameron (AC), Jeanette Stewart (JS), Eunice Frame (EF) and Andrew Poulter (AP). Apologies: Donald McLaren, Lynne McKinley (Stirling Council). In attendance: Cllr Jeremy McDonald (JM), Stirling Council; PC Will Diamond, Police Scotland; Billy Ronald (BR), National Park; Paul Hicks (PH), minute-taker; one local resident. 1) Approval of Minutes It was proposed by DJ, and seconded by WD, that the minutes of the meeting on 24th April 2019 should be accepted and this was approved unanimously. 2) Actions from previous meeting 2a) Parking at Strathyre School. (Item 8A) RM had reported local concerns to Stirling Council but had not yet received a full response. 2b) Community Council accounts. (Item 4C) The accounts have been audited and will be sent to Lynne McKinley, Team Leader for Community Engagement at Stirling Council. 2c) Generic email address. (Item 4D) This was working well and nobody reported any problems. 2d) Lighting in Strathyre. (Item 4J) JM had made enquiries about this and the estimated cost was around £20K. There was insufficient money in the council budget to cover this, but the road here is the A84 highway for which Transport Scotland is primarily responsible. It was decided that this is an important matter and it would be worth approaching Transport Scotland for some further costings. Action: Transport Scotland to be approached about the cost of this project. 2e) Signs in Balquhidder. (Item 6) This matter had been referred to Alison Williamson, a planning officer with the National Park. She had contacted Bear Scotland regarding removal of signs on the A84 trunk road. She had also contacted the Walker Group regarding removal of signs in Balquhidder Rural Community. 2f) Recent road traffic incidents on A84. JM reported that a road safety meeting, with all relevant agencies represented, had been convened and would take place shortly. 3) Declarations of Interest No declarations were made. 4) Officers’ reports Chair: DJ reported that the new community council had been up and running for just three meetings and he was looking forward to working through the coming year. Secretary: RM reported that she was delighted that somebody had been found to take minutes at meetings and that the new email address is working well. These were two positive improvements in the running of the community council. Treasurer: EF reported that she was still awaiting authorisation of a bank account for the new signatories. All forms from the previous signatories had been sent to the bank. There are three outstanding bills for village halls and one for some drone photography in relation to the new website. The audited accounts will be forwarded to Lynne McKinley, Team Leader for Community Engagement at Stirling Council. 5) Presentation and adoption of accounts EF reported that the previous community council had spent £74 out of a total of £1,915.35. This left a closing balance of £1,841.35. DJ proposed that this record of accounts should be adopted. It was seconded by AP and agreed unanimously. 6) Election of officers for 2019-2020 Since the inaugural meeting of the new community council, the following officers had been approved: Chair: David Johnston Deputy Chair: Andrew Poulter Secretary: Ruth McLusky Treasurer: Eunice Frame All four were willing to continue in these offices and AC proposed that they should be formally elected to do so for the coming year. This was seconded by WD and agreed unanimously. 7) Police Report During the period from 22nd April to 4th June 2019, there was one incident of anti-social behaviour. On 4th May, a report was received that a group of males had gone to a farm near Lochearnhead and asked to take some logs for firewood. The males helped themselves to more than was agreed and the matter was brought to the attention of the police. Police attended and traced the group to Lochan Larig at Glenoglehead. One of the males was found to be wanted in relation to an outstanding warrant and was arrested. An unlicensed air weapon was also discovered and a second male was arrested and held in custody to attend court the following week. The site where the males had been camped was found to be messy and they were warned and advised to tidy it up. They failed to heed the warning and left the scene. As a result, all three males were reported to the Procurator Fiscal for fly-tipping. On 21st May, a male was found to be driving through Lochearnhead at 52mph in a 30mph zone and, as a result, was reported to the Procurator Fiscal. There were no reported thefts in the area during this reporting period. PC Diamond was on annual leave for three weeks during this period. On 21st May he carried out a “day of action” in partnership with Strathyre Primary School. Accompanied by a Special Constable, children carried out speed checks and anyone found speeding was “educated” by the children. Several drivers were stopped and spoken to. The feedback from drivers was once again positive and they felt there was benefit to the initiative. I also provided an input to the children the following morning in relation to safe cycling and walking to and from school. Those children who brought their bikes to school were allowed the opportunity to practise what they had learned. These activities were done as part of the “health and well-being” week at school. On Friday 24th May, PC Diamond and a colleague attended Blair Drummond Safari Park, after being invited to take part in their “Superheros weekend”. They engaged with the public there and other colleagues provided a continuing police presence over the weekend. On Saturday 25th and Sunday 26th May, PC Diamond was present at the Mhor Festival. Although the weather wasn’t the most favourable, there was still a good attendance. PC Diamond also attended a training input on the “Social Inclusion Project North”, which is a new partnership programme being launched jointly by Signpost Recovery and Police Scotland. This new project will allow police and fire service staff the opportunity to refer individuals, who may be in need of extra support, to the scheme. There are particular criteria that must be met, such as substance misuse, mental health, physical health, offending behaviours, antisocial behaviour or housing issues. AP asked about a young man who had been injured recently whilst completing a course for the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme. WD stated that the boy had simply fallen in the gorge near the viaduct at Edenchip and not from an aqueduct, as reported. The lad did not suffer any serious injury. WD added that there would be a road safety meeting soon, regarding the local trunk roads (A84, A85 and A82). It would also consider a pedestrian crossing in Strathyre and a pavement and new road signs in Lochearnhead. BR asked about the project to place 30mph stickers on bins in villages on the main roads. WD replied that there had been no progress with this. 8) Matters arising 8a) Generic email address. This was working well. 8b) Lochearnhead Play Park. AC reported having spoken to two senior helpers at the Lochearnhead Play Group. They said that the swings were OK but a roundabout would be appreciated. The following day the council attended and started work! (This was purely coincidental.) EF said that not much thought seemed to have gone into the needs of different age groups. There wasn’t much for small children. AC said he would speak to the Play Group carers again and see if anything else was required. There is an application in progress for a grant towards this facility. People can vote at the website: “Your Stirling – You Decide”. JM said that all community councillors should cast a vote! 8c) Request from Rural Stirling Housing Association to address CC. RM reported having spoken to Robert McGregor at the Housing Association about this. He would really like to talk to local residents about rural housing and to speak to people who had problems with anything. An item on this had been published recently in “The Villagers”. Mr McGregor has not made a formal request, so it was agreed to leave things until he did so. Members agreed that the published information may be sufficient for his needs. 8d) Community Council website. PH reported that he had started work on a “home page” for the site and had incorporated some of the drone photography that had been commissioned. He outlined areas of potential content for the site, but emphasised that ideas should come from members of the council. DJ suggested that the site could be developed piecemeal, with ideas and suggestions coming from successive meetings. It might also be worth appointing a small sub-committee of members to work on this. He saw the site as being something that would change regularly, rather than being a static entity. (The nascent site can be viewed at: “www.blscc.org”.) 8e) Rural Community Hubs. DJ reported that Balquhidder is in the process of formulating its community action plan. Ideas have flowed in (about 70 in all) and have been sorted into groups: “developing the hall”, “community meetings” and so on. There is now an online voting scheme for people to choose what they would like. A meeting has been arranged for 18th June to discuss the results. JM asked about the funding for this and DJ responded that a council grant is available. One popular proposal is that the village hall should be extended. A firm of architects has been consulted with a view to preparing a suitable project. As part of the concept of a “rural community hub”, DJ had arranged for Stirling Council’s “Digital Inclusion” team to run some workshops at Balquhidder. The first one (on 29th May) had gone well and a second workshop will take place on Wednesday 19th June, at 4pm and 6pm. RM suggested compiling a report on the event and DJ confirmed that he had already spoken with AP about this and was in the process of preparing something for all three villages. It was their firm intention to continue these meetings after the initial two had been held. JM mentioned that the new mobile library bus would be willing to bring out specialist speakers to give “one-off” talks on various subjects, either on the bus or at local venues. 8f) Safe place to cross the A84 in Strathyre. This will be considered at the forthcoming road safety meeting. 8g) Littering at lay-bys on A84 North of Strathyre. RM had contacted the National Park about this, but had learned that the responsibility lies with Stirling Council. A request for help had been made to the Council but, to date, no reply has been received. Nobody had looked at the state of the lay-bys recently. BR said that the National Park is looking at various ways of preventing littering, but its approach is to seek coordinated action from all the local authorities involved. The problem of littering is regarded universally as being both difficult and expensive to resolve fully. WD asked whether consideration had been given to closing any lay-bys altogether but nobody had any knowledge of this. EF asked whether it would be worthwhile taking photographs to illustrate the problem. JM agreed that it would. Discussion shifted to waste bins sited in and around Lochearnhead. AC said that most of the bins are being emptied daily by the two local estates. 9) Correspondence No other correspondence had been received. 10) Planning matters 2019/0148/DET: This concerns the erection of twelve additional timber lodges with associated parking and access as part of Strathyre Forest Cabins, Stank Road, Callander. AC mentioned that this development had been started about 10-12 years ago. Eleven lodges were built in 2015. There are now about sixty cabins there. There has been concern regarding unfair competition between private individuals wishing to build on this land and the Forestry Commission. Concern has also been expressed about traffic turning off the main road and the amount of additional traffic that might be expected. It was agreed that a comment about this would be submitted by DJ. Action: DJ to submit comment regarding additional traffic and access. 2019/0115/DET: This concerns the erection of a dwelling house on land between the Munro Hotel and Pertelot Main Street in Strathyre. DJ reported that this had been circulated, but no comments from community councillors had been received. The consultation period has now closed. It was agreed that no objections on behalf of the community need be raised. 2018/0358/DET: This concerns the demolition of an existing chalet and outbuilding and the erection of five holiday lets and a dwelling house in their place at Stroneslaney Cottage, Stroneslaney Road. RM reported that there has been no firm decision as yet, but a lot of impositions have been placed on the Water Authority by Stirling Council. DJ said that most issues had already been raised and we would now have to await a result from the planning people. 11) Any other competent business DJ moved to consider this item out of order as a local resident wished to speak to it. This was agreed. 11a) Community land in Balquhidder. An opportunity has arisen to buy an area of woodland from the Forestry Commission. A local resident is proposing to buy a significant stretch of land (around the mill) but would be prepared to donate much of it (around one acre) to the local community in order to safeguard the land from developers. Would the community be interested in this? There is a short timescale. The resident was seeking a letter of support from the community council. Questions were asked about ownership and maintenance of the land and the resident suggested that it should be delivered to an independent, community trust organisation that could apply for grants to manage the land as required. AP mentioned that the “BLS Community Trust” already exists and could take this on. DJ agreed that this would be appropriate. Following discussion, it was agreed that this would be beneficial to the community at large and DJ proposed that he should prepare a suitable letter of support. This was agreed unanimously. Action: DJ to prepare a letter of support for this proposal. 11b) Calair Bridge Weight Limit. There is no limit at present and damage has been caused recently to the bridge by articulated vehicles trying to negotiate it. Stirling Council has proposed placing a 7.5 tonne weight limit on the bridge. JM mentioned that signs at either end of Stroneslaney Road would also be helpful, but pointed out that oil and gas tankers need to have access. It was agreed to request further clarification from the Council on how best to resolve this problem. Action: DJ to seek further clarification from Stirling Council. 11c) Mast for smart meters at Strathyre. WD reported that there is a new proposal from the company involved to use the previously suggested site. This option would meet with approval from local residents, but nothing has yet been decided. 12) Matters From ward councillors 12a) JM reiterated the importance of the forthcoming road safety meeting. This will affect the area significantly and there are plenty of out-standing topics to tackle. 12b) JM suggested that a photograph of the current community councillors would be an appropriate addition to the new website. 12c) BR was invited to share any topics on behalf of the National Park. He had nothing significant to report but apologised for his earlier absences that had been due to personal circumstances. He asked whether there were any developments regarding the footbridge behind Balquhidder Church and was informed that nothing has happened yet. Enquiries were made about a grant, but they came to nothing. There is a temporary repair in place, but it would be good to have a more permanent repair in place. BR said that he would make further enquiries about this. DJ then asked if it would be possible to have a representative from the planning authority to come and address the community council. BR responded that he thought this might already be in progress. There was no further business and, at 8:55 p.m., DJ declared the meeting to be closed. The next meeting will take place on Wednesday 17th July 2019 at Balquhidder Village Hall.

The Villagers’ Contacts

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Jill Johnston Editor Gardeners Cottage Balquhidder FK19 8PB 01877 384227

Gill Waugh Production Manager Stronvar Farm Balquhidder FK19 8PB 01877 384203

David Johnston Production Gardeners Cottage Balquhidder FK19 8PB 01877 384227

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Lochearnhead Contact: Ali Ferguson 01567 830 405 St Fillans Contact: Bruce Montgomery blmscotland@yahoo.co.uk Strathyre Contact: Wullie Dalziel 01877 384 384 Mobile 07768 221661 Mail Order Distribution: Andrea Poulter 01877 384784

DIARY DATES We e k l y A c t i v i t i e s

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

Pilates - Balquhidder Hall - 9.15 to 10.15am. (Contact Abbey 07766 407578 for details. Booking in advance please.) Keep Fit - Lochearnhead Hall - 10.30 to11.30am Gaelic Playgroup - Balquhidder Hall - 10.30am to 12.30pm St Fillans Music Circle - Sandison Hall - 12.30pm to 3.30pm. Light lunch included. Contact John Light (01764 685307) / Malcolm Gregory (01764 670493). Country Dancing - St Fillans Yoga - Balquhidder Hall - 11.00am to 12noon (contact Ann Cobbett 01877 376291) Darts League - The White Stag, Strathyre - 7.00pm Playgroup - Lochearnhead Hall - 10.00am-12 noon (Contact Dani Bird 07812 600301)

JULY 20

Highland Games - Lochearnhead

Football matches after the Games - Lochearnhead - see page 4

AUGUST

BLS Horticultural Show - Balquhidder Village Hall - 2pm - 4pm - see page 2

Balquhidder, Lochearnhead, Strathyre and St. Fillans CHURCH OF SCOTLAND

Balquhidder Parish Church Registered Charity No. SCO12316

Sundays 11.30am Minister: Rev Dr Russel Moffat The Manse, Main Street, Killin FK21 8TN revmoffat@gmail.com Dundurn Church, St Fillans Sundays 11.30am Interim Moderator: Rev’d John Murdoch Tel: 01738 628378

ROMAN CATHOLIC

SEPTEMBER 7-8

CHURCH SERVICES

Arts and Crafts Hub - Strathyre Village Hall - see page 2

Stephen Kerr MP 49 Borestone Crescent, Stirling FK7 9BQ 01786 475034 Luke Graham MP Crieff Constituency Office, 2 Comrie Street, Crieff 01764 680384 luke.graham.mp@parliament.uk

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

Callander, St Joseph the Worker Sundays 11.30am Saturday Vigil Mass 5.30pm from May through to September Killin, in the Episcopal Church Sundays 2.30pm

SCOTTISH EPISCOPAL CHURCH St Angus’s Church, Lochearnhead 1st Sunday each month: 11.30am Communion 2nd Sunday 5.30pm Evensong 3rd Sunday 11.30am Communion 4th Sunday 5.30pm Evensong 5th Sunday (if applicable) 5.30pm FOOD FOR THOUGHT

A reflective time to discuss contemporary issues in a spiritual context (Check with Rector for venue: 01764 655389)

Vestry Secretary - Maureen Lipscomb Tel: 01567 830234

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

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140 Main Street CALLANDER Tel: 01877 331569 or 07901 651361 Email: pfkcallander@btconnect.com

MOT’s, Servicing, Repair’s, Diagnostics & ECU Remapping MOT’s: £45.00; MOT & SERVICE FROM: £99.00; ECU REMAP FROM: £200.00. Open: Mon to Fri 8am to 6pm & Sat 8am to 1pm

Dear Advertisers - and Potential Advertisers! We have space for more ads - either regular or one-offs. Please contact Andrew Poulter (details on page 21) for more information.

Do you need an affordable home ? Rural Stirling Housing Association aims to support local communities by providing quality homes at affordable rents for families, couples and single people in housing need. We currently have over 595 rented houses and flats. Around 40 of these become available for rent each year. We currently have properties in the following communities:

Aberfoyle • Doune • Killin • Strathyre Balfron • Drymen • Kinlochard Stronachlachar • Buchlyvie • Gargunnock Kippen • Tyndrum • Callander • Gartmore Lochearnhead • Deanston • Killearn Strathblane We may be able to build in other communities in the future – please let us know if you want to live in a village that is not listed above. Information on local housing need and demand helps us plan for the future. If you are interested in renting one of our properties when they become available please contact us: Rural Stirling Housing Association Stirling Road, Doune FK16 6AA

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

Building affordable homes: growing rural communities Printed by Graphics and Print Services, University of Stirling Tel: 01786 467209 email: graphicsandprint@stir.ac.uk Published by The BLS Newspaper Association

MHOR FEST 2019 MHOR pictures from the event - another big success!

Foraging fun

No Marks Cocktails

Monachyle

MHOR

MHOR Fish

MHOR In Store

Award winning hotel and restaurant. Chic rooms, open fires, stunning location. Open all day, walkers welcome.

Fish & chip shop / seafood cafe. Open Wednesday - Sunday. 12 noon to 9pm Open Tuesday - Sunday in summer.

From Kindling to Cashmere. Open Thursday - Monday, 10am to 5pm. Open 7 days in summer.

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

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

MHOR 84

MHOR Bread

MHOR

Stylish motel with 11 rooms and 1 self catering cottage. Roaring fires, games room, great food 8am - 9pm. Live acoustic roots music every Thursday. Kingshouse, Balquhidder, FK19 8NY T 01877 384 646 W www.mhor.net

Artisan bakery and tearoom - Open 7 days. Tearoom 9am - 5pm. Bakery / shop 8am - 6pm. 75/77 Main Street, Callander FK17 8BB T 01877 339 518 W www.mhor.net

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