Tuesday 29 January 2013


Celebrate World Wetlands Day with 
Scottish National Heritage

Walk for Wetlands
National Nature Reserve event
02-FEB-2013
Celebrate World Wetlands Day with SNH staff. Loch Leven is one of Britain's most important wetland sites in terms of wintering wildfowl and this is a great opportunity to learn why it is so important and to see the diversity of ducks, geese and swans that migrate here every winter. 

Booking essential. Suitable for all.
start date: 02-FEB-2013 time:10:00
end date: 02-FEB-2013 time:12:00

Venue information :
Loch Leven's Larder
KY13 9HD
Kinross Tel. 015892 841000
Grid Ref: NO160043
X: 316024 Y: 704304

Directions: Situated on the North side of Loch Leven, can be approached from the East on the A911 from Scotlandwell; from the West on the B911 from Milnathort or Kinross; and from the North on the B916 from the main St. Andrews to Stirling (A91) road.
Price: Free
Event Contact details: Tel. 01577 864439 or Craig.Nisbet@snh.gov.uk
Additional information:
Stout footwear, waterproofs and binoculars are recommended.


Saturday 26 January 2013

Date for your Wildlife Diary;





  Red Squirrels by 

  Sophie Eastwood

       Wednesday 6 February
        7 - 8.30pm
        Price: RSPB Members £3/Non members £4  Booking essential
Red squirrels are in decline in the UK. The majority of red squirrel populations have disappeared from England and Wales, with Scotland now hosting around 75% of the entire UK population. While changes in woodland management and predation have an impact on populations, the squirrelpox virus is the single biggest threat to our red squirrel... and it’s on its way. Come along to hear about the work done by two local groups, Perth and Kinross Squirrel Group and the Fife Red Squirrel Group, to conserve our local populations.
RSPB Loch Leven Centre Vane Farm Reserve, Kinross www.rspb.org.uk/lochleven 






Locherlour Mill Cottage wins 5 star rating



Congratulations to Joanne and Colin on receiving their 5 Star Visit Scotland award  for Locherlour Mill Cottage.  


         This beautiful cottage sleeps 2 and is the ideal hideaway for a romantic holiday in the tranquil setting of the Perthshire countryside, between Crieff & Comrie

Tuesday 22 January 2013




The Rotary Club of Auchterarder & District

Invite you to celebrate Burns Night at the Aytoun Hall Auchterarder

Thursday 24th January 2.30pm 
£25 per person, include 3 course meal & entertainment 

For tickets call Neil Gaunt 01764 682325
 or Norman Morrison 01764 662369

Click here for more details



Book quickly to enjoy Burns Night at Deans @ Let's Eat 



 







Only 2 tables left for Burns Night this Friday 25th January at 7pm 
  so book now to avoid missing this great deal - 01738 643377

Master Chef Willie Dean will prepare a stunning 4 course gourmet Burn's Supper with a wee dram, served with live entertainment throughout the evening in the form of bagpipes, recitals, toasts and songs all for £45 per head.

Also the Dean's Let's Eat "£7.50 Lunch Menu" is now up and running again which is perfect for lighter lunches or a quicker business lunch. 

Thursday 17 January 2013



Celtic Connections - starts today!
City of Glasgow, 253 Argyle Street, Glasgow, City Of Glasgow, G2 8DL
An annual festival of folk, roots and world music in Glasgow.
Glasgow's annual folk, roots and world music festival, Celtic Connections celebrates Celtic music and its connections to cultures across the globe. Between January 17 and February 3 2013, thousands of musicians from around the world will descend on Glasgow and bring the city to life for 18 days of concerts, ceilidhs, talks, art exhibitions, workshops and free events.
This year don't miss Scottish folk legends Battlefield band, complete with new member, Ewen Henderson bringing a Gaelic flavour to the set list. Discover the rich musical heritage of Mali at the Sahara Soul night, uniting three of the country's cultures, get set to laugh as Shetland's New Rope String Band perform traditional music along with slapstick comedy or enjoy the musical genius of Irish singer-songwriter Paul Brady. What's more, this year will see and extra special celebration of Scotland's National Bard with the Big Burns Night featuring an all-star line-up of Scottish traditional artists Breabach, Blazin' Fiddles, Dougie MacLean and Kathleen MacInnes.

Carnbo House, Fife 
2 February - 17 March 
Cambo House is transformed into this stunning snowdrop show. Don't miss snowdrops by starlight too.  

Snowdrops by Daylight 2013














































Snowdrops by Starlight



Monday 14 January 2013



Talk: White Tailed Eagles in Scotland by Rhian Evans

Wednesday 16 January
7 - 8.30pm
Price: RSPB Members £3/Non members £4
Booking essential 
Telephone: 01577 862355
Join East Scotland Sea Eagle Officer, Rhian Evans, for an illustrated talk on her work with RSPB’s white-tailed sea eagle re-introduction programme.  Starting in 2007, the East Scotland project has successfully released 85 sea eagles in Fife that will hopefully go on to establish a breeding population.  2012 was the 6th and final year of releases.The talk will cover the sourcing and translocation of young eagles from Norway, the methods used during their time in captivity, their release and subsequent monitoring, and how we’ve worked with the community and various stakeholders throughout. 
RSPB Loch Leven Centre Vane Farm Reserve, Kinross 
KY13 9LX
Telephone: 01577 862355
Click here for more RSPB information

VisitScotland: Year of Natural Scotland 2013

Very exciting news!  
Having just blogged about the wet land tours at Loch Leven and the possibility of being lucky enough to spot a Sea Eagle, we have just seen a Sea Eagle fly over Balgowan near Tibbermore! 

It's heading south over Dunning and Auchterarder - keep a look out - it's huge and very majestic! 
Know your Sea Eagle Facts; 
Sea Eagles are the largest European bird of prey, they had sadly become wiped out in Britain because of Egg collectors. A few years ago Sea Eagle chicks were brought over from Norway in an attempt to try and establish a breeding population of these magnificent birds.In Scotland we now have over 200 Sea Eagles that have been bred here. You can tell a Sea Eagle by a longer neck than the golden eagle, grey and brown feathers and it has a flatter wing profile than a conventional eagle.


Sunday 13 January 2013


Walk for Wetlands 

   
Wildlife date for your diary
 2nd February 10-1pm
Join Scottish Natural Heritage to celebrate Worlds Wetlands Day, Loch Leven. 
This site is one of the most important wetland sites for wintering wildfowl. Observe pink footed geese, whooper swans & golden eye ducks and if you are lucky, spot a white tailed sea eagle. 
Book by calling 01577864439 & enjoy this free event. 



Celebrate Burns Night at the Famous Grouse Experience

Friday 25th January 11.30am

Enjoy a tour of the whisky distillery, haggis, neeps & tatties and a Burn's recital. 
£15 per person
Booking essential 01764 656565
Glenturret Distillery,
The Hosh, Crieff PH7 4HA

Click here for The Famous Grouse Experience



Thursday 10 January 2013

Feeling the post celebration blues?  Well this weekend you can celebrate New Year all over again...

The Burning of the Clavie is a unique New Year's Fire Festival - 11th January 2013

Friday 11th January - Burghead, Dunbar Street, Burghead, Moray, IV30 5XQ
In Moray, the ancient Pictish capital, the people of the village come together to light the ceremonial torch, or clavie, a wooden barrel filled with wood and doused in tar. Once alight, the clavie is carried through the town and placed at Doorie Hill where it is left to burn. If you are lucky enough to get a piece of the clavie, it is said to guarantee luck throughout the year.
Why 11th January? This is the date of the Burning of the Clavie, a fire festival unique to Burghead, which greets the New Year. The significance of the 11th January dates back to the 1750's, when the Julian calendar was reformed in Britain. The new Gregorian calendar was introduced. People rioted, demanding back their 11 days - but not in Burghead. Brochers decided to have the best of both worlds, by celebrating New Year twice - on 1st January and the 11th January.








Winterwatch
BBC Two's Winterwatch will be broadcast live from the Highlands between 14 - 17 January. Follow the iconic wildlife as they survive during the winter months.
The Winterwatch webcams return, live from Aigas in the Scottish Highlands where the team hope to be following the beavers and pine martens again, as well as some new species.The cameras are live on the web (global), smartphones and tablets (UK only) from 5pm Monday 14th January, 24 hours a day until 10pm Thursday 17th January.
And the webcams are on BBC Red Button between 11pm and 10am for the night owls amongst you (both literal and metaphorical). 

Scottish Country Dancing 

Another idea for a new year's resolution and a great fun, social way to get some exercise!

Find out how to join a dance class near you at;
Royal Scottish Country Dancing Society

Brush up your reels for Burns night 25th - January

Sunday 6 January 2013

Come and celebrate the
with Abade Self Catering Holidays

We will be showcasing Perthshire's wealth of breathtaking scenery, unique wildlife, natural heritage and exquisite cuisine throughout 2013.  Keep up to date with our blog for the best guides and tips to ensure you enjoy all that Scotland has to offer for your Scottish holiday this year. 
Book now at www.abade.co.uk



Time for a new year's resolution? 
Get creative, learn a new craft in 2013 and support a thriving local business, Barony Crafts, Madderty......

Open Days & New Year's SALE


Sat 12th & Sun 13th Jan


11am - 4pm
Let’s fight those January Blues together with Barony's fabulous new fabric ranges and a 20% off Sale on a large selection of bolts! Come and be inspired and find new ideas for your 2013 projects.
We are throwing open the doors at Barony and dusting out the old year with a detox. Isn’t that how every new year starts?! Out with the old and in with the new.
Come and enjoy our healthy nibbles (that won’t affect your diet) and peruse our new class list (tick off the self-improvement promise). We're offering a special 10% discount on completed bookings taken over the open weekend.
Claire has some great new classes planned for 2013 suitable for beginners and improvers.  Classes are kept to a maximum of 4 so you get plenty of time to learn at your own pace and to ask questions. Classes will run Mondays,Tuesdays & Wednesday depending on demand.
New Studio Opening Hours for 2013
Thursday 11am - 4pm
Friday 11am - 4pm
Saturday 11am-4pm






Tuesday 1 January 2013

Happy New Year! 
Wishing you all the very best for 2013 from Abade.