Memoirs of a Bed & Breakfast Owner

Gilmore House Bed and Breakfast - Closed

2020-12-14T20:10:00.001+00:00

Its been a while since I last ventured onto this blog. I was just going to abandon it and let it swirl around the internet for eternity or wherever unloved blogs end up. I don't even know if people write blogs anymore, Instagram seems to be where to hang out with all your hashtags.

I started this blog years ago primarily to promote Blairgowrie, where I had the B&B, and the area, and of course to promote the Bed and Breakfast. It got a bit obsessive for a bit and I had a Facebook page and Twitter and basically every social media channel you can think off. I ran the B&B for 22 years and loved and hated it with equal measure and in the end it caused me to implode.

I should, however, like to thank the thousands of decent, nice people that came over the doorstep and enjoyed the beautiful old Victorian House, Gilmore House, that I had the pleasure to call home for so long.

Anyway, I digress.

Gilmore House was sold in 2019 and has reverted back to a private house and to coin a phrase, I think I dodged a bullet, with the timing of that. I have been meaning to write down all my memories from running the place and the lovely and horrendous people that crossed the threshold.

I could actually write a book on the trials and tribulations of selling the house, I have never met so many bullshitting liars in my life.

Running a B&B isn't as wonderful as you may think and towards the end of my B&B owning days I can quite honestly say people were getting more and more demanding and exasperating. Sadly I don't think a traditional Bed and Breakfast exists anymore. Everywhere I look the word 'boutique' springs out at you and don't get me started on Air BnB.

I am going to write down all the stories I can remember and maybe give an insight into running a B&B.

I also have many a photograph that I need to put on here to remember activities done.

Loving the middle-aged, free and single life. It's pure bliss.

Japanese Garden - Cowden

2018-08-08T18:15:00.000+01:00

Between Dollar and Muckhart in Clackmannanshire at Cowden there is a hidden Japanese Garden which has been restored to it's former glory and is now open to the public. We went down a couple of weeks ago to have a look at what has been done. My family used to live very nearby so in my youth I remember going to look at it when it was in it's abandoned state. You can get the full history about it on their website https://cowdengarden.com/ It was very busy on the day we visited so, unfortunately, the majority of my photos seemed to contain a lurking figure in them, so have just posted non lurking people photos. Anyway, it is another place you should visit if in the area. If you are up at Castle Campbell in Dollar, you can go along a back road to the garden instead of going back down onto the main road.

Culloden Battlefield

2018-08-07T19:29:00.000+01:00

Rather typically on the day we visited Culloden Battlefield it was a bit drizzly and misty. I suppose it adds to the atmosphere. Culloden was packed out with visitors soaking up the history. Naturally it has become a hot spot for Outlander Fans because of the association and the filming at the Clan Fraser grave marker. The ground around the grave marker was very scuffed obviously with it being a 'highlight'. Perhaps not totally appropriate to be taking selfies on a war grave but.....it happens. Pictures are a bit naff with the rain. I have been to Culloden on several occasions, but they now have a massive visitor centre.

Hillside Havens

2018-08-07T19:18:00.001+01:00

On our little break away, it was a short break, we based ourselves at Hillside Havens just outside of Dufftown. It is a newish luxury glamping experience and I was very impressed with it all. There are four glamping pods in a wonderful setting and they are equipped with absolutely everything you need. It is staggering how much you can fit into a pod and yet still have space. I would highly recommend staying. If I had a plot of land I could quite happily live in one and get rid of all the unnecessary clutter you seem to accumulate in your life.

The Snow Roads

2018-08-07T18:53:00.001+01:00

Last year I posted about the Snow Roads, a driving route taking in the incredible roads and views. As mentioned last year I visited the Connecting Contours art installation at Glenshee. On our trip we bagged the other two installations called The Watchers and Still. I would say Still was my favourite, very cleverly done with the reflections.

Balmoral Castle

2018-08-07T18:41:00.003+01:00

We have had the most wonderful weather this summer and, earlier in July, the youngest and I had a trip north and stopped en-route at Balmoral Castle. The castle is less than an hour away from here and yet I have never visited. The car park was pretty much full with visitors from all over the world. We enjoyed a paddle in the river and then had a wander around the Castle grounds. The kitchen garden was spectacular. Everyone was enjoying the sunshine and making the most of their lavish surroundings. The castle closes at the end of July as the Royal Family take up residence for the rest of the summer into the early Autumn.

Goodbye, Old Friend

2018-07-30T18:54:00.000+01:00

Sadly at the beginning of the month I had to make the gut wrenching decision to let my loyal companion go. He came into my life in 2006 an energetic bundle quickly growing into a large powerful, beautiful dog. He was a challenging youngster but after putting a lot of hard work into his training he settled down to be my shadow and sidekick. Every walk I have ever documented on here, he was by my side. We climbed mountains, waded through rivers, wandered through forests, I can't even imagine the mileage we must have done. He had a long and happy life, which he continued, despite eventually losing the sight in both his eyes. The loss of sight made no difference to him, he still loved his walks and a swim. He was a huge part of my life and there is now an eerie silence. I have wonderful memories through 12 years of our life together. If it wasn't for him I probably wouldn't have visited the majority of walks I have blogged about or had the motivation to do so. Whatever the weather, he gave me a purpose. It was a privilege to be with him at the end, leaving his pain behind, into a permanent peaceful slumber. Soiridh and thank you.

Applecross

2017-12-31T17:14:00.000+00:00

Early in November my mother and I were invited to spend a few days in Applecross. A family member had rented a house, for the week, which had plenty room for more guests. Of course the highlight of going to Applecross is driving the Bealach na Ba mountain road. Despite not having particularly good weather the scenery was stunning and it was just nice to get away and discover a delightful hidden gem in Scotland.

Highland Fling Bungee

2017-11-04T18:33:00.001+00:00

The reason daughter no.2 and I were in the neighbourhood of the Enchanted Forest, was that we had an appointment to go Bungee Jumping. Highland Bungee is based at the Garry Bridge, the platform is under the bridge and you fling yourself off, well secured! My daughter had purchased me a gift voucher a while ago and she wanted to do it as well, she has done it before as a tandem at a friends birthday party. The 'crew' in charge were brilliant and very safety conscious, so no need to be concerned. I wasn't as terrified as I thought, but still paused after the first count down, it's a long way down. Anyway, I did it and would definitely do it again.

The Enchanted Forest - Daytime Again

2017-11-04T18:22:00.001+00:00

A couple of years ago I posted pictures of a daytime visit to the location of the Enchanted Forest event in Pitlochry. Daughter No 2 and I were in the vicinity again and with some time to kill, had a wander around. We were fortunate that they were doing some maintenance so all the lights were on and the background music was playing. Obviously it is not the same effect as in the dark but none the less very interesting.

Blackness Castle

2017-11-04T17:51:00.001+00:00

After our trip to Lallybroch, we continued further up the road to Blackness Castle. This castle was also used in Outlander as Fort William Castle. It was certainly an impressive old castle, great for exploring all the ramparts and hidden corridors.

Lallybroch - Outlander

2017-11-04T17:42:00.001+00:00

A recent highlight was taking a trip to Midhope Castle, which is used in Outlander as Lallybroch Castle. It was also the first time we had been over the new Queensferry Crossing. It is quite an amazing piece of engineering. You can get a parking permit for Midhope Castle from Hopetoun House Farm Shop and it is only a short drive away. Unfortunately it was a rather overcast day, but I thoroughly enjoyed visiting and imagining the filming going on at 'Lallybroch'. The children just thought I was a bit strange getting excited over a derelict building.

Kinloch Rannoch Station and Tea Room

2017-10-06T19:36:00.000+01:00

After failing miserably to be transported back in time at 'Craigh na Dun' I continued on the road to Kinloch Rannoch Railway Station. The road and scenery along this route is absolutely breathtaking. I could live in the middle of nowhere in a heartbeat. The Railway Station is a little gem and there is an amazing tea room in the redundant station buildings. You can still get on the London - Fort William train here. Along the shores of Kinloch Rannoch there are lots of places to stop and enjoy the sights.

Craigh na Dun - Outlander

2017-10-06T19:08:00.000+01:00

With series 3 of Outlander now on our screens, I was inspired to take a trip to the location where they filmed the 'going through the stones' scenes. Fortunately I chose a lovely day to take the trip over towards Kinloch Rannoch. In this case I knew exactly where I was going, so there was no confused staring at clumps of trees trying to work out if I was in the correct location. I pondered to myself what a great job it must be scouring the Scottish countryside for filming locations. In the news today it said the 'Outlander' effect has been a huge boost to many of the castles, houses used for filming, with visitor numbers way up. I would suggest it has been a good tourism season anyway. I think 90% of my guests in July and August were from Germany, Netherlands etc.
Anyway I reached the desired location and imagined the filming taking place. The 'stones' were not real, so have been long removed.

Lunan Bay

2017-07-26T16:47:00.002+01:00

On Sunday afternoon I had an excursion to Lunan Bay, which is just north of Arbroath. It is a lovely stretch of sandy beach. It was slightly cooler here than Blairgowrie and with a stiff wind. The young pup loved the sand beneath his paws, old dog seemed a bit disorientated, perhaps with the noise of the sea etc. I had planned to look at the old castle ruins etc, but old dog decided to be violently sick and lay down and refused to move. Managed to encourage him off the beach and he seemed far better, and once home and settled seemed none the worse. I think it may be time to limit any long car journeys and walks.

Carmyllie Church and Monikie Church

2017-07-19T20:36:00.002+01:00

The next two churchyards on my afternoon ancestry grand tour were Carmyllie and Monikie. Ancestors on my grandmother's maternal side come from round here. There are loads of Sturrock headstones, but all the connections will have to be made to find out who is who, also found some Lumgairs. It was a lovely trip into the Angus countryside and I probably wouldn't even have gone to those places if it wasn't for this family research.

Aberlemno Kirk and Sculptured stones

2017-07-19T20:22:00.000+01:00

Following on from my last post a trip was taken to the church and churchyard at Aberlemno, where there may be some family connections. What an amazing place and history, the churchyard is covered in ancient headstones and is home to the Aberlemno Sculptured stones.

Genealogy Research - Angus -Scotland

2017-07-19T19:15:00.000+01:00

Last time I went to visit my Father's grave, well buried ashes, I also stopped as I usually do to look at my grandparent's grave. I always shudder when I see the age one of my Aunt's passed away. The reason being I was apparently quite like her and I wonder if my time is nearly up. Anyway, I always thought my grandmother's name was very interesting, so I thought it might be interesting to do some research. My father had muttered occasionally about doing family research, but he never did.

My grandmother had the rather excellent name Alexina Sturrock Pattullo, so this was my starting point. She was born on June 7th in 1902 at Boghall in the Parish of Monikie and was living in Broughty Ferry on the 1911 census with her father William and mother Isabella and 5 siblings.

Obviously you can go off in all sort of directions with family research, but it appears all my ancestors hail from around Dundee and the rest of Angus, so not far for me to travel to look at relevant places. One relative I have come across has an equally great name, Clementina Lumgair.

It is all rather fascinating, one day my children may think so too!!

Linn of Dee

2017-07-19T17:42:00.002+01:00

Last week I made an excursion into Aberdeenshire. Beautiful drive up to Braemar and along the narrow road to the Mar Lodge Estate and Linn of Dee. The dogs and I had a lovely walk along the Glen Lui path. We seemed to miss the shorter way back but got back to the car in the end. My Labrador of ageing years managed well, but was delighted to get back to the car and a lie down. The spaniel was even showing signs of tiredness. The falls at Linn of Dee were amazing, so much so that I sent my guests there the next day. The whole area is prime walking territory and Braemar is a popular place to stop.

Bleaton Hallet - Open Garden

2017-07-19T17:16:00.000+01:00

On a sunny Sunday afternoon in June, I made my way up the road to Bleaton Hallet. By chance I had seen that the old 'lost' gardens were to be opened to the public. The original house is now long gone, but the remains of what must have been spectacular gardens remain, reclaimed by nature.

North Wood - Kinclaven Bluebell wood

2017-07-19T16:57:00.000+01:00

If you are ever in Perthshire in May, a lovely walk is North wood at Kinclaven. A great stroll any time of the year, but particularly stunning when the Bluebell's are showing. It is a pleasant easy circular with the added bonus of a tree swing.

Grandtully - Tay Forest Park

2017-05-23T19:08:00.000+01:00

A few weeks ago I went for a walk at Grandtully Forest, there is parking available. That particular day the weather moved between blizzard conditions and bright sunshine, so made it more interesting. I had uploaded a few geocaches into my ancient garmin gps with the aim to 'get a few'. It was a pleasant stroll through forestry plantations then a gradual climb up to a viewpoint with several cairns. I failed in my geocache search, technology said I was on them but it was a fail from me.

Cairngorms National Park - Snow Road

2017-04-26T18:45:00.001+01:00

The Snow Road has been developed as a superb driving route, starting from Blairgowrie to Grantown-on-Spey. When I say developed, I mean promoted, the road has been in existence a while! There are now viewing installations and photo points all over the National Park. I can agree it is a fabulous route to drive. Anyway, there is an installation at the 'Devil's Elbow' just before you reach Glenshee ski centre.
One evening in the Easter holiday's daughter No.2 and I took the drive up to have a look. Naturally my camera died on me, thankfully daughter had her phone so I used it. To be honest the pictures are just as good as using a 'proper' camera. Have to say I was impressed with the seating area, blends in really well with a nice contrast of materials and forms.

Kindrogan Forest - Kirkmichael

2017-04-23T19:37:00.002+01:00

There are some new waymarked walks in the village of Kirkmichael, one of which leads you into Kindrogan Forest. You go past the old Log Cabin Hotel, which became the Pinetree Hotel, but seems to show no sign of life. Glen Derby is an electic dream of log cabins, nestled in the forest....bliss.

The Birnam Oak

2017-04-23T19:27:00.000+01:00

Ages ago I went over to the neighbouring village of Dunkeld, which is Birnam, to have a leisurely stroll along the banks of the River Tay. I also wanted to have a look at the ancient Birnam Oak tree, which is mentioned in ancient folklore, in association with Macbeth. It is a lovely walk and the tree itself is spectacular. There are also some interesting headstones in the local churchyard.