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1
Developed here in Scotland, Phonetobook is
believed to be the first of its kind (one al-
ways hesitates to say anywhere in the
world), but let’s say the team who have
developed the concept are unaware of any-
thing similar.
The concept was born after unexpectedly
requiring to stay a night in Inverness and
experiencing the frustration with online web-
based booking systems.
The Phonetobook system ?
The entire referral process works from any-
where, using an
ordinary touch-tone
landline or mobile
phone, whether you
are in the house, on the move in a train, car
or bus; as long as you have a telephone or
mobile signal, you can use the system.
Accommodation ?
1. Dial Phonetobook 01133 208108
2. Enter the dialling code for the area in
which you want to find accommodation
3. Choose the accommodation required
from Hotels, Guests House-B&Bs or
Self-catering
4. Select ‘Book for tonight’ or ‘Book
ahead’.
You will then hear details of current availa-
bility, for example;-
“The (Morton Hotel) has rooms available
from (£75) to (£100) per room per night, (2)
night minimum stay, located (3) miles from
(Inverness) town centre, with a Trip Adviser
Rating of (4.1).”
“The (Marion Hotel) has rooms available
from (£100) to (£150) per room per night,
(1) night minimum stay, located (0.5) miles
from (Inverness) town centre, with a Trip
Adviser Rating of (4.5).”
The enquirer selects the provider and is put
straight through.
There are no middle men; no mark-ups, no
hidden extra costs to the enquirer, the en-
quirer speaks directly to the accommoda-
tion provider .
Accommodation Providers ?
Registration is via the Phonetobook web site
www.phonetobook.com or by leaving a mes-
sage for a call back to register via the tele-
phone 0113 208109.
Explore Scotland News.
There have been some changes over
the last 12months.
James Rattray writes, ‘Kathleen (my wife)
and I are 65 and 64 years old this sum-
mer, Kathleen tells me the first marriage
was better, as she was a kept woman!
Where as James says he believes in equal
rights, with Kathleen having been at the
very heart of Explore Scotland and their
tourism business over the last 18 years.’
Eileen Owens retired a year ago, and we
are pleased to announce that Volpa (who
market the Enchanted Forest) have taken
over Explore St Andrews and Explore Stir-
ling. This year we are looking for some one
to take over Explore Inverness, so we will
only focus on Explore Highland Perthshire
going in to 2016.
The Explore network has Jackie and Alan
based in Tobermory on the Isle of Mull
running Explore Western Isles, Helen who
lives in Oban runs Explore Oban and Mull.
Siobhan and Kim based in Perth run Ex-
plore St Andrews and Explore Stirling,
James and Kathleen run Explore Inverness
and Highland Perthshire.
If you want to know more —
Call 01796 473335 or e-mail
Phonetobook - The NEW Telephone Accommodation Referral System.
2
The Loft Country Kitchen & Restaurant—Blair Atholl
Page 2 Explore Inverness Tourism Newsletter 2015
Spirit of Wood — Aberfeldy
It looks like it is going to
be another busy year at
Spirit Of Wood. This year
we have added several
new ranges suitable for
accommodation provid-
ers.
Our new Lyon oak living
& bedroom collection is
extremely robust, stylish
and great value with a
25% reduction for trade
customers.
We have added new
styles of headboards and
divan beds all available
made to measure with
hundreds of fabrics avail-
able. Prices start at
£225 for a complete bed
including mattress.
Our most popular mat-
tresses are
available for
immediate de-
livery with pric-
es for a single
starting at £99.
As the main
supplier to a
variety of ho-
tels, B&Bs,
restaurants &
pubs we pride
ourselves on
giving our cus-
tomers a personal ser-
vice, combined with qual-
ity products at an afford-
able price.
We also offer free local
delivery and an installa-
tion service. For more
information please con-
tact Conor on 01887
829899 www.spirit-of-
wood.com
Proprietors: Stuart Leishman and Jennifer
Neilson
Having shared the dream of one day having
our own restaurant, my partner Stuart and I
opened The Loft Country Kitchen and
Restaurant in May 2014. We felt
that having trained and worked in
the Hospitality Industry for many
years we had gained enough
knowledge and experience to make
the dream a reality.
10 months on and we are delighted
with the success of the restaurant and the
fantastic support we have received from the
local community and visitors to the Blair
Atholl area.
We offer customers a welcoming and relax-
ing environment in which they can enjoy
Stuart’s delicious dishes and take in the
beautiful scenery that surrounds us. We
pride ourselves in providing excellent cus-
tomer service on a personal level and mak-
ing sure that each dining experience is a
pleasurable one. Stuart
dedicates his time to
creating dishes which
make use of the fantas-
tic selection of local and
seasonal ingredients
available to us and with
this in mind we change
our menus every 2 months.
We serve Lunch and Evening Meals, alt-
hough we do close after our Lunch service
to allow us time to prepare for our
Dinner service. Alongside our Lunch
Menu we offer an Afternoon Tea se-
lection which has proved extremely
popular in recent months. Afternoon
Tea does require an advance reserva-
tion and we highly recommend that
advance reservations are made for
Evening Meals, especially during the
busy summer months.
Our opening hours for the coming
year are available on our website:
www.theloftrestaurant.co.uk and we up-
date the website with our new menus as
and when they change.
We look
forward
to the
seasons
ahead
and see-
ing famil-
iar faces
as well as
welcom-
ing new
ones.
Should
you have
any en-
quiries or
wish to
make a
reserva-
tion
please do
not hesitate to contact us on: 01796
481377 or email: in-
[email protected] as we would be
more than happy to assist.
Best wishes,
“the dream of
one day hav-
ing our own
restaurant”
Edradour Distillery
UPDATE 2015 Season Opening Times:-
CLOSED Easter (this decision was taken
after Explore Highland Perthshire Guides
had gone to the printers).
OPEN for Main Season:- 20th April through to 17th October — 10am
to 5pm CLOSED Sundays.
LAST Tour 1 hr before closing Time.
Tours include a dram and video.
Tel:- 01796 472095
E-mail:- [email protected]
3
Victoria’s Restaurant — Pitlochry
Page 3 Explore Inverness Tourism Newsletter 2015
Pitlochry Golf News
2014 was a great year with a prolonged
warm summer and I am sure that you all
enjoyed the sunshine and warm nights. I
would like to thank all our members, loyal
customers, local B&B’s, hotels, businesses
and visitors for their continued support. For
those who haven’t found us yet, I would very
much like to tell everyone that we are OPEN
TO ALL and a warm Pitlochry Golf welcome
awaits you. With our friendly approach to
customer service, you will be made to feel
like a valued customer as soon as you walk
through the door.
With so many golfers taking advantage of a
good summer last year, we had a very busy
season and with many great green fee deals
to be had (some including catering too) we
hope to see as many players back to pit
their wits against our very scenic 18 HOLE
GOLF COURSE sometime in the very near
future.
During the summer we also saw our new
GOLF RANGE AND ACADEMY open to the
public and we are very pleased with the
response we have had to this new facility –
it’s open 7 days a week from dawn until
As always, Fiona, Angus John and the team
at Victoria’s Restaurant look forward to
welcoming you and your customers to dine
this coming season.
At Victoria's, the dining experience is a styl-
ish blend of daytime speciality coffee house
merging seamlessly into a chic evening
eatery.
Open from 10am until late and serving
mouth-watering food from breakfast
through to dinner, menus include a wide
choice of dishes from patisserie and pasta
to steak, seafood & fajitas.
Yet again, Malwina has been excelling her-
self by providing a wonderfully tempting
array of home-baking, cakes and nibbles for
our customers to enjoy. Our coffee ma-
chine has been serviced and sits gleaming
ready to perk the perfect coffee.
The kitchen team have
been working with our
suppliers over the winter
the ensure we always
secure the freshest local
produce for our menus –
delights this year will in-
clude wonderful seafood
from the East Coast in-
cluding halibut, a real
favourite with our custom-
ers.
There have been a few
adjustments to our menus
with some dishes retiring
and exciting new ones added on such as
our pulled pork focaccia.
The terrace at the front of the Restaurant
will be busy again this year during the sum-
mer months and the addition of our new
seating and tables has made a big improve-
ment to both the look and the comfort of
dining outside. We hope you’ll manage to
get a chance to come and dine outside
when the flowers are in bloom!
At Victoria’s our aim is to make sure that
every customer has an excellent
experience when visiting us.
Our team of dedicated, long-
standing staff are once again on
hand to offer our trademark
friendly and consistently excel-
lent service and we’re looking
forward to seeing faces old and
new over the coming months.
As always, we like to keep in
touch with our customers
through email newsletters and
our facebook and twitter pages,
so if you’d like to receive news
and offers from us, be sure to
sign up through our website
at www.victorias-
pitlochry.co.uk. You’ll also be
able to see what’s happening
on Pitlochry’s Atholl Road by
viewing our live web-cam,
also available on our website.
Our loyalty card scheme con-
tinues to go from strength to
strength and it’s wonderful to
have a physical measure of
just how many guests you
send to us here at Victorias –
once again, THANK YOU! It’s
hugely appreciated.
At the start of the season we’ll be sending
you out a pack with new menus and our
ever popular wine cards. If you need a
stock in the meantime, please do email me
on [email protected] and I’ll
arrange for some to be dropped off.
We hope to see you soon at Victoria’s Res-
taurant and wish you all a prosperous sea-
son ahead.
“if you’d like to
receive news
and offers from
us, be sure to
sign up through
our website at
www.victorias-
pitlochry.co.uk”
4
Pitlochry Golf News (Continued from page 3)
Page 4 Explore Inverness Tourism Newsletter 2015
dusk and is the ideal place to perfect that
golf game in such wonderful
surroundings.
With a new short game practice
area and a 6 hole, Par 3 SHORT
COURSE now open and fully
operational, we now have a su-
perb all-round facility, which in
our view creates a top drawer
destination for all golfers from
all over the world to come, see
and use for themselves.
With a fabulous clubhouse of-
fering great food at fantastic
prices, a fully stocked PRO
SHOP, 2 PGA Professional’s on
site offering top quality golf les-
sons in the new Golf Range and
Academy, equipment for hire such as ride
on buggies, electric and pull trolleys, golf
clubs and a very accessible golf course set
in stunning surroundings – why would you
go anywhere else for a relaxing day out?!
You don’t have to be a golfer to love THE
CLUBHOUSE. Socialise over drinks on the
decking with amazing views of the course
and Ben-Y-Vrackie, watch golfers playing
their approach shots to the 18th green,
enjoy tea, coffee, wine, beer, traditional
British and international food and a first
class service in our relaxing Clubhouse.
Dishes are cooked to order in a simple but
traditional way. Grilled, smoked, roasted or
marinated to enhance the flavour, whether
it is a casual bite or dining on steaks, we
use only the freshest, seasonal ingredients,
sourced locally in Perthshire for you all to
enjoy.
Throughout the year we run our very own
Curry Club. This runs every Wednesday from
5pm until 9pm, with six different curries
from around the world on offer and as it’s
an ‘all you can eat buffet’ for only £9.99
this is becoming a very
popular night.
Every Thursday is our
Steak & Grill Night
which offers a selection
of meat, fish and vege-
tables all grilled to your
liking. We also have a
very popular Sunday
Carvery for both golfers
and diners. Simply get
your family and friends
together and give mum
a day off and join us for
our traditional Sunday
roast (where there’s no
washing up!). Last year
we launched our very
own Family Meal Deal, which became very
popular, so we will keep going with it this
year. For only £29.95 we offer 2 adults
meals, 2 kids meals and a draft soft drink
each. During the season we host a number
of different events so check out the website
www.pitlochrygolf.co.uk for our Theme and
Tribute Nights.
Perhaps less known is the fact that the golf
course also has a PUTTING COURSE set
away from the main golf course facilities, at
the other site of Pitlochry on the way to the
Dam and Fish Ladder. The putting green
provides an ideal introduction to the fun of
the game of golf for all
the family.
For local B&B’s, hotels
and businesses, Pitlochry
Golf have a number of
different schemes and
initiatives to help to pro-
mote your business, our
business and the whole
of Highland Perthshire as
a great destination to
come and visit. Give your
guest the opportunity to receive 10% dis-
count in the Clubhouse and discounted golf
for only £27 to play in Pitlochry and £18 to
play in Blair Atholl. Marketing materials for
both golf courses are available for the local
accommodation providers to collect any-
time, so please feel free to visit us any time.
Keep your guests informed and busy during
their stay. They will appreciate information
about local attractions available nearby.
For more information please visit our web-
site www.pitlochrygolf.co.uk or contact:
Pro Shop: 01796 472792,
Clubhouse: 01796 472334, manag-
Marketing: 07711458260, market-
From the Pitlochry Golf Team
“Give your guest
the opportunity
to receive 10%
discount in the
Clubhouse and
discounted golf
for only £27 to
play in Pitlochry
and £18 to play
in Blair Atholl. ”
5
Red Deer Centre at Highland Safaris - First Year Success!
Page 5 Explore Inverness Tourism Newsletter 2015
An era of change approaches for Perthshire
Visitor Centre and the whole team are excit-
ed about what’s ahead for the popular cen-
tre at Bankfoot. As I write, we are putting
the final touches to a new name and brand
and setting out an
ambitious plan for the
season ahead.
With more than two
decades of leadership
at Perthshire Visitor
Centre, Wilson and
Catriona have decided
to hang up their
aprons and enjoy their
much deserved retire-
ment whilst Calum and
Jane MacLellan (also
owners of Craigmhor
Lodge & Courtyard in
Pitlochry) are ready to take the helm and
steer the centre into a new bright future.
Whilst the centre as you know it won’t be
changing drastically – we’ll still have the
same great restaurant, shopping outlets
and friendly staff – there will be some en-
hancements to make the customer experi-
ence better.
Our aim is to offer a local focus with as
many fantastic Perthshire suppliers as we
can manage across all ranges – food, drink,
clothing, jewellery and gifts. It is our inten-
tion to bring back fresh local fruit and vege-
table produce too, which many will be
pleased to hear!
The biggest development for this year will
be the introduction of a gour-
met takeaway where visitors
will be able to pick up fresh
and tasty snacks from home-
made soups, deep filled sand-
wiches and even sushi! We’ll
also be extending the range we
stock in our enhanced Deli
with the intention of putting us
on the map as THE place to go
for a Taste of Perthshire.
We hope to welcome you and
your customers across our
doors this year and we thank
you for your support of the centre over the
years and in the exciting time ahead.
Make sure to like our facebook page – to
keep up with all the developments!
Perthshire Visitor Centre’s New Name and Brand
Scotland’s newest wildlife attraction, the
Red Deer Centre has been a fabulous addi-
tion to Highland Safaris, Aberfeldy.
The Red Deer Centre enables visitors to
discover the fascinating life cycle of this
magnificent, iconic animal in an interactive
experience led by a kilted Safari Ranger
before going outdoors to hand feed the Red
Deer herd.
Visitors also meet ‘Ossian’ the Barn Owl in a
hands-on demonstration and have fun
learning the secrets of this captivating bird
of prey.
A key feature of the Centre
is the Discovery Trail - a
short, inspiring walk featur-
ing interpretation of the
unique surrounding land-
scape and outstanding
views.
Director, Donald Riddell
said ‘We have been abso-
lutely delighted with the
success of the Red Deer
Centre. It has been a key reason for many
visits to Highland Safaris. We are continu-
ing to enhance the Discovery Trail with the
addition of a ‘Bug Motel’, Wild Flower
Meadow and a Maze’.
The Red Deer Centre has also proved a
winner with Coach groups who have wel-
comed the opportunity to come face to face
with Britain’s largest land mammal.
Alison Moore, General Manager of Lochs
and Glens Holidays said ‘Our guests are
loving the new Red Deer Centre at Highland
Safaris. We are delighted to have it on our
itinerary’.
The
‘Christmas
Experience’
including a
festive Red
Deer Centre, a
theme of Red
Deer v’s Rein-
deer and a
light filled
Discovery Trail
was also a hit
with groups
and individu-
als.
The Red Deer
Centre com-
bined with Land Rover Safaris, Gold and
Gem Panning Centre (unique in Scotland),
Mountain Bike Trail Centre, award winning
Café and Gift Shop is a truly authentic dis-
covery of everything that makes Highland
Safaris an exceptional destination.
“The Red Deer
Centre
enables
visitors to
discover the
fascinating life
cycle of this
magnificent,
iconic animal ”
“Wilson and
Catriona have
decided to hang
up their aprons
and enjoy their
much deserved
retirement”
6
Thyme at Errichel Restaurant, Errichel Farm, Aberfeldy
Page 6 Explore Inverness Tourism Newsletter 2015
The Old Mill Inn, owned
and run by Fiona and
Angus John MacLellan
(who also own Victoria’s
Restaurant in Pitlochry),
continues to go from
strength to strength and
is one of THE top places
to go in Pitlochry for a
meal and a few drinks or
for live music at the
weekends.
The Inn was honoured to
receive the accolade of
Inn of the Year 2014 at the Scottish Hotel
Awards and we’re shortlisted again this
year – wish us luck!
We have a real passion for driving our busi-
ness forward and over the winter months
we have been working hard at refurbishing
bedrooms, adding a new biomass Green
Energy Boiler and improving the public are-
as of the Inn. And we won’t stop there!
Later on in the year we have plans to up-
grade the signage at the front of the Inn.
Lots going on…
The Inn is one of the best places in Scot-
Situated 2 miles above Aber-
feldy, on the Crieff Road,
Errichel enjoys a beautiful
setting and spectacular views
across Highland Perthshire. A
family business, we run
sheep and pedigree Shetland
Cattle on the hill, breed High-
land Ponies, Large Black Pigs
and keep a selection of goats
and poultry. Our pork, beef
and free range eggs often
feature on our menu.
Paul, Patron Chef of Thyme at
Errichel, creates a menu
which reflects seasonality, show-
casing the best of Scottish and
local produce, with flavours and
influences from around the
world. While the menu changes
frequently there are a number of
Paul’s signature dishes including
Thyme’s Own Beetroot Cured
Scottish Salmon with Essence of
Orange and Dewar’s Whisky and
our best-selling Puddledub Buf-
falo Steaks available all year round.
Our Cookery
School, is
launched! Paul will
be teaching a day
on Morroccan Spe-
ciality dishes in
May. We welcome
David MacCarfrae,
once cake maker
for the Royal fami-
ly, to Errichel in
September 2015
for a series of full-
day cake dec-
orating workshops.
Thyme to Eat, sup-
plies businesses with
top quality products
to retail in their own
outlets, from sausag-
es and burgers pro-
duced here at
Errichel with our own
rare breed pork and
beef, to ready meals
and baked goods. We
continue to do a small line
in celebration cakes for
special occa-
sions.
We are de-
lighted to
announce
that Fiona
Sloan, who
has been
looking after
our guests in
the evenings
on a part-time basis, will be joining the
team full time from March onwards. Our
apprentice Chef Benji Harvey is doing a
fabulous job creating starters and desserts
for our evening menu and Cathy Vass is our
invaluable Housekeeper, looking after our
guests at breakfast too.
We are available for private dining, wed-
dings and events throughout the week,
ideal for those people looking for bespoke,
private functions. If you would like to know
more about what we are up to you can visit
our website, follow us on facebook or con-
tact us direct.
Thyme at Errichel Restaurant, Errichel,
Crieff Road, Aberfeldy, PH15 2EL
Tel: 01887 829562
Web: www.errichel.co.uk
Opening Hours: April – October Open for
dinner Wed, Thurs, Fri, Sat from 6pm.
Open for lunch on Friday and Saturday from
12 noon.
Open for Easter Sunday lunch, 5 April
Regular Sunday Openings to be announced
soon!
“A family business,
we run sheep and
pedigree Shetland
Cattle on the hill,
breed Highland Po-
nies, Large Black
Pigs and keep a
selection of goats
and poultry. ”
News from the Old Mill Inn — Pitlochry
7
Bespoke Highland Car Tours — After my 1st year
News from the Old Mill Inn — Pitlochry (continued)
Page 7 Explore Inverness Tourism Newsletter 2015
land to hear local and national musical tal-
ent and we have a strong following within
the live music scene. This year, we will con-
tinue to have music available every Friday
and Saturday night. Our popular Etape
festival will be happening
again this year as well as
two Beer & Live Music
festivals. To keep up to
date with all of our
e v e n t s , v i s i t
www.oldmillevents.co.uk
Our accommodation is
now better than ever with
the newly refurbished
r o o m s i n t r o d u c e d
throughout the winter. We now have five
Deluxe rooms which are hugely popular with
our guests as well as our 7 Standard rooms.
Just two rooms at the Inn remain untouched
since we took over and they are heading for
refurbishment soon too!
Food & drink continues to go down a treat
and on top of our normal menu we also
offer a cocktail menu, bar nibbles menu
and a Sunday Roast every weekend! If you
haven’t been in for a while, please do nip in
for a bite to eat – we’re sure you’ll love it!
Fiona, Angus John and the team at The Old
Mill Inn are looking forward to another busy
season ahead and
would like to
thank you for your
support and cus-
tom – you’ve
helped to put The
Old Mill Inn on the
map and we’re
very grateful. If
you haven’t yet
signed up for our
lo ya l t y ca r d ,
please do – it’s our way of saying thank you
for every guest you send to us.
Here’s hoping 2015 is a bumper season
and we look forward to seeing you soon.
My first year as Bespoke Highland Car
Tours Pitlocry, has proved both success-
ful and very interesting. It has been
most enjoyable meeting clients from all
over the world, with ages ranging from
90yrs old to 6 months old. (Now proud
owner of a baby seat! For the car)
I hope I have been of service to Hotel-
iers, Accommodation Providers and the
Pitlochry Area Tourist Sector.
I have had a varied clientele, ranging
from a Japanese Film Crew, shooting a
film on the delights of Highland Perth-
shire, to the Swedish gentleman looking
for a romantic location to propose to his
girlfriend. (Queen’s View, and yes she
accepted! Just as well as it would have
been a long tour).
A lot of my clients were
from the USA research-
ing their family history,
and I am pleased to say I
was able to assist (with
help from Sylvia Robert-
son – local historian,
and David Henderson of
Castle Menzies).
Most of my clients were visiting Highland
Perthshire and wanted to experience the
“Off the beaten track” scenery and wild-
life. Castle and Distillery tours were very
popular, with stops at other attractions
for coffee and restaurants.
With regard to the coming season I have
bookings for most months, as well as
welcoming repeat custom-
ers.
Just a re-cap of what I of-
fer.
Lots of people arrive in the
area with either no car, or
no knowledge of the area.
I can take 2-4 people on
tours tailored to their per-
fect day out including Cas-
tles, Distilleries, Gardens etc. or just
take them on minor roads to places not
normally on the tourist routes.
Tours are a minimum of four hours, but
some people book exclusively for 3 or 4
days, picking them up from their hotels
etc.
I am a retired police officer (qualified to
class 1 driver) and am fully insured with
over 10 years experience within tourism
in Highland Perthshire.
Bespoke Highland Car Tours Pitlochry,
Ronnie Owens, Personal Driver Guide,
Killiecrankie, Pitlochry PH16 5LR Tel:
01796 473934 or 07979 41283
e.mail [email protected] Fol-
low me on Facebook.
“The Inn was honoured to
receive the accolade of Inn
of the Year 2014 at the
Scottish Hotel Awards and
we’re shortlisted again this
year ”
“the Swedish gentle-
man looking for a
romantic location to
propose to his girl-
friend. (Yes she accepted!
Just as well as it would have
been a long tour)”
8
Riders of the Storm — Killiecrankie
Page 8 Explore Inverness Tourism Newsletter 2015
Meet our miniature ponies — Dainty and Dexter
I would like to introduce you to the two new
additions to the Riders of the Storm eques-
trian team, sister and brother, Dainty and
Dexter. Yes they are fully grown. They are
half the size of horses most us would nor-
mally meet, a breed that was originally bred
for work in the coal mines to pull the under-
ground wagons.
We adopted them from England, as their
owner was unable to give them the atten-
tion and time they needed, due to a new
baby.
We travelled down south and collected
them bring them back on the 1st February.
You can image the stir they caused
when the large horses first met them.
As I am sure
you know hors-
es, just like
humans, have
their own per-
sonality. Dainty
and Dexter are
no exception,
they were not
going to accept any below the belt com-
ments from the large horses and soon es-
tablished themselves in the stable pecking
order.
Two months later I am very pleased to say
they have settled in well. Their role in Riders
of the Storm is to provide a totally different
service than their larger relations —that is
pony parties, visits, plus meet and greet.
Being so small they can go indoors, we have
had them at the Atholl Hair and Beauty
Rooms, at Blair Castle Caravan Park to be
groomed, with ribbons in their hair and nail
varnish on their hooves. They have also
visited Fishers View in Pitlochry, going in to
the guests sitting room, which provided
much tactile excitement.
They are the perfect party
guest, inside in the house or
outside. We have various
party packages to make that
perfect birthday wish come
true. Dainty and Dexter are
also very used to the lime-
light and can be used for
product launches, photoshoots and much
more. Call Kirsty on 07784119377 or
email [email protected] for more
information.
I am sure many of you will have heard of
Riders of the Storm, founded by myself
Kirsty McWilliam, I am a local lass having
been brought up in Highland Perthshire.
Riders of the Storm is Britain’s youngest
and Scotland’s Elite Equestrian Stunt Dis-
play Team.
We travel throughout Britain performing
displays at agricultural shows, country fairs,
horse trials and galas. I am pleased to say
we have a fairly busy program of events
planned for the 2015 season.
I am asking for your help to let your guests
know what we do, and help spread the word
for us. If your guests are interested in the
equestrian world, they might like to know
we provide lessons, experience days
which are aimed at all age groups, from
children through to adults, individuals to
families. These can be booked as a part
day or all day session. We also run Easter,
Summer and October holiday camps.
For the more adventurous, there is also
vaulting, trick riding, jousting and horse
boarding — choose anyone or a combina-
tion of any of the three of these for an
action packed day with Riders of the
Storm, at our
base in Killiecran-
kie.
People taking
part do not need
to have ridden
before, but we
ask that they are
reasonably fit and
healthy and un-
der our weight
limit of 14 stone.
I am please to
say we do have
people travelling
from all over Brit-
ain to take part.
If you would like any more information on
any of the services, call Kirsty on
07784119377 or you can watch our show
reel by visiting our website
www.ridersofthestorm.co.uk or facebook
page.
www.facebook.com/scotlandsstuntteam
“we provide
lessons, &
experience
days aimed at
all age
groups, from
children to
adults,
individuals to
families”
“originally bred for
work underground in
the coal mines to pull
the wagons”
9
News from the Scottish Crannog Centre
Page 9 Explore Inverness Tourism Newsletter 2015
Iain Burnett Highland Chocolatier & Scottish Chocolate Centre
Just five miles off the A9, Iain Burnett High-
land Chocolatier offers a chocolate filled
escape from the fast lane. An international-
ly acclaimed chocolatier creates multi-
award winning truffles and pralines by the
banks of the River Tay, in the picturesque
village of Grandtully.
This continental style Choco-
late Shop with its wide
range of gifts and artisan
delicacies made using the
best natural ingredients is
well worth a visit. While
there, take time to visit the
4 Star Scottish Chocolate Centre
exhibition and relax in Legends
Coffee and Chocolate House,
which has outdoor seating in a
secluded courtyard for sunny
days. Emphasis is on fresh lo-
cally sourced produce with daily
specials. The seasonal menu
includes homemade soup and new Scottish
platters as well as scrumptious chocolate
cake, award-winning hot chocolate and the
indulgent Hot Velvet Shot of pure ganache.
Special evening openings are planned, but
please check first.
Most recently Iain was acknowledged as
one of only 50 Food Stars in the UK. He
continues to per-
fect new flavours
and create new
seasonal delights.
Already in 2015
three flavours of
the exquisitely
smooth The Velvet
Truffle have been launched
– Strawberry and Star An-
ise, Dark São Tomé and
Passion Fruit with a touch
of Mango. There are sam-
ples to try and feedback is
always welcomed.
On weekdays watch the chocolatiers at
work through a viewing window and if you
would like to learn more about the chocolat-
iers’ artistry you can choose from three
escorted tasting tours (weekdays, reserva-
tion only). During school holidays there are
children’s events too, such as the Easter
Bunny Demonstration and Easter Monday
Egg Hunt.
Car and bicycle park at the rear. Open
every day 10.00 to 5.00. Iain Burnett High-
land Chocolatier & Scottish Chocolate Cen-
tre, Legends of Grandtully, between Aber-
feldy & Pitlochry PH9 0PL
www.HighlandChocolatier.com
Tel:- 01887 840775
The Scottish Crannog Centre by Kenmore,
Loch Tay, offers visitors a unique opportuni-
ty to experience early Iron Age life on the
water. Dress in period clothing, enter the
high status roundhouse, try out ancient
skills like fire-making, textile working and
woodworking, and become immersed in the
archaeology of discoveries underwater.
Regular guided tours and open-style event
days promise educational entertainment for
families, individuals and special interest
groups alike. Our introductory video clip,
www.youtube.com/watch?v=i931HbTN9z4,
provides a glimpse of what we offer.
In addition to operating the five-star herit-
age centre, we are actively involved with
woodland management programmes in
conjunction with
local landowners
to provide cop-
piced hazel and other timbers required to
maintain the recreated crannog. Most of
this work takes place during the winter
when we are closed to the public but some
tasks continue throughout the year. Volun-
teers are always welcome to assist with
harvesting materials and practicing coppice
crafts like making wattle hurdle screens. It’s
healthy, satisfying and sociable while also
benefiting the woods and wildlife.
We open for the season on April 1st with
some exciting plans this year, including
revamping our website
(www.crannog.co.uk) this Spring and contin-
uing to work through the requirements for
museum accreditation with Museums Gal-
leries Scotland.
We are also
involved with
more outreach
activities in
schools and
museums. Our
public pro-
gramme in-
cludes craft
events at Perth
Museum (6th
April), Kelvingrove Museum (16th May) and
Perth Prehistory Fair (date to be confirmed).
Our first public event at the Crannog Centre
takes place on Easter Sunday featuring
prehistoric pancakes and chocolate tasters
led by Charlotte Flower Chocolates. Full
details of all events will be posted on our
website and facebook pages, or for direct
contact please ring 01887 830583 or
email us at [email protected]
“Easter Sunday featuring
prehistoric pancakes and
chocolate tasters led by
Charlotte Flower
Chocolates.”
“Easter Bunny
Demonstration and
Easter Monday Egg
Hunt”
10
‘Food in the Park’ Fish and Chip + Pizza Restaurant + Coffee House - Blair Atholl
Page 10 Explore Inverness Tourism Newsletter 2015
‘Food in the Park’ Fish and Chip & Pizza
Restaurant and Coffee House in Blair Atholl
is now firmly on the map! In 2014 new
signs went up on the main road through
Blair Atholl directing customers to ‘The best
Fish and Chips in Scotland’ according to
one Trip Advisor review! And it seems that
many customers agreed, when Food in the
Park was awarded the “Certificate of Excel-
lence” for the outstanding customer re-
views in 2014!
As the summer hotted up the unique Yo!
Frooty Frozen Yoghurt and Smoothie unit,
which is now nicely positioned at the front
of Food in the Park, did a roaring trade and
also won its first award; The Healthy Living
Award rolled out by NHS Scotland. Dave
and Sally will be proudly picking up their
award in a ceremony at the end of March
this year!
For 2015 Food in the Park has appointed a
Manager for the first
time to help run the
business – Richard
Kirby re joins the team
after a successful year
with them in 2014 and
Sally and Dave are
very happy to have him
on board again for this
coming season.
Richard’s attention to
detail and customer
service is top notch
and he now knows
what it takes to keep
our customers smiling!
We have 4 very dedi-
cated assistants returning for a 2nd and
3rd season with us plus 2 new full time
staff with a wealth of previous experience in
the catering trade, so we are very excited
about being able to continue the high level
of customer service that has been enjoyed
in past years.
We will also be welcoming back Nel Da-
vidson, our scrumptious cake maker, who
delivered above and beyond last year in
terms of quality and taste on a wide range
of delicious cakes! Following a very suc-
cessful year of cake selling in 2014 we
have appointed a second baker for 2015,
Zuzanna Cwik, who will also be delighting
the taste buds!!
Food in the Park will be undergoing a make-
over for 2015, with new tables and chairs in
the restaurant and a lick of designer paint
on the walls! This is a long awaited change,
which will also include unusual artefacts of
local interest being hung from the walls and
ceiling – Intrigued?! Go and have a look!
Also, having been bombarded with ques-
tions from customers regarding the best
route to cycle, hike or run to get to Avie-
more, Braemar or beyond, the proprietors
have commissioned a huge OS map of The
Cairngorm National Park to adorn the wall
in the cafe!
To match the premises’ make over, the
staff will also enjoy a fresh, new uniform
helping to underpin the business’ profes-
sionalism.
As always Food in the Park will be catering
for and supporting quite a number of chari-
ty events that are passing through Blair
Atholl; For the 3rd year in a row they will
play host to cyclists from Lands End to John
O’Groats completing the
Wooden Spoon Chal-
lenge, plenty of Munroe
baggers, and many more
individual charity chal-
lengers for 2015!
The usual number on
which to place an order
is 01796 481484 so you
can pre-order your meal
and pick it up later in the
day or night. Bookings
can also be taken on this
number to enable you to
reserve seats in our res-
taurant, if you have a
large party. You can keep
up to date with what’s happening at Food in
the Park by ‘Liking’ them on their Facebook
Page.
REMEMBER! There is a HUGE car park,
facilities to eat in or sit outside in one of the
two alfresco areas with views of the river
and mountains, or you can take – away .
There is also a large garden ideal for kids to
run around in and work up an appetite! And
don’t forget that you can hire bikes from
Blair Atholl Bike Hire, which is situated with-
in Food in the Park!
Food in the park is open 11am until 8pm
(9pm in the Summer Holidays) 01796
481484
“For 2015 Food in
the Park has
appointed a
Manager for the first
time, Richard Kirby
whose attention to
detail and customer
service is top notch”
11
News from Mains of Taymouth Country Estate & Golf Course
Page 11 Explore Inverness Tourism Newsletter 2015
Prince of India — Pitlochry
Prince of India offers a great value
three course lunch for £6.95 and
children under 12 eat for £3.95.
Open all year, 7 days a week, 12
noon to 4pm in main season (to
2pm in winter) and the main menu
is served from 5pm to 11pm each
evening.
To book a table or take away call
01796 472275.
Mains of Taymouth Country Estate & Golf
Course have had yet another fantastic year,
along with many others, with the success of
The Common Wealth Games and Ryder
Cup, and 2015 looking to be just as good.
The demand for luxury 4 & 5* self- catering
properties have encouraged Estate owners
Robin & Irena Menzies to develop another 6
luxury 1 and 2 bedroom 5* Maxwells Villas
as buy-to-holiday-let investment. With se-
cure deposits already in place, they are
looking to start building in late 2015 to
avoid any disruption to their summer
guests.
Already voted as the “Best Holiday Cottage
Complex in Britain” by the SUNDAY TIMES,
Mains of Taymouth have gained worldwide
recognition as a luxury holiday destination
with many overseas travellers choosing
Kenmore as their base for touring the rest
of Scotland.
The Courtyard Bar & Restaurant have wel-
comed on board, a local man of Blair Atholl,
John Bristow, as the Restaurant Manager.
John has already established a great team
and is gearing up to see that The Courtyard
will have a brilliant year. New for 2015 will
be a larger outdoor children’s play area
which currently sits just outside the Court-
yard, perfect place for children to play and
parents to sit back and enjoy the relaxing
atmosphere. Open daily offering breakfast,
lunch and dinner, the Courtyard is a great
location for all the family and is a stone
throws away from The Mains of Taymouth
Golf Course & Mains of Taymouth Stables.
2014 saw a new addition to The Golf
Course as Rannoch boy Rhys Keir joined
the green keeping team as a young appren-
tice under the watchful eye of local man
Peter Bancroft, Estate Manager. Rhys will
have the opportunity to further his career in
green keeping by attending a green keeping
college course this year at Elmwood College
in Dundee. The golf course has gone from
strength to strength this year and is looking
the best it has even been.
Taymouth Stables
had a successful
2014 and the local
weekly Pony Club
has grown dramati-
cally over the year
benefiting from the
new outdoor all
weather riding
school which bene-
fited from the Griffin Windfarm Grants.
Manager Katy Bennett, is now in her 5th
year at Mains of Taymouth and has put
together a great team to see her through
the 2015 season. Local girls Isla Munro
and Heather Menzies have joined Katy this
year and both will learn from her vast
knowledge and experience of horseman-
ship.
Last year with Highland Tipis’s from Blair
Atholl, we experienced our first local wed-
ding on Mains of Taymouth Country Es-
tate and have many further weddings
already confirmed for 2015/16. 2014
saw the completion of the old, well loved
Byre Bistro into a spectacular small wed-
ding venue, The Coach House. This new
venue has become the ideal location for
both small & large weddings with a spa-
cious marquee lawn running alongside that
can cater for the 200+ marquee wedding
market. The Coach House has also proved
to be a great corporate venue where dele-
gates can have a private location with am-
ple accommodation for all.
Another new addition for 2015
at Mains of Taymouth Country
Estate & Golf Course is Balloch
Park Country Retreats, a new
private gated development that
will be located in our old Quarry
site, with the majestic river Tay
passing by on one side and dra-
matic location of Drummond Hill
on the other. Designed and built by local
builders, Blairish Restorations, these luxury
lodges will offer stunning south facing views
and will be beautifully landscaped to en-
hance the stunning location. Built for pri-
vate use only, these lodges can be your new
forever home or
your home-from-
home holiday
lodge where you
can escape the
daily busy rou-
tine to a peace-
ful, picturesque
location.
“voted the ‘Best
Holiday Cottage
Complex in
Britain’ by the
SUNDAY TIMES”
12
News from the Taymouth Marina Restaurant — Kenmore
Page 12 Explore Inverness Tourism Newsletter 2015
Drummonds of Pitlochry
We are proud to say all our food is
sourced locally using the local butcher, it
is basic good old home cooking without
all the frills and fancy twirls of modern
restaurants. The kids meals are freshly
prepared and cooked to order, no food
from frozen packets.
This year we are offering great value
High Teas—two courses for £11 and
three courses £13—that surely is hard to
beat! We have had great reaction to this
especially for those not wanting to have
fancy dining every night of their holidays.
There is outside seating, well away from
the smokers area, which is proving to be
popular with visitors during the warmer
days and also those who want their dogs
by their side.
Drummonds is a family restaurant in
every sense of the word, with members
of the family working at the front of
house and in the kitchen. We take great
care in ensuring every thing we do is
done to the very best of our ability.
We are open from 10am to 11pm all
year round. We are under the railway
arch just to the left of Pitlochry War Me-
morial and gardens.
Taymouth
Marina Res-
taurant
opened in
August 2013
and has been
going from
strength to
strength.
Located on
the shore of
Loch Tay
right beside
the Scottish
Crannog Centre we arguably have the
best view in Highland Perthshire and pos-
sibly even the whole of Scotland! On a
warm sunny day where could be better
than the terrace at Taymouth Marina to
enjoy a delicious meal or a drink from our
bar. We even serve Stewart Tower Dairy
ice cream from our adjoining gift shop,
there is something for everyone!
We offer a wide ranging choice of meals
with our lunch menu covering everything
from soup, sandwiches
and freshly made stone
baked pizza’s to East
Coast Haddock and chips,
seafood platters, and
Burgers. Whether it’s a
quick bite or a leisurely
meal everyone is very wel-
come here.
Dinner tends to be a much
more leisurely affair with
customers enjoying the
atmosphere as the sun sets over Ben Law-
ers while sampling a bottle of wine from our
wine list or a single malt from the bar after
their meal.
Our Head Chef is a local man who has lived
and worked within Highland Perthshire for
the majority of his 40 year long career. The
Cullen Skink is his secret recipe and is
loved by every-
one who sam-
ples it. The
menu reflects
his Scottish
heritage by
using local
meat and Scot-
tish seafood.
Along with the
consistently
high standard
of meal, he specialises in making the por-
tion of onion rings into a pyramid and then
watching our front of house staff to make
sure the onion rings arrive with the guests
without falling over!
With such a beautiful loca-
tion we are fast becoming a
wedding venue and the feed-
back we received from the
weddings in 2014 was en-
tirely positive. With the use
of a marquee on the lawn
area adjacent to the restau-
rant we can comfortably
cater for up to 150 guests
for a sit down meal.
We have a website and Fa-
cebook page that are updated regularly with
our current menus and events. Table reser-
vations can be made online or by calling us
on 01887 830450. Javen, Lindsay and the
rest of the team look forward to welcoming
you to Taymouth Marina Restaurant
throughout the year.
“With such a
beautiful
location we are
fast becoming a
wedding
venue ”