… then I might as well get writing in a form in a place where readers read. Therefore, I shall be putting daily (metaphorical) pen to paper at my substack, here.
Author: admin
Dear Lairds & Ladies,
The photo of trees above, and more specifically sessile oaks in temperate rainforest, is a lovely image of the type of woodland we are going to create around the restored castle – an arboreal mantle if you like: this newsletter we are offering you a different kind of mantle as well as the opportunity to participate in the planting of this gorgeous forest.
First the mantle that everyone can wear: our Ruradh in the Dunans Rising Tartan is on pre-order exclusively for subscribers of the newsletter. There are limited numbers and they will be sent out in October, so hurry to get yours reserved for the holiday season for wearing or gifting!
Second, in relation to the planting of trees, we are sad to announce that we have had to alter our AIP volunteer programme for September. Why? Because the kerfuffle at the bridge limps on and our legal advisors have recommended we do not work on the bridge while matters are still unresolved. We have therefore decided to err on the side of caution and retool the jammers experience with a woodland and castle policies extravaganza of tree-planting, rhodie-clearance, path-making, footbridge-building, water-colour-painting jamming! It also means we are now only offering one week – the third week of September – for the experience, and places are limited. So, if you fancy flexing your green fingers at Dunans, then do apply yourself to the links below.
As you’d expect by now, I will be offering a detailed account of what has happened and why, but I’d like to be able to do so once the entire farrago has been resolved …
Now aside from encouraging you to check out our limited stock of handbags which are available right now I should remind you that you’ll find links to stays at Dunans as well as the library and the pre-orders. Also, you’ll find a short piece about a friend who offers travel consultancy for visitors to Scotland – I recommend him to you all wholeheartedly.
The New Woodland September Session
We are so pleased to get a volunteer session in the woodland – there is SO much to do!
As the AIP page says:
“Dunans recently bought back 250 acres of the ancient Fletcher estate adjoining the castle and has started the process of creating a native woodland. Reintroducing native species will increase biodiversity and contribute to ecological sustainability.
“Walk the woodland with Charles Dixon Spain and learn how this effort combines the fight against climate change with development of sustainable tourism. The commercial crop of Sitka spruce planted on the hillside 30 years ago has been harvested. The land is now ready for planting of native woodland species, primarily oak and birch. This is not just a woodland, but also the creation of a new temperate rainforest, essential to the ecology of the area – and the world. It is an internationally important environment that only exists in a few places on earth.
“Numerous deep ravines that channel rain water are filled with both native ferns and rhododendron – an invasive species brought by Victorian landscapers. All the rhododendron needs to be removed, as they will take over and mask the true story of the woodland.
“Jammers will take on various jobs in support of the woodland creation.
• Plant oak and birch saplings
• Low impact removal of invasive rhododendron
• Clear paths around the historic Telford bridge
• Recover historic Telford road
• Create a new meditation garden
“As part of this effort, the woodland will become a carbon off-set project securing over 20,000 tons of carbon from the atmosphere over the next century. Funds generated from the sale of this tonnage will secure the next phase of restoration of the castle itself, creating a unique multiplier, enriching both Scotland’s built heritage and its environment.
Preserving flora such as the twayblade – a rare green orchid – or the ravine of Chaol Ghleann are all parts of the ongoing work in the grounds, as well as planting along fence lines, and clearing rashes and bracken from the bluebell meadow.
Travel Consultant Recommendation for trips to Scotland: David Wright
At Travel Counsellors, we provide an unrivalled level of personal care and attention for customers when creating bespoke travel experiences. We offer 24/7 support and most of the time I would be your direct point of contact rather than waiting in a queue for a call centre. We are rated 5 stars on Trustpilot and the feedback we receive is testament to the service we offer. Our travel trust financially protects every part of every trip, whether it be the whole holiday, a flight, hotel stay, car hire or even airport parking. It’s completely robust meaning no matter what happens, your money is safe. We can take care of all your travel needs while in Scotland and the rest of Europe – accommodation, car hire, tours and attractions, ferries and rail travel. Contact David for a no obligation chat.
In the meantime, if you have any queries about your title, the restoration or how to find us, please don’t hesitate to get in touch via help@scottishlaird.com
Warmest regards as ever,
Charles & Sadie
At the end of April Charles presented this talk to the wonderful folk at the Forbes House Museum in the US. Over the course of an hour, Charles tells the tale of Dunans and outlines the next steps in the restoration.
Charles’s hit presentation to the members of Forbes House Museum in NY, USA.
Our venerable tour guide Gordon continues to guide Lairds, Ladies and their friends around the grounds of Dunans Castle, with historical anecdotes, tales of the project and future plans. This is an unmissable hour which always finishes at the plots of the Lairds and Ladies as well as a Q&A which Laird Charles.
If you would like to come to Dunans and go on a tour, then please use the links above in ‘Events & Visits’.
Please note all visits are by appointment.
The sort of run which fools you into thinking that a marathon is on, that you are ten years younger than you actually are, and that everyone who passes you must be impressed with your running form. As if. This was all possibly the result of listening to Ren as I ran my run – possibly the most extravagantly awesome acoustic guitar track I have ever heard. Bravo!
I’ll post the RCR video in the next couple of days here.
A local group has been walking from the Glendruel Hall this year, and here is the screen capture from a map I have been drafting – derived from the main community map used in signage and on newsletters, plus the various strava, garmin and OS records the walkers have taken each week.
Compilation of all the best tips from a years’-worth of running – over 44 of them!
Over 170 runs (and rising) are recorded at https://instagram.com/runchazzrun.
After a couple of months submerged in the aftermath of Storm Eowyn I have finally emerged to record the following video filled to the brim with news from your very favourite restoration project – and not a few daffodils … or narcissi … or jonquils… – which only serve to remind us that though great trees may fall, the perennials will always bloom to cheer us…
Well, the last fortnight has been …. interesting. And distressing. And exhausting. And unexpected. It all started with Storm Éowyn barrelling in from the west across the Atlantic and hitting us in the morning of 24th January. At about 12.20 the first major tree came down – across the drive. This is the second of the five planted by the Fletchers in c1850 to come down. The idea was that this group of standard exotics, three West Coast Cedars, a Monkey Puzzle (or Chilean Pine) and a Noble Fir would provide a suitable half-avenue to grace the approach to the castle, massing some 100 yards from the last one. With the Monkey Puzzle felled in the mid-noughties, and this loss, we will have to consider how we will fill the gap appropriately.
Ten minutes later a second tall pine, standing beside the site office – my office – fell. And it fell athwart the corner of the building, catching on the roof and pivoting over to lie on its side some two metres off the ground, with root plate suspended on one end, and tip hovering over the Dunans tractor. The door was knocked from its hinges, and the corner depressed be over a foot immediately. Luckily, because the structure is entirely of wood, including found and roof, everything flexed.
At about 1pm, three huge Scots Pines lining the southernmost burn succumbed in an almighty explosion of fractured wood. These healthy trees fell into our paddock, like three or four others over the years. Such a loss!
We also lost a Pussy Willow standing at the gable of the house – luckily it fell away from the building – several Goat Willows down by the board walk, and a lovely old Birch near the picnic platform.
All in three hours.
We watched in frozen horror.
And all of this was not without cost to our infrastructure – at about 1pm, a particularly vicious gust knocked out our electricity supply. Unfortunately our power line crosses Alt A’ Chaol Ghleann some 100 metres north of the castle at a height of upwards of 30 metres in places. This was the line that was knocked out. Not in one place, but at both ends. This meant the poor SSEN workers could not simply re-attach the broken end. No, they had to replace the 150 metre cable in its entirety. Power was eventually restored on Tuesday evening. We were the last in the glen.
By the Saturday everything was calm enough to contemplate clearing some of the damage. With the help of our neighbour, Jim, and his pal Stuart (who I’d played shinty with back in the day), we cleared a path for cars through the destruction. Nearly two weeks later, we are still working and I am not sure we will be cleared before the end of April.
Here are some videos – two taken on the day, a third the next day, and the final one a walk over the grounds to show both progress and the full extent of the damage.
But let this not depress you. On the Wednesday after the Friday, we received our contract from Land and Forest Scotland for the Woodland Creation. We. Are. Go! Which means that we will have the woodland planted by the end of this year, along with soil association verification for our carbon offset scheme. At that point we will raise the funds to effect the first stage of the restoration – FINALLY!