All The Ingredients of A Fantastic Spring Fayre

If anyone knows how to celebrate Year of Food & Drink Scotland 2015 its the MHOR group. Loch Earn Tourism Initiative member chef Tom Lewis and the MHOR team have come up with all the right ingredients for a fantastic Spring Fayre.  Look what they are up to on the 21st and 22nd March.  Date for your diaries folks.  Also look at our latest LETI chef recipe and other local food and drink events. #tastescotland

MHOR 84, KINGSHOUSE, BALQUHIDDER, FK19 8NY   E: marketing@mhor.net  T: 01877 384646 THE CHEFS AT MHOR 84 WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A SPRING BREAK! To celebrate the year of Food & Drink Scotland 2015 we are hosting our first annual Spring Fayre & Market at Mhor 84 on the weekend of March 21st/22nd. Come and meet our suppliers who will cook for you and showcase their products ...brewers, butchers, bakers, divers & gardeners - all Masters of their craft. Throughout the weekend there will be live music and djs...and its Tom's birthday! For more information contact marketing@mhor.net 2015 SPRING FAYRE. BEER & FOOD FESTIVAL ​ SATURDAY 21st 11am – 2pm: Spring Clean - Have a Spring clean and sell from your car boot in the car park here at Mhor 84. £5 (To be donated to Killin Mountain Rescue) to sell your wares.  3pm – 5pm: MHOR Than A Barber -  Get the chop and rid yourself of that Winter growth! Live music and djs Meet the brewers with a great selection of Scottish cask and bottled ales. Regular menu at Mhor 84 with a few tweaks… SUNDAY 22nd 11am – 5pm: Food Market & Picnic - Join us on Sunday morning from 11am. Indulge yourself with hand-dived scallops from Guy Grieve, oysters from Loch Fyne or cheeses from Tanny Gill - then take a seat and enjoy them at MHOR 84, picnic style, with a glass of champagne or Cry Baby Soda.  Live music and djs Check out some of the suppliers that will be showing their wares who are joining us: Mhor Bread Mhor Fish  Great Glen Charcuterie Roy Brett – Loch Fyne Oysters Ethical Shellfish company  Tanny Gill – Cheese Summer Harvest Oils A Taste of Arran Cuddybridge Apple Juice Glengoyne Thistly Cross Cider Salt PIgs Sea Salts Katey Rogers Crybaby Soda A Little Mhor about 84. In April 2013 Tom and Lisa Lewis, Dick Lewis and his partner Mhairi Taylor (of Delizique and Cafezique in Glasgow's Westend) joined forces to create Mhor 84, the perfect pit stop on the A84, Cycle Route7 and newly-created Rob Roy Way. Food is served all day from 8am until 9pm satisfying everyone from walkers and cyclists to shellfish-loving galloping gourmets by offering all-day breakfasts, hearty lunches, cakes and pastries and a wide-ranging evening menu. Roaring log fires are lit inside and out and a games room keeps the young and young - at - heart entertained with a pool table and juke box, tv and wi-fi, toys and board games. There's live music every Thursday - "Thank Folk it's Thursday".

MHOR Festival 2014 - Monachyle Mhor 24th & 25th May

MHOR Festival MAY 2014

Another exciting line up for this years MHOR Festival on the grounds of Monachyle Mhor and the shores of Loch Doine, Balquhidder. A fun weekend of activities & antics, feasting & frolicking, music & magic.

Saturday 24th May 2014:

Raft Race
The MHOR Festival opening event is the Raft Race on Loch Doine with the theme of "Clans".  Who will pick up the £100 prize money?  Get building now and take part or cheer the participants on the day.

Plenty For The Children

Magwitch Monsters will organise a host of activities including; songs, dancing, musical instruments, traditional party games, giant parachute play, bubble time and Mini Commonwealth Games.

The MHOR Bake Off

This year's cake competition theme is "Commonwealth Cakes" - classic cakes inspired from any of the Commonwealth countries. £100 prize money for the winner. Enter your cake before 3pm.

The Great Scottish Feast

1 Meal with 5 Great Chefs cooking 5 Great Courses

Plus

• Bugsy Malone Bar
• Big BBQ
• DJ's: Mash (Mixmag)
• All Guns Blazing
• Live Music: Eilidh Shaw & Ross Martin
• Oyster and Champagne Bar /Pimms

Sunday 25th May 2014: 

Bake a loaf with Masterchef 1/4 finalists 

Bake or bring your best loaf. Two Masterchef quarter finalists will guide you through techniques for the perfect loaf of bread. Enter your loaf into the competition. £100 prize money for the winner 

Omelette Challenge

As seen on James Martins Saturday Morning Show - it'll be a cracking competition!

Shivering Sheiks
Live Music- 50's R&B

A Play A Pie and A Pint

From Glasgow's Oran Mor "arguably the best-vale cultural event in the country" Sunday Times

Ceilidh

The legendary Brian McAlpine and Session A9 -back again by popular demand

Plus

• Food and Beer Market
• Hog Roast
• Live Band: Rail Fan
• Mash (Mixmag) & Joshua (Stayfresh)
• Oyster and Champagne Bar /Pimms

There's Something for everyone and MHOR.  

Travel and Accommodation?

• Dedicated parking on site
• Local taxi Highland Glen Travel Lochearnhead or Kingshouse Taxi's
• Arrange to camp out in the MHOR field with your tent or camper van
• Check in at Monachyle Mhor or MHOR84
• Click to enquire about alternative area accommodation here.

NB: Under 14's go free

More information:

www.mhor.net/festival.net

Tel: 01877 384 622

Monachyle Mhor Farm

Balquhidder

Perthhire

FK19 8PQ

The Golden Larches Restaurant With Rooms, Balquhidder Station

Alistair and Alida Buchan

Alistair and Alida Buchan have been happily running The Golden Larches restaurant with rooms, Balquhidder Station,  since October 2012. Their original intention had been to buy a ski chalet but the credit crunch intervened and a foreign venture was no longer feasible. 

Undeterred, they started to travel round Scotland from John O’ Groats to the Borders trying to find their ideal property and finally found it in Balquhidder Station.

They realised that a business, which had been running for 32 years with the previous owners, would have a regular clientele who they wanted to keep so they were a little apprehensive about “Judgement Day”. However, they soon discovered that people were interested in the new owners and willing them to succeed. 

Double Sided Wood Burner
 between main room and conservatory

They have gradually added to the menu and introduced a double sided log burner to allow them to extend their out of season opening hours. They plan to continue to be open each week between Friday and Monday during the winter. They have also started to offer Bed and Breakfast with one room at the moment and a family room planned as the next stage. 

Their first room has been very successful, offering comfortable accommodation with a “Wow” factor and en suite facilities with a great view. They are delighted that they have just had their first returning guests.

Weekends are proving to be the busiest part of the week. Sunday’s tend to be their busiest day with people out for the day, often from the Lothian area, and wanting a traditional Sunday lunch. They also know they are a very popular “comfort break “ stop for travellers venturing up to the West Highlands. Alistair has often helped people who are lost or broken down. Even helping to tie up an exhaust on a mobile home, all in a day’s work for the chef!

Golden Larches : Restaurant, Snacks, 
Tea and Cake, Take Away Menu

They continue to co-operate fruitfully with other businesses in the area as they realise that it is helpful to all in these difficult trading conditions and mutual support can be useful. 

They were open on New Year’s Day this year for the first time in the Larches history. They were so busy that they were too exhausted to go to the party in Balquhidder Hall which they had managed to get tickets for. They plan to open on Jan 1^st 2014, with additional help so they avoid making that mistake next year!

Meanwhile they hope to continue enjoying the fantastic views from their new home, especially when the larches do turn golden. 

Fundraising Community Sings Mathews Praise

Balquhidder Church, Balquhidder

Lochearnhead Guest house owner Mathew Duncan loves to sing and often uses his ability to the benefit of the local community. Mathew is the joint owner of  Lochearn Guest House at the junction of the A84 and A85 in Lochearnhead.  In addition to making meals for residents he also uses his culinary skills  to offer an outside catering service.  In his spare time Mathew loves to sing.  He is an enthusiastic member of the Callander Amateur Operatic Society known locally as CAOS.  Over the last couple of years audiences have been treated to popular musical productions such as Hello Dolly and Fiddler on The Roof and this year La Perichole will be staged in The McLaren Hall in Callander in March.  Mathew is often called upon to give a song or two at local fundraisers, one of which was a concert on January 13th this year inside Balquhidder Church.  The concert was filmed and the video has been proudly uploaded to YouTube to share with the rest of the world. Matthew can be seen below in Part 2 and also in part 5 listed on YouTube under Balquhidder kirk fundraising concert.   The event attracted a good crowd for such a bitterly cold night and everyone had a very enjoyable time while raising funds to maintain the beautiful historic kirk. 

LETI: If you want to find out more about Mathews dinner bed and breakfast and outside catering service in Lochearnhead or get more information on tickets for La Perichole in Callander contact Mathew via his Lochearnhead B&B website.

Mathew Duncan Singing to raise funds for Balquhidder Church

Kingshouse Travel work in tandom with cycle company to achieve wedding couples dreams

Just goes to show what you can do in the area if you put your mind to it! Kingshouse Travel, with the help of ‘Wheels Cycle Hire’ in Callander, recently provided minibus and bicycle transport for guests attending a rather unusual wedding in the Glen Lyon area.

The bride and groom, along with their guests were transported to Lawers Dam by minibus, where the happy couple tied the knot surrounded by beautiful (if misty) scenery. After the ceremony, everyone (including bride and groom on their bicycle made for two!) hopped onto their bikes and made their way down Glen Lyon and on to Fortingall for the reception. The weather was a little dull, with grey skies and some light rain, but everyone persevered and made it safely to Fortingall with smiles and happy faces all round.

After a few drinks and some time to relax in the pub at Fortingall, everyone got back into the minibuses and made the journey back to Killin to prepare for a good nights celebration. The entire occasion made for an interesting, fun and enjoyable experience, which just goes to show what you can do in the area if you put your mind to it.

LETI: Kingshouse travel is owned by member Graeme Courtney who also provides a service to visiting guests in the Kingshouse Hotel, pub and restaurant and the Kingshouse Self Catering cottages. Situated just off the A84 between Balquhidder and Lochearnhead the travel, accommodation and hospitality company offes a taxi and coach service using cars and a range of 6 to 16 seater coaches. The company can be booked for guided tours, airport transfer, parties, weddings and other outings. Distance is no object for Graeme's team of drivers.

Briar Cottage -A House with a Past

Tune in to BBC Radio Scotland's "A House With A Past" on Monday 10th August at 10.30 and you will hear me (Kim Proven) asking questions about our thatched property, "Briar Cottage" in Lochearnhead, Perthshire. Fraser and I have gathered some facts about owners from previous centuries from the Clan McGregor and McLaren society websites. We are hoping that the BBC programme's house detective, Bruce Durie, will help us to find out more - for example - who were the tenants when the Duke of Breadalbane bought the cottage from the McGregors? How do we find out more about the McGregor baby who was born here in 1727, registered to Balquhidder Parish.

Guests who book Little Briar, our self catering holiday cottage, are always invited to see inside the original byre (now our lounge) to view the cruck framed timber ceiling. It literally looks like two trees holding the roof up! On September 19th and 20th we are opening the cruck room up to the public as part of the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park "Doors Open Day" and hope that the BBC will provide us with more information to share.

The McLarens lived in Briar Cottage for 200 years and were related to the McLarens who lived in what is now Earnknowe holiday cottages at Leckine. There you will find the McLarens of Ardveich burial ground. This old private graveyard is also open to visitors on Doors Open Day.

LETI: Members Fraser and Kim Proven are planning to build one more holiday cottage overlooking Loch Earn on their grounds next year. Kim assists the group with website and events publicity and has earned the nickname Max Clifford. She is still trying to work out whether this is a compliment or not.