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".

ST FILLANS FILLIES IN LADIES DAY ROMP!

You don't have to think city to experience performance, theatre and the arts. Villages in Scotland are often brimming with creative and talented theatre groups and St Fillans in Perthshire is no exception. July sees enthusiastic drama group "The St Fillans Players" presenting its production of “LADIES’ DAY” -  a  bittersweet comedy by Amanda Whittington. 

The story is based around the time that the Royal Ascot races temporarily relocated to York. It inspired a brilliant play about four female fish factory workers from Hull. They replaced their hairnets with fascinators to spend a day at the races - a day that would change each of their lives in unexpected ways. 

The venue is The Sandison Hall, St Fillans with performances on Thursday 7th, Friday 8th and Saturday 9th July.   Tickets are on sale in advance from St Fillans Village Store, St Fillans Golf Club, Comrie Post Office and Strathearn Gallery, Crieff.  Doors open at  7pm on Thursday and Friday with the curtain going up at 7.30pm. Tickets are priced at £8 per person. Saturday's Gala night tickets are £12 including sparkling wine served with canapés and the curtain goes up at 8pm. The producers are warning that the play contains strong language and is not suitable for children. They also invite you to get in the mood by dressing up in your best Ladies’ Day outfit – advising that you could be a winner!  Presumably this offer is open to all genders!

LETI: If you want to combine events with a short break or holiday,  St Fillans hotels, bed and breakfasts, lodges and self catering accommodation are listed on the Loch Earn Tourism Initiative website www.robroycountry.com .  You will also find an events calendar of  things to do in St Fillans and its neighbouring villages.  St Fillans is a picturesque village on the banks of Loch Earn.

Loch Earn's Official Wakeboarding Event

Loch Earn’s official wakeboarding event, is preparing for its biggest year yet. Organisers of WakeScot, now in its 3rd year and the longest running wakeboarding event in Scotland, are delighted with initial enquiries.

Barry McGrandles, Outdoor Activities Director for Active Scotland, explained, ‘It’s always hard to start up an event and keep it going so I think people can see what we are trying to do and that we have a genuine interest in developing the sport. It’s made even clearer by the fact that we are seen by governing body Waterski Scotland as an event that can be used as a platform for all levels of rider who wish to compete in competition in Scotland.’

The event on Loch Earn is supported by both governing bodies in Britain and by local and national companies who share the brothers drive to develop grass roots sports in the area.  Barry’s brother Matt, who organises the event says, ‘It takes time to get the message across that our event is all about the riders and gaining support is not easy especially in this current climate. We dedicate a lot of time and finance to making this event happen but it takes more than just our business to make it work. Just speak to anyone that organises events and they will appreciate what kind of dynamics it takes to actually get something like this off the ground.’

Matt has been organising events for many years. One of his first was the International Festival of Youth Rugby in 97 where he managed 6000 players, staff and games throughout Scotland . WakeScot is not at this level yet but the brothers have a long term view. They aim to turn WakeScot into a  leading wakeboarding festival in Scotland.

WakeScot kicks off on Saturday 14th August 2010 with a coaching clinic at 9am. If you are looking for a weekend break or day away with friends and family then check out this event as it promises to be as spectacular as last years. Further details can be found at http://www.wakescot.com/

LETI: In addition to wakeboarding and water sports, Active Scotland  offers a number of activities including quad biking, archery and mountain bike hire. The office and shop are located at the front of the Clachan Cottage Hotel in Lochearnhead on the A85 overlooking Loch Earn.

A Night at the Races

A trip to Perth Races to attend an evening of racing on Tuesday 28th July 2009 was organised by our Treasurer Pam Hopkins and nine Loch Earn Tourism Initiative members set out full of optimism and excitement.

Traffic jams meant the first race was missed but we all proceeded to win, break even and lose in varying degrees. Pam of Earnknowe Holiday Cottages bet carefully while her husband Lawrie was more reckless and would have put his shirt on if allowed. Jan and Richard Spencer of Glenogle Snax bet steadily with some success but more of Jan later. Our Chairman, Alistair Barclay of Alba Virtual Tours kept his hands in his pockets. He must have been cold or simply tight!! Jim and Liz Bradley of Riverside Cabins and Killin Highland Lodges worked as a team. Liz was the banker and Jim the runner and they both got more and more confused as the evening wore on. The dark horse was Andrew Low, of the Four Seasons Hotel who bet just once, on a horse called “Wotchalike”, and it romped in and as a result champagne suddenly appeared!! The rain set in before the last race and the party retired to the Nelson Suite to count up the winnings and to sink our sorrows but the highlight of the evening was yet to occur.

In driving rain an Abba tribute band struck at the end of racing and our abiding memory of a great day out was of Pam and Jan swaying to “Mama Mia” with Lawrie and Richard holding umbrellas above them and Andrew wishing he had a camera for the evidence.

Sadly the next days’ racing was lost due to a waterlogged track despite it being a beautiful day.

LETI: Clearly LETI members take their duty of experiencing events in the region very seriously indeed. No wonder our accommodation, hospitality, sports and event providers are great ambassadors for the area that they love to work and play in!

Scotland's Premier Annual Wakeboarding Event, with Air Tricks, Coaching, BBQ, DJ and Live Band "Chunks"- 1st and 2nd August

Loch Earn Tourism Initiative member Matt McGrandles is the business development director of Active Scotland based at the Water Sports and Activities centre in Lochearnhead, where a number of spectacular events are held throughout the year. Matt is proud to be hosting WakeScot 09 - Scotland’s premier wake boarding event which will be held every year on the first weekend in August. Wakeboarding regulars and wannabees will compete and entertain in the event that will attract rider entries in the U16’s, Rookie, Open Men and Open Women categories. Guest Brett Hodgkins will be on site offering coaching clinics. Brett coached the 1995 and 1996 junior European and world waterski teams and was team captain of the 2002 wakeboard worlds. The event has attracted top sponsors; Rock Star energy drink, Morrisons Landrover Stirling, Belhaven Breweries, Wake and Ski boats UK and Spiked Magazine. In addition to competitors showing off their air tricks against the picturesque backdrop of Loch Earn, there will be a VIP area for invited guests, a DJ marquee with a drinks promotion and an all day BBQ . Finishing off in style, popular live band Chunks will front the after party event. It is little wonder that this well organised event is endorsed by Waterski Scotland and British Water Ski. Well worth a day out if you want to experience a magnificent event in an idyllic setting. Check out the Loch Earn Tourism Initiative website for details of holiday accommodation in the area.