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

Christmas, Hogmanay & New Year Breaks, Holiday accommodation and entertainment Perthshire

Jetty at sunrise on Loch Earn, Lochearnhead

Fancy a festive break in Scotland this Christmas or New year? Consider the neighbouring villages of Strathyre, Balquhidder, Lochearnhead and St Fillans in Scotland. Whether you are single, a couple, friends or family, there are plenty of places to stay with entertainment on the doorstep.  All four villages are at the gateway to the Highlands where Stirling and the Trossachs meet Perthshire.  This area of the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park is naturally beautiful because of the ancient forests, towering mountains, lochs, deer, Highland cattle and other wildlife. This is an excellent all year round location both for outdoor activities and for total relaxation. There are plenty of forest walks and Munro's to climb. Part of national cycle route 7 connects the villages. St Fillans golf course is open to play all year round.  Glencoe is less than an hour away for walking and skiing enthusiasts. There are plenty of pubs, restaurants and hotels to choose from within a 15 mile radius offering quality food and drink, glowing fires and occasionally live music. The Loch Earn Tourism Initiative members are private owners of Perthshire Bed and Breakfasts, self catering cottages, log cabins, guest houses, Inn's, restaurants with rooms, hotels and caravan sites.  Check out a range of  festive packages including Christmas Day and New Year breaks offered by LETI members.

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Visit the Balquhidder Hall Christmas Market in Balquhidder on 5th December.  Sing around the tree with the locals in St Fillans with mulled wine and a sweet mince pie in hand on 20th December.  If you are planning to spend New Year in Lochearnhead pick up tickets for the Lochearnhead Hogmanay party in the village hall 9pm-2am, available from local shops. Tickets include a live band and stovies at midnight for just £7.50. Raffle prizes include a Scottish Food hamper, a round of golf for two at St Fillans Golf Club and a meal for two at the Four Seasons Hotel in St Fillans.  For more information on Christmas and New Year breaks, accommodation and events in Perthshire,  visit http://www.robroycountry.com/ with links to members websites and promotions.

Celebrating Tourism, Fine Dining and Christmas Spirit in Strathyre

Creagan House in Strathyre hosted this year's Loch Earn Tourism Initiative (LETI) members Christmas party. Perthshire accommodation and hospitality members gathered to enjoy the festive spirit, share tales of tourism in 2009 and to sample chef Gordon Gunn's Christmas menu. We received a very warm welcome from Cherry Gunn before warming up with a drink and tasty nibbles including the finest black olives and maple sugar pecans. The baronial dinning hall has a magnificent vaulted ceiling and stone fireplace. Tables were beautifully set and laid out in a rectangle in the centre of the hall to accommodate our party. Being in the tourist trade, members are well aware of Gordon’s reputation as an award winning chef who has been designing delicious meals using the finest of local produce for over 22 years. He more than lived up to his reputation as we ooo'd and mmm'd over each course that included -Roasted tail of North Sea monkfish, crab and prawn croquette, shellfish and tomato sauce- as well as -Medallion of local Aberdeen Angus beef fillet on daube with foie gras sauce - and puddings to die for. We selected a range of wines to suit individual choices and the "mmmm" noises started up again.

No wonder the house is recommended in "The Good Food Guide" and "Scotland the Best" amongst others, with two rosettes from the AA. This is a unique and romantic setting that offers dinner bed and breakfast for those who wish to enjoy the dining room experience again and again. Gordon and Cherry's magnificent house is also perfect for hosting private dining functions.

Perthshire accommodation providers in LETI will now be able to advise visiting guests on the Creagan House restaurant experience..... and what a wonderful experience it was!

LETI: Members who offer B&B's, hotels, Inns, Guests Houses, Cottages, Lodges, Log Cabins, Camping and Campsites, food and drink, outdoor sports, events, shops and other services would like to thank everyone who visited Strathyre, Balquhidder, Lochearnhead and St Fillans in 2009 in this stunning area of Scotland where Perthshire, Stirlingshire, the Trossachs and the Highlands meet. Please come and visit us in 2010 and do not hesitate to contact members at http://www.robroycountry.com with any queries. Have a very Merry Christmas.

New Scotland In The Fall

Once again the glorious colour display of autumn can be seen in the Perthshire hills, as the the cold nights take their toll on the deciduous trees and the leaves change from green to lime green, yellow brown and red. The varied palate of colour which is displayed changes by the day and the brief period of change before the leaves drop provides some stunning views, particularly near dawn and dusk. A great place to see these changes and relax and walk by loch, river, and wood is around Loch Earn where varied accommodation including hotel, Inn, Guest house and B&B can be found (by clicking) Perthshire accommodation, the community website of the people around Loch Earn. An example of self catering accommodation "Perthshire holiday cottages Scotland" can be found at Killin Highland Lodges.

"New England in the fall" may be a trip too far for some but some excellent scenery to rival that famous area can be seen in the hills of Perthshire in the middle of Scotland. The biochemistry that causes these changes is complex, but a dimished ability of the veins in leaves to carry nutrient to the leaf is a primary cause and often the veins remain green as the tissue between changes colour. But rather than simply drop the leaves the processes allow some nutrients to be saved for the next year's leaf production. Another intriguing discovery is that the pigments in the leaves can stunt the growth of nearby saplings proving a better growing environment for the adult tree. Whatever the science involved, we can simply admire and photograph the constantly changing visual scene and enjoy walking through many of the Perthshire woodlands.

LETI: Member Jim Bradley is the owner of two self catering holiday sites offering weekly holidays in log cabins and lodges in St Fillans and Killin.

The Art of Quilting - Dianne from Lochearn Guest House Wins Again

Dianne Watson from Lochearn Quilting has picked up another 3 prizes at this years Great Northern Quilt Show. For the fourth year running, Dianne was awarded a 1st for Longarm Quilting. In addition, she won a 1st for Bed Quilt and a 1st for Wholecloth. She also quilted a number of designs entered by other people, who won awards in different catagories.

Dianne and Matthew run Lochearn House, a 4 star guest house. In addition to bed and breakfast they offer special 3 day breaks including dinner, bed and breakfast. Many quilters and patchworkers take advantage of this by booking in their pieces to have them quilted while they enjoy their holiday and Matthew's delicious food. Lochearn House is in Scotland's Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park amongst spectacular scenery.

LETI: Dianne and Matt are an enthusiastic and talented couple who run their Perthshire guest house in the village of Lochearnhead, where the A84 meets the A85. Dianne's Quilting, and chef Matt's cooking and singing talents are a great talking point ensuring a dinner bed and breakfast experience with a difference.

Holiday Accommodation in Rob Roy Country, Scotland

Searching for holiday accommodation in Scotland? The Loch Earn Tourism Initiative website is updated by holiday accommodation providers who live and work in Balquhidder, Lochearnhead, Strathyre and St Fillans. LETI offers a wide selection of self catering accommodation, bed and breakfasts, guest houses, hotels, Inns, caravan sites, lodges, and cottages, in this stunning region of Perthshire. Each village is set in beautiful countryside, steeped in ancient history, with towering mountains, lochs and forests. Outdoor enthusiasts can enjoy numerous golf courses, Munro's, cycle paths, walks, lochs for fishing and a watersports and activities centre. Enjoy an abundance of wildlife, birds, flora and fauna, a superb selection of places to eat and drink from cafes to award winning restaurants and some spectacular events and activities.