Stuc a’ Chroin Hill Race, May 3rd 2014, Strathyre

Strathyre: In 2013, on an action packed day, the Stuc a’ Chroin Hill Race celebrated its 25th Anniversary and we hosted the Scottish Athletics Long Hill Race Championship and one of the two Scottish Hill Runners Championship races. 

Stuc A Chroin Hill Race Competitors Set Off

In 2014, our race is one of the more popular races with the runners, and for good reason – stunning scenery, good timing (Bank Holiday), it’s well marked all the way to the summit, plenty of water stops, and our marshals always provide loads of encouragement for the runners, not to mention plenty of energy boosts to the runners in the form of jelly babies & jelly beans and chocolate.

There are prizes for the 1^st 3 places for every category of male and female ( adult, 40+, 50+, 60+ and 70+), as well as team prizes and Marshals spot prizes.

Normally for a non-Championship event, we attract 150 – 200 runners, all of whom require water, and have to be timed and marked at the staging posts. If you’ve been thinking about helping out or would like to be involved, this is the year to do it. We’re always on the lookout for marshals to take water up the hill, keep the runners on track and dispense water for them. 

Marshals are usually out on the hill for a couple of hours plus walking time and it’s an immensely satisfying day. We’ll need people to help set up the field on Friday 2^nd  including erecting the marquees.

For anyone interested in either coming to watch or helping out, a brief itinerary follows and don’t forget to come to the Strathyre Inn on Saturday night for live music to celebrate a great day out. 

Contact details can be found on the website www.stucachroin5000.org.uk

Fri 2^nd May

Hill Marking, Field preparation & marshals meeting.

Sat 3^rd May

08:30     Marshals’ muster and leave for hill

13:00     Race starts

15:00 +  Anticipated first finisher

21:00     Music at the Inn

Sun 5^th May Field take down

www.stucachroin5000.org.uk/marshals for information on the race, or follow the marshals link on the home page.

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LETI: If you are looking for accommodation in Strathyre or the surrounding area,  use the time saving live enquiry service on The Loch Earn Tourism Initiative website. Type in dates, party numbers and essential criteria and let the local accommodation providers get back to you with up to the minute availability. Additional tourist information, photos, events, services, where to eat and drink and more can be found at www.robroycountry.com.

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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.

Celebrate the Mighty Chip in Strathyre on National Chip Week 2010

The very thought of chips and sauce or vinegar can make your mouth water for hours! No need to endure this teasing thought if your are passing through or staying around Strathyre next week though. To celebrate National Chip Week 2010, chef Stephen Nixon will be adding "Takeaway Suppers" to the menu at the Inn and Bistro in Strathyre. Order our chefs own sausage, haggis and fish suppers to sit in or takeaway between Monday 15th and Sunday 21st February, from 4.30pm until 9pm.

Sit in and enjoy our Saturday Night Chip Extravaganza on the 20th February with all your favourites (pickled onions, mushy peas, curry sauce) plus musical entertainment from Jock 'The Box' from 8.30 til 11.30pm. Stay over and make a night or two of it. Our Valentines Weekend Special Offer means 2 nights Bed and Breakfast for 2 people at just £99. Or stay 3 nights for the price of 2 on our Half Term Special Offer between 15th and 21st February. We are positioned in the centre of Scotland and only 1 hours drive away from superb skiing at Glencoe.

LETI: Chef Stephen Nixon and his wife Jill are the proud owners of the Inn and Bistro in Strathyre on the A84 at the gateway to the Highlands where Perthshire, The Trossachs and Stirlingshire meet. The couple has earned a reputation for scrumptious pub and bistro food, real ale, coal fires, traditional music and great chat. They also offer comfortable accommodation for holidaymakers and passers by.

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.

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.