People Reflecting Waves in The Four Seasons Hotel Beach Garden Loch Earn

Have you driven past The Four Seasons Hotel and lodges in St Fillans lately thinking that you have seen ghostly men and women in the water?  

Standing Figure by Rob Mulholland at The Four Seasons Hotel in St Fillans

The Four Seasons by Rob Mulholland

Residents and guests will know that  they are sculptures standing in the water in front of the hotel's garden and jetty on Loch Earn.  

You could stare at them for hours.

The mirrored figures reflect Loch Earn whether calm or with waves.  All you see is the  outline of a standing figure. 

The sculptures are called "The Four Seasons" by Rob Mulholland, an installation artist who graduated from Edinburgh College of Art in 1986 and is now acclaimed internationally. 

"This installation 'The Four Seasons', particularly with the pier, suggests a mood of anticipation, as if the figures are awaiting the return of others sent on a distant passage. It refers to a sense of homecoming, returning and re-connecting to our ancestral roots. The title also refers to the passing of time and natural cycle of the seasons, which are physically and metaphorically reflected in the figures."

See more of his impressive pieces and commissions here Rob Mulholland  or drive along the picturesque A85 at the east end of Loch Earn to see these examples for yourself. Stay at The Four Seasons Hotel and you can take a much closer look,  relax by the water, watch the sun set, fish from the jetty or launch a small boat and kayak 

An Olympic Seafood Festival

Following the great success of its taster menu focusing on Scottish produce in winter and early spring Achary House Hotel in rural Perthshire is running a Seafood Taster night during the Olympics from July 27th to August 12th. The taster will be a six small courses, each featuring Scottish sea produce (even the dessert!). Langoustine Rates for two people are from £180 to £150, depending on the room booked. This includes the six course seafood taster menu and breakfast the following morning as well as an overnight stay. To book, call 0560 368 4252.

LETI: Alan and Jane Gibson are the proprietors of The Achray House Hotel in St Fillans Perthshire overlooking Loch Earn from the restaurant, bar and outdoor decking.  Check their website for information on accommodation, food and drink, short breaks and a choice of hotel or holiday lodge accommodation. 

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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.

Achray House Hotel St Fillans - Conservatory Restaurant Dining Offer

Enjoy a fantastic fixed price lunch in our conservatory restaurant overlooking Loch Earn in Perthshire, priced at £9.99 for two courses, or £12.99 for three courses. Options include our home made venison burgers served with a whisky tomato relish, or a winter salad dressed with our house vinaigrette, made with rapeseed oil grown and produced locally. Available Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday until Easter at the Achray House Hotel, St Fillans, Perthshire.

LETI: Alan and Jane Gibson are the owners of the Achray House Hotel and lodges on the banks of Loch Earn in the picturesque village of St Fillans, Perthshire. Whether you are looking for an activity break or relaxation have a look at their Perthshire accommodation website offering 8 hotel bedrooms and 2 lodges.

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.