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| 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.
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| 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!
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| 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 1st 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.
