It certainly has been a fresh start to this new year. The mountains are still white and snow is still on and off, as is our outside work. The animals are starting to shed their winter coats and our first daffodil has finally made an appearance, which is more than I can say for the grass.  Hay and wood prices have soared and suppliers have found it hard to keep up with demand. It does look as though temperatures and going to be staying above freezing this week though so maybe that is winter closing the door behind herself, finally.

our first daffodil coming into flower 2018

The deer have had a very hard winter and will be very glad when the new shoots finally emerge. The dog for one though is very happy with the white stuff

Disgruntled Deer

Happy dog

We have been very busy with the woodcrafts over this off season and would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our customers retail and wholesale, for making it possible for us to keep our crafting evolving and thriving. We have new lines added to our collections, many inspired by the museums we have been working with as well as a lot of commission work. We enjoy the challenge and diversity.

Steve loves the camera and will do anything for a photo!

The finished product.

Handmade natural wooden hooks

A few more lines added to the craft side too, there are barely any left to go into the online shops and most are sold before they are made, which is a good thing as it is now 2.30 am and I am writing this post, on this page I have been neglecting shamelessly. Steve will adjust my spelling mistakes and punctuation at 6.30am just before our free zone runs out at 7am.

Getting fibre broadband by the end of year as promised will be life changing for us! Yay sleep.

There is a new page added to the top menu that you may have noticed, Steve has written a new album of songs over the winter and we are starting a new music sharing page for musicians of all talents to share their original material. It is being admin-ed by myself and some of Steves bandmates from down on the bottom of the uk so it really is a coast to coast project. It has been really nice to spend some time chatting with them again as leaving our friends and family to move 700 miles away was a real wrench and takes it’s toll. The page is only 2 days old but being well received we think. We have met some talented and individual characters, which has been an inspiration in it’s own right.

A few more pictures to close tonight/this morning and please do keep an eye on the new page as it builds.

I am also going to add a page featuring  all of the locations our crafts are now being sold. I will include a write up about each as well as  links to their online websites. 

Some photo’s of the very snowy start to 2018 in The Scottish Highlands. Absolutely beautiful. The best seat in the garden to watch 

a snowy garden wall with the sun rising above the snowy mountains across The Kyle of Tongue 20/1/2018

not a day for driving, a wonderful day for walking

the horses taking it all in their stride and having a nap in the snow.

we have been very busy with the woodcrafts making new stock for our retail outlets. These are heading to Barn Owl Bothy arts and craft shop in the beautiful cathedral city of Dornoch. This is a Cherrywood feature button with a tartan backing on our handmade paper finished with a string and stick to hang beautifully in your craft space before use, which also makes a beautiful presentation as a gift.

this is a beautiful little cherrywood keyring with we think would make a lovely gift for valentines day.

this is slightly bigger and works well as a little tea light holder or shot glass place mat. With a Scottish knot work Highland heart design . These are heading with our new stock to Barn owl Bothy in Dornoch. If you would like a special design then please contact us with your requests.

The thaw has now started and the new year is taking shape. Our guest room calendar is filling up fast  and we are starting to book our craft stalls for the coming year at the Highland game fairs and local craft markets. We are trying to build up some new stock as well as replenish our favourite lines which are diminishing fast. We are hoping to plant some new fragrant herbs for our essential oils and some more coppice trees on the croft. The shelter belt needs to be thickened to protect the fruit trees as the willow is taking so much longer to grow up here on such an exposed site. The deer help themselves too which does not help! We are really trying to hold off having to put up deer fencing and hoping to plant a ratio which will leave us enough even with them taking a few. Maybe wishful thinking but only time will tell. That’s it for now as it is now almost 7am and our free zone internet will allowance finishes at 7am.