Good morning.  My name's McUgly and I help Trish & Mike with the cottages. This is me doing my bit in the office.

My other duties involve checking the cottages while Trish puts in the tea and biscuits, just to make sure that Catherine has got them up to scratch, keeping the log pile replenished ( I can usually manage two or three small logs a day), and welcoming visitors when they arrive.

I particularly like it when some of the visitors are dogs;  since my dear friend Ginny passed away I have been a wee bit lonely and it's terrific meeting new friends ( and of course my old friend Toby ,( a regular visitor). I show them where the best smells are, direct them to the forest walks, and if they are townie dogs I gently explain that when you're in the country you don't chase sheep, kill hens, or demand to go and see the vet just because you've been bitten by a tick.  Wimps!  One visitor's dog last summer (fortunately not staying with us) actually despatched four of Mike's lovely wee black bantams, so it does happen. And just so embarassing for everyone.

Sadly I really don't get on with alsations ( or German shepherd dogs which they now call them, but it doesn't fool me) so I'm afraid they're not allowed in.  Sorry chaps.

I have been slightly confused with the new pricing system although Trish has explained that they've made it much easier so I can take on more of the bookwork. Anyway it does seem to be very easy - a flat nightly rate with a couple of discounts.  Just phone me up if you're stuck.

Anyway, time to get on with tidying up the kitchen floor - have a nice day.

NEW PRICING REGIME!!!!!

Fed up with working out different weekly bands for all the cottages then getting them on to our various web sites, coupled with the fact that most of our bookings are now short stays, we have totally changed the pricing system to make it (hopefully) easier for everyone.  We just have one nightly charge throughout the year - £75 per night for Mhairi's, £60 for the studios - and then two basic discounts.  Book well ahead and you get 15% off, book at the very last minute and you get 20% off.  We'll see how it goes.

For those old stagers who come every year in high summer,  and book well ahead, you will find quite a reduction in your rate.  Book now!!!!  Be tempted!!!!   Or leave it to the very last minute and hope something is free.

As ever you can easily book on line and already the site is set up to accommodate the changes.

After a dismal summer, slightly compensated for by a stunning autumn, it is quite a thought to be gearing up for 2013.  In an effort to ensure it will be a mild winter, we have just put huge winter tyres onto the car - memories of an epic night when I spent an hour pushing our large Passat up Saddell brae while Mike leaned out of the window shouting 'push harder'  made me insist we take some sort of action. The ignomy that night  was that all the little cars with narrow wheels whizzed past us waving gaily.

Anyway, all we can hope for is a bit of dry weather, and no collapsing Rest and Be Thankful.

See you soon.