Carradale harbour is looking a bit sad these days. Once the centre of a hectic fishing fleet it used to throng with activity, and those of you who have come for years will remember how it was the place to be . Now it has a tiny fleet of small fishing boats, is messy and run down.

But don't worry! We have plans. The Harbour Group (CHUG ) is working hard to make improvements. Not easy in these days of belt tightening and closing rural schools, but we are slowly arriving at a consensus of what should be done, and how to do it. Most importantly it is to be a community project. Everyone must be involved and have their say - fishermen, local pleasure boats, visiting yachts, visitors, and the local community.

To this end we had a great meeting in the Hall last week; Mike did a presentation with loads of slides - just look at what Tarbert has done in the last 2 years - there was plenty of chat, a cup of tea, and lots of questionnaires returned - all enthusiastic.

So we'll keep you up to date with progress.

The camellia's never been as good! Those plants that survived the winter - and most of them did apart from a very precious passion flower and most of the abutilons - are doing brilliantly. This little treasure between the two cottages is looking marvellous and will go on flowering for some time, although resorts to green glossiness when the majority of visitors are here! Moral - come to Carradale in the Spring when it really excells. The fields are full of lambs leaping around and doing all the things that lambs do, and it's all primroses and violets and daffodils.

Not so good news for those of you who likeThe Glen restaurant; the girls have had to close it and have left the village. So until it's sold that's one less drinking and eating place. And the petrol pumps have closed too, so fill up in Lochgilphead. But everywhere else is up and running and looking forward to seeing you.

Yes, you may well wonder at the symbolism of a narrowboat on a cottages blog, but Mike and I have just had a smashing week-end sailing from the Falkirk Wheel to Edinburgh and back in a dear little narrowboat. Which reminded me that it was our holidays on narrowboats that inspired Mike's design for the studio cottages. When we took over Colin's cottage it was a rather run-down 3 bedroom family cottage, but we had found that staying on a well-designed, compact little narrowboat was great for a holiday. Much tinier than our studio cottages but with all mod cons it was all you needed for a week's break, and fun as well. So he designed the studio cottages to be compact, well appointed, and hassle free. Hope you think he succeeded.

Lots of lovely rhododendrons out around the estate, although a spot of frost last week has damaged some of them and turned the edges brown. But they are wonderful tropical looking flowers and very cheering after a long bleak winter. Daffodils too, just everywhere. Kintyre is brilliant for daffodils, they pop up everywhere. I found a lovely little bunch growing among the trees by the river, and all along the shore walk there are sudden unexpected flashes of yellow. How on earth do they get there?

Place is still quiet, though two of our cottages are occupied this week, and there are enough places open round and about to ensure you can get a meal, or have a nice jaunt some where. Portavadie is proving a very popular haunt - get the wee ferry across from Tarbert and find yourself in an unexpectedly plush marina with super food, lovely shop, and sensible prices.

Sadly the Semple's petrol station had had its last load of petrol, so make sure you fill up at Lochgilphead or Campbeltown. It will be quite a loss to the village -there are talks of a Community buy-out, but I think that's beyond us!

Well here we are, a bit more Springlike. These are the snowdrops in Colin's garden. When Colin lived in the cottage the show was much admired by passers by, and when we revamped the garden we made sure the snowdrops stayed.

After a rotton Christmas, when the water actually froze up and we had to cancel our Christmas visitors, things have much improved! New Year people managed down and since then it's been all go. If you are tempted - like lots of others - by our last minute 25% discount just give us a call as that's the easiest way to organise it at short notice. Otherwise on-line booking lets you see just when there are vacancies.

On the water front we have been trying for about 3 years to get connected up to the mains , which runs along the bottom of Mhairi's garden. As they are going to be metering it you'd think Scottish Water would be delighted to help. However they make it so difficult what with drawings of flows, and estimated usage etc etc we just keep giving up. But we'll persevere as we don't want a repeat of last Christmas, and if you want to taste our nice pure unchlorinated supply, you can still pop up the hill to the tank!

Looking forward to seeing lots of familiar faces this coming season; you will be amazed at Mikes building works on the house!

Well, winter has certainly not hit us as badly as some places. Very cold, but little snow - two days so far when the post hasn't got up. As you can imagine, the slightest fall of snow makes getting in and out of Carradale very tricky.

Anyway, just to remind you that there is still room for Christmas, though New Year is booked up. We never seem to be very busy at Christmas - people like to be in their own homes. But you do get a Christmas tree if you come!

Lots of bookings already coming in for next year. After two years of keeping prices the same we have had to put them up a wee bit but hope you still feel the cottages are good value. Talking to friends who have rented in other parts of the West coast, we are far too easy going. Pay when you leave, leave the place tidy (some cottages have a cleaning regime laid down to the last square inch of hoovering) , and of course dogs are more than welcome.

Nice new flat screen TV in Mhairi's and we'll get some for the studios as well. Friends in the village who will be nameless, still have their original 35 year old TV, but we feel you deserve better! And who knows what other little improvements we might come up with. Blinds on the studio front doors! Mike realised that some regulars actually brought a curtain along with them; we had just never thought that whizzing into the loo might cause privacy problems!

But we've still to work out how to fit them up.

This is when Douglas Cottage comes into its own. This very murky photo of the chimney with a wee puff of smoke coming out is supposed to show you that now that winter is nearly upon us you can have a lovely cosy little cottage with the wood burning stove puffing away. The last couple in - who come into the category of very frequent visitors - actually brought all their own fuel as they are clearing out Mum's house! Heaven knows what was burnt in there this week.

Mhairi's has a nice wood burner as well, while Colin's just relies on winter sunshine streaming through the windows.