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.

Well, I know you will all be worrying whether Dougie our neighbouring farmer has got the barley in, so he can get away to his beloved Iona for a week's holiday. It's O.K., it's in. This was a glorious day when they started cutting, then followed by awful rain, but it dried up again and now the field is full of sheep.

A wonderfully clear night last night and so it's back to star gazing. We have no light pollution at all and looking towards the bay over the months you can get a marvellous idea of the constellations as they drift round. Last night there were lots of shooting stars, and now we are coming up, hopefully, to more sun spot activity we should start seeing the Northern lights.

The other night I was very confused by a large orange globe drifting towards me, but I think it must have been a Chinese Lantern (the huge gangs that book all the houses at Saddell are prone to releasing things like this!!!)

For the first time since April we have a wee respite! and only because we had a cancellation. Cottages have been busier than ever this year and we have had so many super people to stay - and lots of lovely very well-behaved dogs as well. But it was all out on Monday for an empty few days - just as well as the wonderful Catherine who looks after them for us is on holiday. In such times Mike and I get down to the changeovers. For years Mike managed the Caravan Site on Carradale Bay and there is not a thing he doesn't know about cleaning, so they usually get an extra dust when he's on duty. Two days of heavy rain didn't help things on the drying front - life in Carradale without a tumble drier would not be funny. But all the cottages have them which does help.

Out brambling at the week-end and got about 2lb in half an hour - they make wonderful jam. Hazelnuts are good this year but having picked pounds one season and ended up with 1/4 oz by the time I'd spent a whole evening shelling them, I just cheat and buy them on the Co-op. We have terrific chanterelles in the woods behind us as well, so country living has its perks.