27th March

7th May

A gorgeous day.

The swallows and House Martains have been back a few days now swooping across the sky.

I have been outside painting a chair on the deck and our lovely little robin came up and stood on the table next to me waiting for a few sunflower seeds.

We are sure that her nest (we call her a "her" because my wife says she is a considerate bird!) is close by and she will eat a seed and then take a beak full away and come back a minute or two later for more.

Her boldness is breathtaking and she will come to within inches of us and wait to be acknowledged. 

9th May

Most times of the year we can take a walk around the castle gardens and not be disappointed but for me this time of year is magical as the scent of the azalea wafts along the woodland paths. As if that were not enough the spectacle of the rhododendron and azalea is breathtaking with their colours just resembling an artists palette board with colours mixed and smudged together.

Sadly a lot of very substantial trees have come down in the winter storms which are more ferocious these days but strangely do not look out of place in this woodland setting.

It looks like this year there should be an excellent crop of strawberries. I have allowed them to grow all over the vegetable garden so anyone who is up here when they are ripe should have more than enough to enjoy morning, noon and night.

Last year they started cropping at the end of June and went all through July.

So if you are up here during that time... go for it, if you dont the blackbirds will have a feast!!

10th May

Its such a shame we are only here until the end of this week as the garden is looking really pretty right now

14th May

We took an hour off and walked up the track above us and across the fields that link up to Golf Course Road.

On our way we went past the little falls at Fairy Glen, it feels magical at this time of year now the wild garlic is in bloom.

If you are carful you can walk up the flat rock slabs that lie almost on the surface, it's like walking on water. When there is plenty of rain the falls look even better but then its too deep to walk up.

Its a lovely walk direct from Ad Astra, and once past Fairy Glen you can walk on and up onto the community land and look out over The Firth of Clyde and from there either loop back into the village or walk up to the spectacular GlenAshdale Falls and beyond that Giants Graves