Atholl Estates Newsletter

Atholl Estates Newsletter

Winter 2018/19

Welcome

As always there is a wealth of news from the estate covering a vast range of topics, but I would like to draw attention to the length of time many people work here. This was celebrated at a reception held in the castle ballroom in October (pages 8 & 9). Immediately after the Parade weekend in May, the Atholl Highlanders left for a tour of some of the Belgium and French battle fields. A moving experience, especially 100 years after WW1. An article will appear in the spring/summer newsletter, published just before next year's parade and gathering weekend. The castle has enjoyed three `exhibitions' this year, Victoria which was covered in the last newsletter, `The Witch's Dinner Party' a Hallowe'en treat and now the rooms look very festive with their winter decorations. On that note may I wish you all a very happy Christmas. Sarah Troughton

New faces

Julia Duncan - the estate ranger

Derek Laubscher - gardener and castle

relief caretaker

Hugh Chamberlain ? farm manager, Balanloan

We also welcome: Shona MacDonald - park receptionist, Rosilynne Thomson - the Convalloch house keeper, Lesley Meldrum, Sarah Carr, Hazel Bird and Kirsty Scott also join the lodges' housekeeping team.

Oliver Jones, Jamie Gunn, David Farquharson and Paul Boyle join the estate as seasonal keepers.

We say goodbye to... Karen Haggart, assistant shop manager for 22 years, Polly Freeman who was ranger here for 19 years, Margo Haggart, shop manager for over 22 years, Anne Muirhead, caravan park receptionist since April 1997, Jackie Todhunter ? Convalloch house keeper, Janette Cumming ? Marble Lodge house keeper, Jamie Davies ? gardener, Gavin Morrow ? works dept, Darren Brown and Timothy Angier seasonal ghillies.

Front cover: Bruar Falls, guest article by Patrick Birkbeck page 10

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Issue 32

News in brief

Alba, the hydro industry's Scottish association, held their annual away day viewing two of the Atholl Hydro schemes. Seen here at the Tulliemet intake, they then held a meeting at Blair Castle followed by a view of the castle scheme and the hill drain that feeds it.

V&A Dundee: Blair Castle were delighted to host an evening for the V&A Dundee, supported by Sodexo. Over 90 people listened to director Philip Long describe how the museum would house a fine Scottish collection, including a laburnum wood chair on loan from the castle, there is a state of the art exhibition space and the general description of `a living room for Dundee' was a well-used phrase.

Along with many other Scottish sites, Blair Castle was lit red to commemorate 100 years since the end of WW1.

Max Edward Onions, born to Jules, the estate marketing manager, and her husband Sam in May.

Tilt Monster Salmon Nicholas Munro Ferguson caught a 20lb salmon on the Tilt, when the river was nearly at full flood. He was fishing with a fly he calls the luttrell, on a 9.6ft 7# rod and it took him roughly 200 yards below where he hooked it, taking 20-30 minutes to land. A personal best fish for Nicholas, who returned the fish after weighing and photographing it.

Winter 2018/19

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Activities on Atholl

Errochty Smolt trapping

The Murray Cup

A few thousand migrating salmon smolts each spring (principally April / early May) out of a total population possibly in the region of 50,000, are implanted with a PIT tag, a bit like the chips they put in dogs for ID. These are inserted through a tiny incision in the body of the fish into the body cavity and "lives" in the fish for the rest of its life. This technique is now quite widely used in various places and doesn't seem to cause significant additional mortality above natural to the smolts. On their return to freshwater as adult salmon the "chipped" fish will then be detected by an automatic device to be installed in the fish pass at Pitlochry Dam. As such detectors have only a range of a foot or two, the fact that all Tummel fish have to go through the dam makes it one of the few places in Scotland of this size where such a project can be conducted. In effect it will be possible to work out the level of mortality year on year from smolts leaving and returning to the River Tummel.

This rainbow in lower Glen Tilt was photographed from the 500 yard firing point at the end of West Atholl Rifle Club's championship shoot for the Murray Cup, first donated by Mrs Angela Murray, mother of Sarah Troughton. The cup was first shot for in 1946, but the present one dates only from 1955 for the following reasons. In those days it was the custom that if someone won a trophy three years running, they kept it. This happened within a few years and Mrs Murray was asked to provide a second, which she generously did. In 1954 another member became entitled to keep it for the same reason. Mrs Murray was asked to provide a third, and understandably suggested that it was time for the club to seek a replacement from another source. The present cup was donated by "G I Murray Esq" who became the 10th Duke in 1957. It is engraved as the "Perpetual Challenge Trophy", a clear indication that no replacement would be provided! It is shot for annually toward the end of the shooting season, maintaining the club's link with the Murray family. This photograph incidentally shows a common feature on our range. The wind flags, which tell us by how much and which way to adjust our sights, are pointing in different directions: one reason why our range is known as the most difficult in the UK on which to shoot well.

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Issue 32

New Clubhouse For Tullymet Curlers

For centuries, Scots have taken to frozen

ponds and lochs in winter to play the sport

of curling and when conditions allow it is

a sight that can still be seen and heard in

Highland Perthshire.

In Tulliemet, curling has been played since

the mid 1800s following the establishment

of Tullymet Curling Club in 1840. Its

members had previously played as a division

of Dunkeld Curling Club whose patron was

the Duke of Atholl.

Tullymet Curling Club originally played

matches on a small lochan in the hills above Tulliemet, before moving to a pond at

Tullymet Curling Club pond and new clubhouse Official opening ? (L to R) Graham Huggins, SSE

Convalloch in 1889. In the mid 1950s work Griffin and Calliachar Community Fund panel member,

began on a new purpose-built pond on land with Tullymet Curling Club member Willie Cameron

provided by Atholl Estates, with the first game

cutting the ribbon and president Ian McLaren

being played on the pond in January 1958.

Sixty years on, 2018 saw the club erect a new clubhouse overlooking the pond. Its construction

was made possible following fundraising by club members, a ?600 donation from the Atholl

Ice Fund and over ?6,500 of grant funding from the SSE Griffin and Calliachar Community Fund.

Manufactured by Errol-based Gillies and MacKay, the new timber building was officially opened

by the club's longest serving member, Willie Cameron, who joined the club nearly 70 years ago.

The club's current honorary president is Sarah Troughton, and its membership comprises three

honorary non-playing members and 14 playing members who curl in Dewars Centre in Perth.

Keen to showcase the new building, the club recently held a walking treasure hunt round part

of Tulliemet, which started and finished at the curling pond. The well attended event proved

popular and the club is looking to hold another treasure hunt in 2019.

In the meantime, as the first signs of winter begin to appear, the club is hoping for a prolonged

cold spell in which to make full use of the new clubhouse and enjoy an outdoor bonspiel or two.

Beretta Photo Shoot Six members of Atholl Estates staff became fashion models for a short time in June. Italian firearms company Beretta came to shoot their Autumn Winter 2018 catalogue and social media campaigns on the estate. Richard Fraser, Ryan Cumming, Nicky Townshend, Dominic Morrogh-Bernard, Benjamin Rhodes and Tim Angier all lent their modelling skills. The results can be seen at berettaofficial

Winter 2018/19

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