Category: Uncategorized

Our secluded fenced garden

Published on by myrtlecottagefindhornLeave a comment

Myrtle Cottage Findhorn is unusual in having a fenced garden, and having the doorway opening onto a private area, rather than a public laneway.

Most of the cottages in Findhorn face south, capturing warmth and light from the sun. Our garden is often a wonderful quiet sun trap, where you can relax and easily doze off.

It is also perfect for small children, and a dog if you’ve decided to bring her or him with you.

We hope you enjoy the flowers in the garden beds, and the small area of flat grass too!

 

 

Photos on Facebook

Published on by myrtlecottagefindhornLeave a comment

There are some more photos of Myrtle and Findhorn on our facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Myrtle-Cottage-Findhorn/348855044022?sk=photos_albums

Scottish Traditional Boat Festival

Published on by myrtlecottagefindhornLeave a comment

If you are interested in beautiful local food, music, ceilidhs, sea shanties, scottish dancing, smoked herrings, or even boats, then this wonderful festival taking place on June 26th and 27th 2010, is a must.

All the events take place round the 500 year old harbur of Portsoy, about 30-40 minutes due east of Findhorn.

Extract from the Scottish Traditional Boat Festival 2010 website:

‘Nestled in the northeast corner of Scotland, between Inverness and Aberdeen, Portsoy’s Scottish Traditional Boat Festival provides a holiday or short break destination with something for everyone – a real family affair.

The 2010 Festival has set its sights on helping bring the great traditional skills of the past into the future for folk of all ages, the young in particular.

The Festival puts a special emphasis on boat building, restoration and sailing, and on associated traditional crafts, music and art. The 2010 programme also includes a Food Fayre, a fun run and a 10K road run – a feast of opportunities for all to see, take part in and enjoy.’



Photos courtesy of the Scottish Traditional Boat Festival website.

Eckhart Tolle’s Findhorn Retreat

Published on by myrtlecottagefindhorn1 Comment

‘The Wisdom and Magic of Eckhart Tolle at Findhorn

Eckhart Tolle, renowned for the simple and powerful truths in his books and talks, led an extraordinary two-day retreat at Findhorn, the famous spiritual community in Scotland. The entire event was filmed and edited into an extraordinary four-hour video experience.’
Book and DVD : link to Eckhart Tolle’s website  here.

Eckhart Tolle in Findhorn- Google video part I

Eckhart Tolle in Findhorn- Google video part II

Priceless Renaissance drawings on show at Findhorn

Published on by myrtlecottagefindhornLeave a comment

‘THE lights have been dimmed at Moray Art Centre to protect a priceless collection of 600-year-old Italian Renaissance drawings due to be exhibited next week.

Steps are being taken to protect the anonymous 15th and 16th-century pieces against fading and discolouration.’

Nairn Book and Arts Festival

Published on by myrtlecottagefindhornLeave a comment

The Nairn Book and Arts Festival, June 5th to 13th, takes place in the Victorian seaside town of Nairn, with its Championship Golf Course and Tidal Swimming Pool.

You need to click on this link to appreciate the wonderful array of speakers and writers.

BBC: ‘Nairn festival signs up first female poet laureate’ (link to article)

On the far side of the Firth you’ll catch glimpses of snow on the mountains of Sutherland. Yes, as late as June! Yet on the beach it can be as warm as Cornwall or Brittany.

The sun won’t set until after 10pm, and starts to rise two or three hours later. Very disconcerting if you’ve spent a little too long in the pub!

Myrtle Cottage Findhorn , our self catering cottage in Findhorn, only 15-20 minutes from Nairn, is available in June.

If you are interested in a booking for a week or a long weekend, please get in touch with us at simoncwinfield@hotmail.com.

Whisky Festival on Speyside starts next week!

Published on by myrtlecottagefindhornLeave a comment

What are you doing next week?

Take a trip to Speyside, where you will find a huge number of Whisky related events at the annual Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival.

If you are staying in Findhorn, then only 10 minutes away Benromach, Brodie Castle, and the Knockomie Hotel are hosting whisky tastings and tours of the distillery (link to Speyside Whisky Festival site).

Benromach stills

In the other direction, towards Elgin and Dufftown (a regular bus service operates from Findhorn, departing 10 paces away from Myrtle Cottage) you will be able to visit and taste the whiskies of 15 or more distilleries on Speyside.

There are so many events still available, and so much going on, that the best thing for you to do right now is click here to go to the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival.

Myrtle Cottage is currently available for rent for the duration of the Festival.

Speyside

Sailing in Findhorn Bay – the season has started

Published on by myrtlecottagefindhornLeave a comment

We landed on the white sandy shores of Findhorn Bay, just beneath the tall pine trees of Culbin Forest. Having made sure the dinghy was secure, and the picnic gathered up, we climbed up across the grass and up the sandy slopes to sit beneath the trees.

The sense of remoteness was amazing, like being on a distant Caribbean island. Yet only a few hundred yards across the bay lay the small houses of Findhorn, nestled close to each other for comfort. A bit like Swallows and Amazons!

Sailing on Findhorn Bay is an experience not to be missed. Fortunately it is now available to all. You don’t need to have your own boat, or be a member of the Findhorn Yacht Club.

Simon Paterson is doing wonderful things down at the ‘Marina’, having invested in a fleet of Topper dinghies, and sourcing great instructors.

He offers sailing experience trips and courses, for adults and kids, ranging from two hours, to two, four and five days, as well as evenings in the summer.

Findhorn Marina also offer more advanced courses, for example on spinnaker training, as well as onshore based navigation and offshore powerboat courses.

So please take a look at his website for something that will definitely suit you, whether you are 8 or 80 years old.

Happy sailing!!

Findhorn Marina link here.

Adventure activities on the Findhorn River

Published on by myrtlecottagefindhornLeave a comment

The River Findhorn supplies an abundance of food to the Bay, evidenced by seals and seagulls feeding at the line between the peaty river waters, and the clear saltwater of the Moray Firth.

It is renowned as a fabulous river to fish, by many expert flyfishers staking their skills against the salmon swimming upstream.

One other sport that seems to be increasingly popular is kayaking or white water rafting in the upper and middle stretches of the Findhorn. The river is graded from Category II to IV, and sports many gullies and rocks to negotiate on your downstream trip.

A couple of local operators are G2 Outdoor, and Full On Adventure. We haven’t yet used or experienced either of these operators, so are unable to recommend them personally. However a call to Tourist Information at Aviemore will likely yield a recommendation.

Have fun! You’ll be glad of that whisky in front of the roaring fire at The Kimberly on your return to Findhorn.

Photo courtesy http://www.g2outdoor.co.uk

Wildlife in and around Findhorn

Published on by myrtlecottagefindhorn3 Comments

BBC’s Springwatch filmed Dolphins feeding at Chanonry Point, on the north shore of the Moray Firth, about an hour from Findhorn via Inverness.

‘Chanonry Point is a spit of land protruding into a narrow, deep channel, with a steeply shelving beach where dolphins come in to the shallows to feed on the salmon and sea trout brought in by converging currents.

Around 100 Dolphins live here in the cold waters of the most northerly colony on Earth, one of only two colonies in the UK.‘ – BBC Natures Calendar (link).

If you wish to plan a trip to view local wildlife, including the Dolphins, contact Wild at Heart’s Deborah Benham, who lives in Findhorn (link).

For information on other ways or places to view dolphins, take a look at the Dolphin Space Programme website (link).

Photo by Charlie Phillips http://www.charliephillipsimages.co.uk

For something a little closer to home, contact NatureWalk Findhorn (link).

Or plan your own birdwatching by using  the RSPB website. RSPB Culbin Sands is a short distance away (link). You are just as likely to see a large number of waders and even an Osprey, sitting in front of the Kimberly Pub with a binoculars in one hand, and a beer in the other!

Either way, you will find an abundance of wildlife year round in and around Findhorn.

Off season we are happy to entertain short break or weekend bookings for you at Myrtle Cottage Findhorn.

Join Myrtle Cottage on Facebook

Published on by myrtlecottagefindhornLeave a comment

I am increasingly finding that Facebook is a great way to stay in touch with friends, and also services, such as cafes, music events, and products that I like and buy.

So we have created a Facebook page for Myrtle Cottage Findhorn.

Please join us, and become a fan by clicking here.

Findhorn Bay and Culbin Forest

Myrtle Cottage Findhorn – come and stay

Published on by myrtlecottagefindhornLeave a comment

A captivating little cottage, recently renovated to create a simple bright home in the heart of Findhorn.

Original artwork adorns the walls, a Morso woodburning stove warms the living room, and a refurbished kitchen features Habitat units.

Myrtle sleeps 6, in two doubles (one en suite) and one twin.

An enclosed garden, with lawn and outdoor seating areas, allows for privacy, yet is only yards from the back door of the bakery, the village shop and post office, and the cafe.

The two excellent pubs are but a couple of minutes walk, as is the Royal Findhorn Yacht Club and the bay. The golden beaches are a 5 minute stroll, and the Findhorn Foundation a 15 minute walk.

Reminders of the setting for Local Hero* with echoes of Nantucket, todays Findhorn is the second incarnation of a small fishing village and natural harbour (the first was washed away in the 17th Century).

Stone built fishermans cottages nestle together, interwoven with small lanes where kids can cycle around without a care in the world. Empty golden beaches surround the village, on both the Moray Firth and the wonderful expanse of Findhorn Bay where Ospreys fish for salmon. Seals guard the entrance to the bay, while bottlenose dolphins cavort in the Firth.

The ‘Moray Hole’ provides a wonderful microclimate,  protecting Findhorn from the prevailing wet westerly winds.  The Monadliath Mountains in the west and the Grampians to the south take the rainfall, leaving Findhorn with sunshine, little rain and no midgies!

Visitors say they ‘loved the sleeper train up from London’, and sending the kids every morning to ‘the bakery just past the garden gate’.

Myrtle Cottage  is available from £400 per week, or £200 per weekend. See the Availability and Rates page for details.

*In fact Local Hero was filmed at Pennan on the Aberdeenshire coast, about 1 1/2 hours due east of Findhorn.