Buzzard informing the community Issue 49 - June 2018

www.braemarbuzzard.org.uk

Let’s celebrate! So much is happening in Braemar...

Braemar’s G7 Ukulele Band playing at the Ballater Duck festival Sunday June 3rd

A Scout Group to be Braemar Care proud of… The Braemar Care team are delighted to announce that they are now a registered charity. Encouraging adventurous Susie Farquharson is now in post as care coordina- activities amongst our young folk - tor for Braemar Care. The recruitment, interviewing with every sort of pursuit from and training of carers is currently underway with fishing, biking, shelter building, walking the Lairig Aberdeenshire Council. The next step for Braemar Ghru, first aid skills, camping, sailing…. The Care is to launch their volunteer scheme. Volun- scouts and explorer scouts run the Burns Supper teers can sign up and will be able to help locals by every year and also team up with John doing odd jobs like cleaning, cooking or house- Macpherson to run the miniature railway at work, also take clients to hospital appointments Balmoral races to help raise funds for activities. and many other helpful tasks. To promote the The scouts and explorer scouts are holding volunteer scheme the Braemar Care team are a special Village ‘Rounders and BBQ’ evening in holding an afternoon cream tea on Thursday 21st the playpark (up past the fire station) on 28th June from 2pm – 4pm in Braemar Village Hall. If June, from 7pm. Everyone is invited - young you would like to find out more about volunteering and old, and they would like to particularly please come along and the team will be happy to encourage any parents with school aged children help with any questions or ideas you may have. If to come along. you would like to find out more about caring or volunteering please contact Susie Farquharson on 013397 41382 or email [email protected]. Braemar Creative Arts Festival Has been busy organising mid-year mini festivals - a drama weekend (April); creative Inside this issue… vegetarian cookery workshops (May); play writing Page 2 Community Update Page 3 Councillor’s (May); wire bird making (June). Corner; Books… Page 4 Braemar Folk - Doreen The festival itself will take place from th th Wood Page 5& 6 Clubs & Societies news and Wednesday 24 October - Sunday 28 and a full activities Page 7 The Lairig Ghru part 2 Page 8 programme brochure will be included in the Braemar Castle; St Margaret’s Page 9 Invercauld September Buzzard. Bookings are currently being th Estate News; Fife update Page 10 Ads taken for stalls at the Braemarket on the 28 - Page 11 Junior Buzzard Page 12 What’s On Email: [email protected]

Aly Bain & Phil Cuningham are coming to There’s a new issue of Braemar

the Village Hall - 1st August Community Matters enclosed inside to pin up and keep. http://philandalhy.com/ 1 Braemar Buzzard informing the community Issue 49 - June 2018 Community Update:

St Andrews Church to raise awareness of the Church`s history and its part in past village life, Braemar News Group (and to raise funds of course!) we will be hosting www.braemarbuzzard.org.uk afternoon teas on a Monday and Wednesday 2-4 pm throughout July & August. Donations Chair: Pete Mulvey Treasurer: Dorothy Ramsay welcome but your visit more so. When the weather is good, croquet equipment will be left out, please Secretary: Margaret Palmer 013397 41590 feel free to use it. Buzzard Editor: Liz Robertson 013397 41030 Anyone for Badminton or Table Tennis? Please send any news/letters/articles to Interested? then please phone Carole on By email: [email protected] 07708001798 or catch her when you see her. By post: Coldrach Lodge,Chapel Brae AB35 5YT If there is sufficient interest we could get a group together. By phone: 013397 41030 Kindrochit Castle The children at Braemar For advertising: contact Maggie MacKay school are now working on the design of a new flag 013397 41245. Adverts cost £20 per eighth of a for the site to replace the previous one which was page. damaged in gales last year – and to keep the

Past and current editions of the Buzzard together with current children engaged with the castle. The drawings which they prepare will be combined into the ’live’ events calendar (updated between a final form by a graphic designer employed by the issues) can be viewed online (in FULL colour!) on our Council who will then pay for the making up of new website: www.braemarbuzzard.org.uk Copies are flags. delivered free of charge within the locality of Village Sign Competition - the deadline for Braemar. Extra copies can be obtained from the entries has been extended to the end of August. garage, the art gallery, the ’Speciality Shop’ and the The village is in search of some tasteful, eye newsagent/pharmacy. The Buzzard is funded by catching and unique ‘welcome’ and ‘farewell’ advertising and donations - donation tins are at all signage, and there’s a £100 prize up for grabs! For these outlets for any very welcome contribution competition details see the previous issue of the towards costs. Buzzard (available online at www.braemarbuzzard.org.uk) Entries to be A big ‘thank you’ to Braemar Hydro for a £200 handed in at the Chemist. grant which has been used to produce this Braemar & Crathie Parish Churches issue’s ‘Community Matters’ and will cover the Christian Aid week raised £712 - £412 from the Big cost of a colour cover for the next issue! Brekkie and the balance from door to door collections and collecting tins. Thanks to all Braemar Sheiling involved. The Monday morning café is now in full swing in Crathie Hall weekly. Please go along and th The Open Weekend held on 24 support. It will run all summer. th & 25 March attracted over 60 visitors. Some ground work has taken place on Deeside Knitwits are clicking away… they now the plot as we needed to establish whether the rocky have 9 poppy panels made up and hoping for many area towards the wood was bedrock or boulder. more! Thanks to everyone who has contributed We're pleased to report that it is boulder - huge ones! over 650 poppies so far. If you’re knitting poppies We were also required to carry out a drainage please can you pass onto us as you go along so survey. Many thanks to the Golf Club and Dave for we can make the panels! Also heaps of monkeys assisting with this. We are now almost ready to have come in for the October arts festival monkey apply for Planning Consent. Of course finance is the puzzle trail, and squares coming in for Guy the big factor in any project of this type. The Open Gorilla. Knitter Natter continues on Tuesdays in Weekend raised £370 through donations & tombolas. Kindrochit Court 2-4. All welcome, bring your projects and enjoy a fly cup with us. If you would like to join ’Friends of Braemar Sheiling’, forms are available in the Sheiling and in the Tourist Crathie Opportunity Holidays welcomes new Office or email [email protected] By the volunteers - range of jobs available from end of June we will have £40,000+ in the bank - 11%! gardening, spring cleaning to duck counting! On 17th June, 12 - 3 pm, the Sheiling will be Contact Maggie Mackay for information 013397 th celebrating its 60 Birthday with a BBQ which 42100 everyone is invited to - just let us know on our Days for Girls is a charity that provide sanitary Facebook page or by emailing us if you are coming items for girls in very poor countries. Susie along so that we know what levels of food to buy! Farquharson is co-ordinating a local group to sew kits and collect suitable items - from Ziploc bags to Enid Blaikie Joint Manager Braemar flannels. Can you help? Contact Susie 41382 2 Braemar Buzzard informing the community Issue 49 - June 2018 Books, books, books….

Geva Blackett Do you enjoy 013397 41541 reading? If ‘yes’, do (mobile) 0787 647 5269 you know that: Email: [email protected]

Some of you may have heard that the GP contract • You can borrow books, for free, seven has been changed and of course Braemar is in a days a week, from the Aberdeenshire unique, but possibly unsustainable, position because Library cupboard in the Braemar TIC Donald Cruickshank has come to our assistance (Tourist Information Centre in the Mews) whenever anyone needed him! (When he retires, will we find another Donald?) The Head of the Integrated • If the book you want is not there, then it Health & Social Care Board is sending a senior officer to can be ordered in for you the community council meeting on 18th June to answer • You can also borrow books from other questions on the impact of changes to health services in Aberdeenshire Libraries that carry a larger Braemar. It will be up to the Chair of the community stock (such as Ballater and Aboyne) and council to decide if there should be a future public return them via the (more convenient) meeting to debate concern. (Anyone may attend community council meetings but they may only speak if Braemar TIC invited to do so - it is not a forum for public debate). • In addition there is an Aberdeenshire With the summer season upon us, once again library bus which visits the village on an parking in the village is at a premium. Aberdeenshire occasional basis (once or twice a month) - Council are planning to submit an application to a new look online for the schedule of the mobile Rural Tourism Infrastructure Fund for Braemar. The library ‘south’ at fund is focussed on supporting rural areas cope with https://www.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/libraries/locations/ pressures in villages and towns due to tourism mobile-libraries/ increases. The Council is considering a few options to relieve some of the parking pressures in Braemar, And now for some more information about primarily regarding coach parking, signage and more off the library service which isn’t so widely street car parking. Braemar residents and businesses known…. are invited to a drop in session on Tuesday 26 June between 4pm and 6pm at the Village Hall, to find out • If you have an ipad or other similar more about the options. electronic device, then you can download At a recent National Park Board books to read from the Library Service - Business meeting we had two fascinating presentations. also totally free! Choose from 1000s of The first from Andrew Thin (Chair) and Hamish Trench titles. The books remain on your ipad for (CEO) of the Scottish Land Commission (SLC) who, 14 days and then...vanish back into the amongst other things, told us about the intention that estates democratically consult communities on land use. ether! You need never be without The general expectation is that landowners will consult something to read as long as you have and take account of views and impacts but the decision internet connection to download the book on land use choices rests with the land owner. The SLC in the first place. are in the process of developing codes and guidance to • You can also choose, download and read assist in the process. magazines on a similar basis The second presentation was from Frans • If you haven't got a library membership Schepers, Managing Director of Rewilding Europe. He explained that ‘rewilding’ is not necessarily about going card, then the TIC (or any library branch/ from ‘managed’ to wild in one huge leap but is outlet) can organise this for you. essentially about de-intensifying management step by step. His presentation was very persuasive but his So you’ve organised your reading material - ultimate vision is very different from what we have now maybe you would like to join a group to around us here in Royal Deeside right now. Our young enable you to discuss the books you’ve people need to understand the choices that are coming read…. Well there are currently three book and make pragmatic decisions because the clubs in the village (see your copy of Braemar repercussions will be felt for generations to come Community Matters for their details) and if whatever they choose. none of these book clubs Finally, the social housing behind Kindrochit Court currently have is still very much ’on my radar’ and I am hoping to have news very soon. vacancies….why not start up a As always – get in touch if you need me! fourth club!

3 Braemar Buzzard informing the community Issue 49 - June 2018

Braemar Folk - Doreen Wood by Fin Nixon

It isn't difficult for Doreen Wood to reminisce about her happiest memories in Braemar as she has so many of them. Growing up in Braemar in the 1950's and 1960's, she loved the freedom that she and her friends had in the village. She describes how they treated it as a ‘playground’ and is quick to add that this aspect of the village is still similar today. Long, bright summer nights were spent swimming in the rivers Clunie and Dee or challenging each other to races up Creag Chonnich. In her first 18 years here she admits that she never really gave much thought to the remoteness of Braemar's location. It may have become more prevalent when she started secondary school in Banchory but she and her fellow schoolmates just got on with it. Leaving an often snowy Braemar in the winter at 6.50 am and not returning until around 5.15 that evening, female students likely felt the cold more as trousers were firmly disallowed by the school. At 18 years old she left her family home to pursue a degree in Sociology. A home which had been built by her great, great grandfather, a joiner from Dundee married to a local women from Crathie. It was this grandfather who built the house where Doreen spends her time in Braemar. Her family was perhaps most well known for Joey, a Doreen - aged 9 years monkey which her uncle had picked up while working in Africa. This however wasn't the first time a monkey had inhabited Doreen's family home with two already being killed off by the harsh winters. Becoming increasingly frustrated, her father contacted Edinburgh Zoo for advice on keeping such an unacclimatized creature in Braemar. Using their advice Joey was kept warm by blankets and a hot water bottle and lived in the village for 22 years, becoming something of a celebrity. It was while returning from university in the holidays that she met her husband Brian while both of them were finding work in the Fife Arms. It was this hotel which she can remember watching the 1969 moon landings from. Her other memory of a major news event being playing badminton behind the mews, the night Kennedy was assassinated. Moving to Stonehaven in 1975, Doreen had an absence from work while focusing on raising her children. During this time she did however participate in amateur dramatics before becoming involved in hospital radio. This was seemingly a good fit for her and she sought a job as a continuity announcer for Grampian TV in Aberdeen. Unfortunately, she wasn't given this job, but emboldened by this experience, sent her CV to the BBC and was given a three month placement on a farming program, reporting on the state of the cattle and sheep markets. This was a stepping stone to bigger things, and soon Doreen was providing radio news reports, playing a significant role in a new Aberdeen based radio program. It was when her mother passed away in the 1990's, that Doreen and her husband returned to Braemar to look after the house she had left behind. When discussing any changes which the village has undergone she points to the significant increase in movement in and out of the village. For many centuries many people would stay put, but she believes the increase in people moving to this picturesque Highland village in the last 20 years or so has been hugely positive.

4 Braemar Buzzard informing the community Issue 49 - June 2018 Clubs and Societies - news and activity ...

Braemar 3rd Age Group Carole Paterson Braemar Bowling Club Kathleen Kinsella The group hosted a day event on The 2018 22nd May as part of Bowling Season Aberdeenshire’s has started off Health and Wellbeing well bowling on Week. We had a great our newly day with : refurbished entertainment from our green. It is wonderful Ukulele looking great Band over lunch with lots of after ……………...before together with an positive opportunity for guests comments from to have a go at playing both passers-by themselves; and bowlers – looks like a new green, thanks to a lot ‘Mindfulness’ with Dawn (see photo above); Yoga a hard work by volunteer helpers using a power with Doreen; Heart Start Team; Fit Step (in the washer which the Bowling Club was able to evening) with Danielle. There were also a few purchase with help from the Braemar Hydro information stands, but the activities won over. Community Fund Grant for which we are very Thank you to all who took part and thank you to grateful. We are hoping to have a successful and those who came along. enjoyable season this summer. Visitors and guests The 3rd Age Group is invited to Ballater for are all welcome to come along and try bowling on afternoon Tea on 27th June as guests of the Ballater ‘the green’. Details can be found at the clubhouse. Old Peoples Association. This we hope will be a The photo above shows work in progress (before regular occurrence as part of Young at Heart Deeside`s Connecting Communities. Braemar Golf Club The season has got off to The group meets regularly at the Invercauld a good start with the course in excellent condition Hotel every 2nd Wednesday - the next lunch being th during this wonderful spell of weather and thanks to on the 13 June. New members are always the hard work of Head Green Keeper Dave welcome to join us for a two course lunch tea/coffee, MacFadyen and the Assistant Green Keeper Barry biscuits and a wee sherry, cost £6.00 per person. Huyton. We also have occasional speakers or activities. Our new team of good company and great food. Robert Pern (club steward/administrator) Marramba (Braemar’s Samba band) is and Jimmy Smollet continuing to practise weekly and has added quite a (chef) have settled in few new members of late. They are looking forward well and will give you to playing at a number of gigs this summer both in a warm welcome the village and in Ballater. A welcome grant of £200 when you visit the from the Braemar Hydro project was well received by Clubhouse. the group and went to buy stands and protective There is Photo above - Jimmy (left) cases for the big drums. Thank you to the Hydro coaching for Juniors team. on a Monday evening and Robert (right) If you would like to join this fun activity (no at 5.00pm. On previous experience required), please email Tuesdays there is golf for lady beginners and [email protected] for details of where improvers at 10.00am and 12.45pm – all welcome. and when we meet. We welcome both men and The men have been turning out in force for the women for this energetic stress busting hobby. Tuesday midweek medal and have won their first two Deeside League matches of the season. Wheesht (the community choir) Anyone wishing to give golf a try will be made have been practising for a concert in St. Margaret’s most welcome. The club offers various levels of later on in the summer. Would you believe one of membership from Social through to Full Playing our current songs 'Stand by Me', was sung at the Membership. Royal Wedding! - we were delighted. It is so good The Clubhouse is a great meeting place and is to sing together - singing helps with your well being, open seven days a week. Details of opening hours, and is good for the soul. Dementia sufferers find it catering times and membership options are very therapeutic. We have a social side to our group available online at www.braemargolfclub.co.uk or by too, the occasional party, visit to the pub, and there phoning Robert  01339 741618. is even talk of a karaoke night! So why not join us in We look forward to greeting you at the Castleton Hall every Sunday night at 7.15 until 9.00. Braemar Golf Club. Sandra Stewart (member) 5 Braemar Buzzard informing the community Issue 49 - June 2018 Braemar Community Garden Braemar in Aimi Blueman Bloom HELP ! Please adopt a flower tub... Caroline Hadley-Smith

Every year Aberdeenshire Council gifts Braemar 1500 bedding plants to brighten up our streets for both locals & tourists. The plants add colour & decorate the centre, main roads, car parks and entrances to the village. It is an impossible task for one or two people to keep these watered and in top shape especially in hot weather. This year we thought The Braemar Community Garden has been it would be useful if volunteers adopted a tub nominated for the Inspiring Aberdeenshire Awards, we (or two). If you would be willing to water even are one of three finalists in the Beautiful Aberdeenshire just one of the 80 or so planters around the category. We will hear the final outcome on the 15th village regularly it would help hugely. June. Keep your fingers crossed for us! We will have a community planting We have had a healthy number of sign-ups for session when the plants arrive which requires Community Garden membership again this year, if you many volunteers and after this all you need to would like to join us it's not too late, just give your do is water 2 or 3 times a week when passing, details and £5 to Caroline in Wild Thistle. a regular soaking with a large plastic water We've been busy planting out and sowing seeds bottle would do. There is a tap behind the with lots more yet to go in - join the Braemar public toilets if that is convenient. If you are Community Garden facebook page to hear about the also able to weed and dead head that would be next work party or give David Sherrard or Aimi great, guidance can be given! Blueman your email address. Plants arrive at the Community Garden Thanks to the amazing weather and volunteers which is rabbit proof and has a handy hose! in moving the sprinkler around the garden we are already the first week of June. Please volunteer by eating garden produce including lettuce, oriental leaves adding your name to the list which is available and herbs provided by Balmoral. at Wild Thistle or Lamont Sporrans or get in Everyone is welcome in the garden and orchard - touch via the Facebook page. it's a lovely sunny, sheltered spot and there are picnic benches waiting for you! Braemar Rural Susie Farquharson

The new Braemar Rural meets every Braemar Hydro David Sherrard third Thursday of the month at 7.30pm in the With recent snow melt the hydro had its best small hall in Braemar Village Hall. ever month in April, partially making up for a rather dry In April, Trevor Garlick talked about the year in 2017. new development in Dee View Court Aberdeen The Hydro Community Fund Panel have recently - a centre run by the Sue Ryder Charity. Some made grants towards the cost of the following 10 of the locals ran in the 10k at ‘Run Balmoral ‘on projects: Braemar School (gym equipment); Braemar April 22nd, and raised a total of over £9,000 for Castle (picnic benches); Bowling Club (green cleaning Sue Ryder. May saw local expert Isla equipment); Buzzard (printing costs); Castleton Hall Robertson give a demonstration of sugarcraft. (painting); Care Initiative (development of volunteer The delicate flowers Isla made were stunning programme); Marramba (equipment); Men’s Shed and she made it look very easy. In June (start up costs); Playpark (willow play structure); Maureen Kelly will be giving a talk on ‘The 3rd Age Lunch Group (lunch costs). Amish’ and in July we are off to Pitlochry All £7000 which was made available has been theatre to see ‘After the Party’. allocated. The Panel will solicit further applications Dinner and a minibus has when more money is available. This will be discussed been booked there are 22 of by the Hydro members at their AGM (September) and us going, should be fun! will be subject to continued steady performance from If you would like to come the scheme. This concludes the first round of grants along to any of our meetings you will be most based on the first full year of generation. The welcome. For information please contact me, application form is available Susie Farquharson  013397 41382 or email at www.braemarhydro.org.uk for anyone who wishes to [email protected]. We also have a Braemar review the principles in advance. Rural facebook page.

6 Braemar Buzzard informing the community Issue 49 - June 2018 The Lairig Ghru (part 2) - Ultimate Wilderness - Alison Grant-MacKintosh

After the last drover, recreational walking of the Lairig received a boost when the Cairngorm Club was founded in 1887. A further boost came in 1891 when Hugh Munro published his table of what we now call the Munros. Munro-bagging, however contemptible we may find the concept of collecting hills like stamps, did a lot for tourism. Early recreational visitors included three tailors. They sound a cheery lot – they planned to dance during one winter’s day at the Dell of Abernethy, the Dell of Rothiemurchus, and Dalmore in Mar. The first two were no problem, but the worst lay ahead. A blizzard overtook them, and they died as they tried to shelter behind the stone now called Clach nan Tàillear - the tailor’s stone. A great story, but try taking it to pieces, and it’s somewhere between improbable and incredible. I prefer the historical rigour of Joe Dorward’s version in The Uplands of Mar that it may have been named by the traveller John Taylor who passed that way in 1618 after spending a few days ‘in the Brae of Mar.’ Sorry to be a spoilsport. A few people still made their living in the Lairig. Corrour Bothy was built for some of them in 1877, initially as a summer shieling. When it was rebuilt by the Cairngorm Club in 1949, the remains of earlier shielings were found on the site. The name could be Coire Odhar - dun corrie - or possibly a shelter for the corrour, the forester’s assistant. Later occupants were summer deer-watchers. The best-known was Charlie Robertson, a brother of my great-grandmother Catherine Grant. The writer and naturalist Seton Gordon got to know Charlie well, when Gordon was a student and Charlie was in his early sixties. Gordon described Charlie as ‘a great character’ and recalled that he used to tame the bothy mice to sit on his boots, waiting to be fed with cheese. Charlie was born in 1843 at Pinewood, Inverey, and became watcher at Corrour about 1893. He’s described in the censuses as an agricultural labourer, his main occupation outside the summer season. He never married and died at Pinewood, aged 90, in 1933. He’s buried in Braemar. Seton Gordon writes of a visit to Corrour with some friends, which could have been fatal. The weather was terrible, and they drew lots for who would go out into the blizzard for water from the spring. The loser went out but didn’t return. Luckily Gordon was a keen piper and his pipes went everywhere with him. He went to the door and played the pipes to direct his friend back to safety. The other bothy is now marked only by a commemorative plaque. The Angus Sinclair Memorial Bothy was built in 1954 and demolished in 1991. The plaque reads ‘Angus Sinclair OBE DLitt, Colonel of the Officer Training Corps, Reader in Philosophy, University of Edinburgh. He died on the slopes of on 21st December 1954’. His OTC colleagues decided to build a bothy in his memory. What a challenge. The officers calculated that they took 16 days to build the bothy, but 35 days to bring in the materials. One visitor to the hut described it as ‘a comfortless stone box’, but conceded that most bothies were like that. After its demolition, another admitted it was a relief that he would never have to stay there again. Many bothies were demolished in the late 20th century. Vandalism was often, and rightly, given as the reason, but Mountain Rescue teams also feared that the existence of some bothies gave a false sense of security to walkers who were ill-equipped, or might not manage to find them. Robert Macfarlane writes movingly in The Old Ways of walking through the Lairig to his grandfather’s funeral. He gathered little posies of myrtle and juniper, to lay on the coffin and to burn in a fragrant commemorative fire, continuing a tradition the drovers would have recognised. So much more we could have said about the Lairig. The two classic books are: Seton Gordon: The Cairngorm Hills of Scotland 1925 – out of print.; A R B Haldane: The Drove Roads of Scotland 1952 This October at St Margaret’s... Mountain Melodies Pete Mulvey

The Mountain Melodies project, funded by Creative Scotland’s Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo Youth Talent Development Fund to celebrate 2018 as the Year of Young People, will openPhoto with by Al an Hubbard evening concert on Friday 12th October at St. Margaret’s by Barluath, a professional five piece Scottish traditional band featuring the fiddle, vocals, bagpipes, piano, penny whistle and acoustic guitar. There will follow 5 days of performance and composition workshops, open to 20 young traditional musicians from the local area aged 14- 17, led by Barluath and Simon Thoumire. Simon is a virtuoso concertina player and composer of the first Celtic Connections New Voices of 1997 who then went on to write Music for a New Scottish Parliament, The Scottish Requiem. One to one tutoring and career development talks will be offered to the young participants and the week will close on the 18th October with 5 break out community performances during the day and a grand finale evening concert at St. Margaret’s where the young participants and tutors will play together and premier some of the new compositions they have created throughout the week. All concerts are free to the public and the workshops free to participants . For more information and an application form please contact Jamie Munn at Live Music Now on [email protected] 7 Braemar Buzzard informing the community Issue 49 - June 2018

Braemar Castle Georgina Errington

The Castle opened on Good Friday, and just days later we were brushing away the snow to welcome visitors. Also in April, gunshot fire and plumes of smoke as Jacobites stormed the Castle, winning the battle and capturing the resident Redcoats - thanks of course to Alan Brecks re-enactment Regiment. That all seems an age away now with this beautiful spell of weather and the garden looking so bonny (thanks to our gardening volunteers old and new!). Over the winter we achieved a few up-grades to the Castle to give our visitors a better experience. We now have two toilets in the cabin. The shop was fitted with a new counter, the floor repainted and a slight re-arrangement of shelving has given more space, benefitting both visitors and staff. This is Scotland’s Year of Young People and Marilyn Baker has been busy with the primary school in preparation for their Castle take over on Friday 15th June when they will take on the role of Castle Guides. We have enjoyed watching the kids racing each other up the slope to the castle for their practice sessions. Please do come along and see how they do on the day! And a reminder that entry is free for members of Braemar Community Limited, all locals are eligible and if you’re not already a member there’s no charge for joining, which you can do in our shop. In June we also have a local wedding on Saturday 16th, and on Sunday 17th we will be welcoming 137 Syrian New Scots to the Castle and village. There are a variety of offerings for the Syrian families, Castle tours with Castle Characters; dancing and music at Castleton Hall; bowling; the History Walk and more. We have produced a map to help everyone find their way around but please do join us in giving a warm welcome and helpful directions if needed. The trip has been planned in partnership with Glenbuchat Eclectic Events, who will host the group in the evening at the Lonach Hall, to celebrate the Festival of Eid which marks the end of Ramadan. Finally, the Castle team along with Matt Halliday (Fundraiser) and Ian Davidson (Heritage Consultant), can announce (along with a big sigh of relief!) that the Castle’s Heritage Lottery Fund application has now been submitted. We needed to name the project and decided upon the title ‘Braemar’s Community Castle - Raising the Standard’. So, fingers and toes crossed, and we shall know by the end of September whether or not we have been successful. But no rest! The next funding application to Historic Environment Scotland will be submitted very shortly and we’ll start to pursue other funding sources for the remainder of the £1.6M project to renew the harling, develop a new programme of activities and improve the grounds.

St Margaret’s Pete Mulvey building itself as well as more general A view from the top of the The recent events programme at St information about tower Margaret’s has continued to deliver the extremely sites of historical high quality performances and exhibitions with interest in and around which we wish to be synonymous. At the end of one the village. of our recent events a visitor who was in the A unique audience said ‘who would have thought that you opportunity to meet could hear something like that in a wee place like ‘Jolomo’ - probably Braemar!’ – that is the exactly the reputation which Scotland’s most prolific and successful artist - is we want to establish for the village through our own coming to St Margaret’s on 28th July for an evening events and those run by the Castle, the Gallery, the of conversation, wine and nibbles. Glasgow born Village Hall and the Creative Arts Festival. John Lowrie Morrison is world renowned for his Tower tours this year have proved to be very vibrant landscape paintings but perhaps less well popular, enabling visitors who climb to the roof of known for his charitable work and sponsorship of the building to be rewarded with magnificent views upcoming artistic talent, all of which is underpinned of the village and beyond (photo right). Guides are by his strong Christian faith. also on hand to identify the distant hills and In addition to this our programme over the buildings which can be seen from this stunning next few months offers an extremely diverse range viewpoint. The next of these tours will take place of events including a trio playing medieval and between 11.00 - 1.00pm on 16th June. modern Concert music, the opening of the North The building will remain open daily for visitors Atlantic Fiddle Convention featuring workshops and during the summer months and, with grant a host of international fiddle performances, a assistance from Marr Area Committee and in Russian children’s choir, a photography exhibition, partnership with the Local History Group, we have and a lunchtime guitar concert. For further details now been able to produce and install further see the ‘What’s On’ section (back page of this exhibition panels featuring information about the issue). 8 Braemar Buzzard informing the community Issue 49 - June 2018 Invercauld Estate News took habitat surveys, using a methodology produced There has been a fair bit of work recently by Scottish Natural Heritage. The intention is to upgrading properties in Braemar with more plans in identify any impacts on heather and blanket bog the pipeline. With its historic associations with habitats by deer, sheep and hares to assist in the Castleton, on the right bank of the River Clunie, land management process. Much of what in the past working on properties in the village is an important was assessed by the gamekeeper’s eye is now been part of both the past and present for Invercauld. measured by more formal means such as this, The Estate recently refurbished Gowanlea, a house reflective perhaps of the data-led modern world. The opposite the Castleton Hall, and will soon be gamekeepers have also been busy with more finished works to Choinnich Cottage. Work has also traditional work hunting foxes which are a key just been completed at Clunie Cottage (the predator of grouse and other ground nesting bird extensive size of which belies its name) and the species. And so it is onwards into another summer adjacent Little Clunie to the east of Braemar and the at Invercauld as those on the Estate seek to look Estate is now marketing both of these houses to let. after the special heritage - both natural and man-made - in and around Braemar. Clunie Cottage and Little Clunie And from Robert Cameron, executive chef at the Fife Arms, a simple recipe for a scrumptious summer pudding….

Ingredients Makes 6 portions

300 mls double cream 75 g caster sugar 1½ lemons

Method Investment in commercial property is also important to us. A formal agreement has now been • Place cream and sugar in a pot and slowly bring to boil signed to turn the former Strachans shop and • Once it comes to a boil, place on a simmer for 2-3 adjacent Rowan Cottage into a pub for the village. mins As part of this, the Estate shall shortly be starting • Add the juice of the lemons work on an extension to the building before the new • Mix until incorporated tenant and operator, who has extensive experience • Place in the refrigerator until set and serve with some of running good quality drinking and eating seasonal fruits establishments in Edinburgh, takes over to complete the fitting out. You may have seen that we recently pruned and felled a number of trees on the Update on the Fife Arms - although we are riverbank behind Rowan Cottage and this should not in a position to announce a definitive opening also help the most to be made of a proposed beer date, the Fife Arms is approaching its final stages. garden overlooking the Clunie and Kindrochit From July onwards, interior designers will be Castle. carrying out the final fitting out of the hotel. We will The spring brought excellent weather for be seeking temporary skilled and unskilled workers outside building works in the heart of Braemar but to assist, if you are interested then email us: there was much being done beyond the edge of the [email protected] village as well. Once the snow had melted, in April and May we planted around 160,000 young trees in Update on the Invercauld Arms st the new woodlands at Morrone, Creag Clunie and We would like to inform you that from 1 October, Meall Gorm, replacing those that had not survived Shearings, having given notice to end their lease since these areas were originally planted a few agreement, will hand back the hotel to Highlands years ago. Despite the need for this ‘beating up’, all Hospitality. Due to the poor conditions of a large three plantations are now well on their way to number of the bedrooms, the hotel will be closed to becoming established woodlands that will add to the carry out a soft refurbishment. Although we haven’t amenity around Braemar. finalised the duration of this closure, we will Just before new season growth appeared on endeavour to keep it as short as possible. the hill vegetation, the Estate gamekeepers under- Federica Bertoloni, General Manager 9 Braemar Buzzard informing the community Issue 49 - June 2018

Neil Menzies Butcher Best Quality Meat

Newly refurbished…..come in and check out our wide range of sauces, chutneys, pâtés etc.

We also stock a wide range of fresh produce, home-made frozen ready meals and puddings.

Don’t forget to come in for all your favourites for the BBQ….. Sausages, steaks, burgers etc. • Call in or  41206 to place an order • •

• Braemar Service Station Although the petrol station and shop have been sold the Garage Workshop will continue to operate as before, still

under the ownership of Barry and Joanne Morris.

Workshop Opening Hours: Mon—Fri 8.30am—5.00pm

Phone Number : 013397 41210

We would both like to thank you for supporting us in the fuel station and look forward to continuing to provide our usual high standards of service in the workshop.

10 Braemar Buzzard informing the community Issue 49 - June 2018

Lego Club?

Carole Paterson is looking to start up an after school or sometime weekend lego/crafty club. Donations of old lego (and even Braemar Primary duplo) would be gratefully received - please contact Carole 07708 001798 We will be going to the music festival next week. After singing in the Summer Reading Challenge festival we will go to the MOC tower and Starts on Thursday June 28th and control room at Aberdeen Harbour. finishes on Saturday 25 August - run We are going to the MOC tower to by Aberdeenshire Library Service. see the boats going in and out of the Receive a stamp or sticker for each harbour and Mr Jeffrey Gaskin, the book you read, receive a book prize Harbour Master will tell us how the boats after reading six or more books go in and out safely. We will see the big (depending on age group). Visit your local library (the pop-up library in Braemar Mews will lighthouse and some massive ships. We assist) and find out more when the challenge might see a dolphin in the sea. commences at the end of June. By Ajay and Lewis

Making our Bug Hotel

Braemar School have made a bug hotel out L to r: Ewan Musgrave, Frey Evans, Leah Gauld, Andrea of wooden pallets. Inside we put Yeats - all S2 pupils at Aboyne Academy and members pinecones, slates, and rocks around it, of the winning team of this years YPI event canes in the bottom, wood, and sawdust (some people couldn’t because they have Well done! allergies). Room 2 spread the slates and In May 2018, teams of Aboyne Academy S2 pupils pinecones were poured into the pallets. competed against one another to win £3000 for a local We would like to thank Mr. Davidson charity of their choice through the active citizenship (Craig’s Dad) for helping us. programme, Youth and Philanthropy Initiative (YPI). The By Lili and Robin local final was independently judged by members of the Thank You school’s senior leadership team, business partners and members of the local community. The winning team We have had another amazing school year (pictured above) secured the funds for Forget Me Not, a and want to thank everyone in the local charity based in Banchory which provides invaluable community for their support. support to those living with and caring for people with We have been involved in many exciting dementia. The team have been invited to attend the projects and embraced them all with celebrated YPI annual event at the Perth Concert Hall in enthusiasm and passion. Perth on 20 June 2018 together with winning teams, Our diary, for next session, is already teachers and charity representatives from around looking extremely busy, so we are all plan- Scotland. In recent years other worthy recipients of the £3000 have included Horseback UK, Crathie Opportunity ning to make the most of our summer Holidays, Tarland First Responders and Braemar holiday. See you all in August! Mountain Rescue.

11 Braemar Buzzard informing the community Issue 49 - June 2018

What’s on in and around your village?

Date Event

June 16 Sat Guided tower tours, St Margaret’s 11am—1 pm

June 21 Th Braemar Care - find out more about volunteering. Village Hall, 2-4pm (see also article front page)

June 24 Sun Braemar Parish Church - Family Fun BBQ, Sunday 23 June 5-6.30pm, Church grounds, all welcome. Village Hall, 7pm. June 26 Tues Public Consultation on Parking in Braemar, Village Enjoy an evening of fun, Hall, 4-6pm, drop in. music and food. June 28 Th Rounders & BBQ, Braemar Playpark. From 7pm. Tickets £10 adults/£5 child Run by Braemar Scouts. All welcome. from Lochcarron from 11 June. Optional - dress as June 29 Fri St Margaret’s - Ensemble Boquhan your favourite Grease July 7 Sat Alastair Savage on fiddle. Village Hall, 7.30 pm character or as anyone from the 70’s era! BYO drinks. July 11 Wed St Margaret’s, North Atlantic Fiddle Convention July 14 Sat Braemar Junior Games (for details, see box to right) Village Bin Collections Tuesdays July 17 Tues Louise Bichan performs at Braemar Gallery, 7.30 pm Wheelie Bin July 24 Tues Cairngorm Ceilidh Trail, traditional music, Village June 19th, Hall. July 3rd,17th. 31st Aug 141h,28th Aug 1 Wed Aly Bain & Phil Cuningham playing at the Village Recycling Hall, 7.30 pm. Info: http://philandaly.com/ th June 26 Aug 1 Wed St Margaret’s, Russian Children’s Choir July 10th,24th Aug 7th, 21st Aug 4 Sat COH Film & buffet night at Ballater Victoria Week. ‘Going in Style’ with Michael Caine. For tickets contact Maggie 013397 42100

Aug 6-10 Annual children’s summer club, Village Hall, 10-12 noon, all primary school aged children welcome (younger children must be accompanied by an adult). Games, crafts, stories and more. Free! Run by Braemar Parish Church.

Aug 11 Sat Church Sale, Village Hall. Braemar Aug 18-Sept 2 St Margaret’s, Photography Exhibition by Anka Addy Junior Highland Games Aug 31 Fri St Margaret’s, Steve Garrett lunchtime guitar concert Saturday July 14th Braemar Games Park Sept 21 Fri Warren McIntyre, Monica Queen & Johnny Smilie 1145 - 1700 play at the Braemar Gallery 7.30pm Entry £3 adults £1 child Oct 24-28 Braemar Creative Arts Festival Followed in the evening by a family ceilidh in the village Please send news/articles for the Buzzard to: hall 1930 - 2300. Tickets £10 [email protected] on the door. Bring your own refreshments. Next edition: mid September 2018 Website: www.braemarbuzzard.org.uk More information Adverts cost £20 per eighth of a page. Contact Maggie MacKay 41245 www.braemarjuniorgames.com

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