The lounge decorated for Christmas

We hope you like the lounge (http://www.accommodationbedscotland.com/page2.htm) decorated in the silver and gold theme we have this year. The gold baubles hanging from the ceiling twirl and glitter in the light. You can see some of the snow outside, still around but melting, although not that quickly I'm afraid, making it quite slippery underfoot.

Christmas tree

Although we've had Christmas, we haven't shown you our Christmas tree. So here it is. We bought a real one this year and it's been remarkable for not dropping its needles. It's just inside the front door, so can be seen from the garden as well as from the street. We have a silver and gold theme this year. You can also see one of Iona Crawford's pictures just behind the tree.

Last of series about the aviation pioneers of Scotland

This picture shows the 1909 Barnwell Canard Biplane a little more clearly. It was their second design with the tail-first. It was flown down the fields opposite Fraser's on 28th July 1909 reaching a distance of 80 yeards, before crashing. Harlod Barnwell was the pilot, but as the early flights did not achieve much height, he was not badly injured on crashing.
We hope you've enjoyed reading this brief series about early Scottish aviation history and seeing the pictures. We've made a file of this and embedded it in page 2 of our webpage, near the bottom of the page (http://www.accommodationbedscotland.com/page2.htm). We also hope it maybe something you would like to follow up when you visit.

More Scottish aviation pioneer pictures

Following on from the last 3 days of the history of the fields opposite Fraser's (http://www.accommodationbedscotland.com), this picture shows the 1910 Canard Biplane standing outside Grampian Engineering works in Causewayhead in Stirling. This was at the top of the road where Fraser's is situated. More pictures tomorrow ....

Pictures of the Barnwell Brothers, aviation pioneers in Scotland

This is a picture of the 1911 prototype of the Barnwell aircraft that made the first powered flight in Scotland of half a mile. I'm afraid all the images are very small and I don't want to distort them by enlarging them; but I hope it gives you a little insight into the development of powered flight in Scotland. I will be putting more images on this blog in the next few days, including images of the Grampian Engineering and Motor Co Ltd, where the aircraft were made ... Enjoy!

Aviation pioneers in Scotland

This is the plaque on the Barnwell Memorial in Stirling. It shows pictures of Harold and Frank Barnwell along with their dates. They developed and flew their prototype aircraft during the first and second decades of 1900. As we showed in yesterday's blog, these flights took place in the fields opposite Fraser's (see http://www.accommodationbedscotland.com) Pieces of their aircraft can be seen in the Smith Art Gallery and Museum in Stirling; for directions click here. The Barnwell Brothers pioneering work took place around the same time as other aviation pioneers, such as Blariot in France and the Wright Brothers in America, were making attempts at powered flight.

History in the fields opposite Fraser's

This is the memorial to the aviation pioneers, the Barnwell Brothers. The memorial is on the roundabout at the end of Causewayhead - 0.4 miles from Fraser's (http://www.accommodationbedscotland.com). To see the route click here Their engineering works were in Causewayhead Road. Between 1909 and 1911 they developed their aircraft and attempted to fly them down the fields opposite Fraser's. In 1911 they made the first powered flight in Scotland of more than half a mile on these fields. I will develop this a little further in my next blog, when I will show the plaque on the memorial. You may remember in our 27th January blog we said we'd be developing this story.

The snow's nearly gone from here now

We're all heartily glad! It's been really difficult to get about. It was so pretty for a short while, but you can have too much for too long! The latest large falls have not been in Stirling. The thaw has started, but it's quite slow with very cold nights leading to icy pavements in the mornings. But with brilliant blue skys its beautiful during the day. No pictures this time; been a bit lazy with the camera - must try harder!

Stirling old bridge in the snow

You may know about William Wallace's successful Battle of Stirling Bridge in 1297? This bridge, about 1.5 miles from Fraser's (http://www.accommodationbedscotland.com) towards the centre of the City, has a plaque commemorating the event. The picture of the bridge in the snow looks wonderful, doesn't it?

The long road to the Wallace Monument

One of my previous guests has just sent me this photo, which I'd love to share with you, as it's gorgeous. The photo is taken from just a little further up the road from Fraser's (http://www.accommodationbedscotland.com), which is on the right-hand side of the road. The frost on the trees is really striking, isn't it. It's starting to thaw today though.

A little bit of snow!

You may have seen that we've had a little bit of snow recently & some mighty cold temperatures. But it's not all bad news; this is what it looked like yesterday evening, looking from the South towards the Wallace Monument. The setting sun makes a spectacular pink on the Ochil hills. In the middle-ground, to the left are the railings inside which James IV and Queen Margaret of Denmark are burried. The snow is now a good 12-inches deep, but the roads are clear. Two deer were in these fields, but I couldn't get close enough for a good picture, so you'll have to trust me.

Stirling: the gateway to the highlands

So here you have the highlands in all their magnificent best, taken from the ramparts of Stirling Castle this morning. This is, of course, looking North. Fraser's (http://www.accommodationbedscotland.com) is about 1.8 miles from Stirling Castle, so well within walking distance, although a steep climb up the hill. Parking is easy too, if you take the car.

It's now been snowing for 4 days

We have about 2 inches of snow in the centre of Stirling now, but the roads are clear and everyone's moving about quite well. It's bitterly cold tho'; the mid-morning temperature was -2C. But the scenery is at its best. This is the view of the Ochils from Stirling Castle esplanade. There's a snow storm heading down from the North, but the peek of sun on the snowy hills is magnificent. I waited all morning to get this shot - I even had to go into a local cafe for a coffee and a sticky bun to wait for it!

The snow's arrived really early

This picture shows the front of Fraser's (http://www.accommodationbedscotland.com) The snow's been here for 2 days now. It snowed all day yesterday; today it's sunny and looks wonderful everywhere. We even have people skiing down the streets, and everyone's smiling. On the news programme one visitor from Norway said we had more snow here than in Norway! So provided you're wrapped up warmly, it's wonderful outdoors. It's most unusual to have snow so early in the year, but the Scottish Ski Centres are loving it, of course!

A wonderful tree

We just happened to be walking along the banks of the River Forth in Stirling, about a mile from Fraser's (http://www.accommodationbedscotland.com) and came across this lovely tree, with all its magnificent hips. It probably had wild rose blooms on it earlier in the year, but we didn't notice them then. But now the hips are there we think it makes a really autumnal sight. It's almost worth making a card if it.

Pictures in the bedrooms

One of our visitors suggested we should put pictures of local scenes in the bedrooms. So we've decided to make pictures from some of the spectacular scenes we're photographed over the months (hope that doesn't sound too boastful - it's not intended to be). So here is the first one, you may remember we posted it on 6th January, 2010; it's called Amazing Sights In The Cold Snap. It's on the wall in both Bedrooms 1 and 2 (http://www.accommodationbedscotland.com/page2.htm); shortly to be followed by other scenes. We've also put a small caption at the bottom describing the conditions in which it was taken, e.g. with this one describing the time of day to give meaning to the red tops to the trees and the fact that when the ice hit the bridge supports, it cracked like breaking glass. Thanks very much for the suggestion Christine; hope you think we've made a good job of it.

Autumn at the National Wallace Monument

Autumn has set in well now. The Abbey Craig (the hill up to the Wallace Monument) is looking spectacular in all its wonderful colours. This is the view you can see from Fraser's (http://www.accommodationbedscotland.com) lounge window, but about 500metres away.
Where else would you rather be with all the autumn colours.

Full moon over the Ochil hills - how magnificent

The full moon rising over the Ochil Hills tonight was truly magnificent particularly with the reflection in the River Forth. This is Stirling at its autumnal best. This section of the River Forth is just east of Fraser's (see http://www.accommodationbedscotland.com ).

Elderberry cordial

You may have noticed, if you live in the UK, that the elderberry trees have been laden with fruit this year; the one in our garden (see http:www.accommodationbedscotland.com) is no exception. We thought it was a shame to let the berries go to waste, so we've made some elderberry cordial. Yummee!

Autumn in Stirling

We're just staring to see the first signs of autumn, as this lovely tree opposite the house shows.

Amy's mirror

We had a teenage girl staying in Bedroom 2 (http://www.accommodationbedscotland.com/page2.htm) recently. She missed not having a full length mirror in the room, so we've put this one on the back of the cupboard door. Thanks for the suggestion Amy; others have also found it useful.
And who's that person taking the picture of it? Guess who!

The crab apple tree in autumn

Do you remember the little crab apple tree we planted earlier in the year (see our 16th May blog)? Well look at it now - isn't it magnificent with all its lovely little red apples. We really look forward to it growing big; we can maybe even make some crabapple jelly, or something.

Pascal's comments book in use

We've been really busy since our last blog, so apologies for the long delay. We've had some more really lovely people to stay who have been a delight to chat to.

We wanted, in this blog, to show you how some of our previous ideas (see our blog of 8th July - http://accommodationbedscotland.blogspot.com/2010/07/visitor-reviews.html) have worked in practice. Pascal suggested we should have a comments book as one way of gaining visitors' views. We bought this little one.


We're delighted to say it's been very well used, particularly by some people writing in their own language. One of the more unusual ones for us is this Chinese entry - we're assured it's all very positive!


Thanks very much for the suggestion Pascal.

Blackout blinds

We've noticed that some of our visitors are not used to the very early light mornings we have in mid-summer. Around the solstice (mid-June) the sky starts to lighten at around 3am and mornings remain like this until at least the middle of July. So we thought it might be kind to have some blackout curtains. These are now up in Bedroom 1 (http://www.accommodationbedscotland.com/page2.htm), shortly to be followed by Bedroom 2. They've made quite a difference. It will also help with children going to bed early in the evenings.

We have a sign!

We have a beautiful new sign. We think it's lovely, what do you think? At the moment it's showing Vacancies, but that will change tomorrow for a week and maybe longer.

Visitor reviews

What's the best way(s) to achieve these? We've been thinking about this & discussing it with our visitors. We've left a questionnaire in the rooms since we started, but these can't easily be shared on-line. So we now have reviews on Google Maps (by searching on Fraser's B&B, Stirling and clicking on Write a review), we've also just started a Facebook page (see http://www.facebook.com/pages/Stirling/Frasers-Bed-and-Breakfast/108439692539521 ) although it's still very rudimentary. We'd like to be able to give prospective visitors a feel for Fraser's from others who have stayed, as well as giving visitors a chance to have their say. Would you like to comment on whether these review methods are helpful, or should we be trying something else? We've also had a suggestion of a small book, which can be left on the breakfast tables for visitors to read while they're munching their breakfasts. It's suggested that visitors write in their own language, to add to the interest for the reader. However, despite all this, if visitors do not wish to leave a review, that's OK too.

B&B sign outside

We've just commissioned a sign for the outside. It's going to be plain black lettering on a white background. We're really pleased with the design and will post a picture here as soon as it arrives.

Walking around Loch Lomond

Loch Lomond is part of Scotland's first National Park. It has the most spectacular scenery and we wanted to introduce some of our guests to it. Being such magnificent weather over the weekend we decided to walk part of the West Highland Way, from Drymen to Balmaha. As you reach the top of Conic Hill, this is the sight that greets you - wonderful! Where else would you wish to be on such a lovely day!

Not quite so little lambs

The lambs have arrived in the field opposite the house. They've taken such a long time that they're really quite big now, but still very sweet. We'd almost given up hope of seeing them this year. Their jumping antics and general rushing around make the wait worthwhile though.

Further work on the garden

We thought the fence at the end of the small driveway was really quite stark. So we've planted a little crab apple tree, which is now in full bloom. With the promise of some tiny red apples later in the season, it's likely to be colourful for quite a bit of the year. We've also planted some yellow bamboo to help to camoflage the fence a little; you can just see it behind the crab apple. Together they've made quite a difference to this little patch.

WiFi now installed

We now have WiFi. What a great experience! I've just been using it to configure the settings. Seems to work well. We look foreward to you trying it to see for yourself.

WiFi is coming to Fraser's!

Yes, we thought it was about time! It's being installed next Thursday, so here's hoping ... Will let you know. Then we can boast about it on the Webpage too!

Stair rope now installed & looking good

My joiner has installed the rope on the stairs and it's looking really great. It's certainly added something to the stairs as well as providing that added comfort factor.
What do you think?

Fraser's is now on a couple of websites

We've been working really hard looking after our guests since the last posting, it has been a real pleasure, hence the long gap! We've now had a chance to look at suitable websites and have entries on the Bed and Breakfast Directory http://www.bedandbreakfast-directory.co.uk and also Room Finder Scotland http://www.roomfinderscotland.co.uk so hope you can also visit us there.

Rope handrail on the stairs

I'm most grateful to an anonymous guest who suggested an additional handrail on the stairs. Having searched for a suitable one, I've found a really snazzy heavy duty rope. It's likely to arrive in the next week or so, I can then post a picture for you to see.

How's the history of 49, Easter Cornton Road going?

Well, I've drawn a bit of a blank of local searches in Stirling Archives. It seems the map I posted on 27th January is the furthest back I can go at the moment. But I've managed to confirm that 49, Easter Cornton Road together with the neighbouring property was likely to be workers cottages for Easter Cornton Farm, which is now the Birds and Bees Pub. It maybe that their deeds go back a bit further - so this is my next quest.

More later ...

Televisions

We have just had the television arial changed to digital. The picture is much improved and we are now ready for the digital switch-over. We have televisions in each bedroom as well as in the lounge, so that guests can view in their room, if they wish.

The history of 49 Easter Cornton Road

It appears there was a house on the site of 49, Easter Cornton Road since at least 1872, as this map from 1848-1872 shows (it is a small rectangle on the middle of the map under the "Site of Battle AD 1297 Cornton"). The 1901 census shows it as being part of Easter Cornton Farm, owned by a Mr McLaren. So the house is likely to have been a farm cottage.
Different altogether was the use of the fields opposite, where the Barnwell Brothers made the earliest powered flights in Scotland.
More on all this later ....

Article in the Stirling Eye

Just agreed the text for an article in the Stirling Eye the local business journal. It shows how local businesses work together. Together with a photo taken at the launch, it should provide interesting reading. It will be published mid-March. If you'd like to see the finished version, go to http://www.stirling.gov.uk/index/business/businesslatestnews/stirlingeye.htm

Successful launch of Fraser's

A very successful day yesterday to launch Fraser's, so we're now officially open for business. It was lovely to welcome people for tea and home-made cakes and show off the accommodation. Everyone was very complimentary and it's possible we may be having an article with a photo in the Stirling Eye, Stirling's business press.

So we can now relax and look forward to business guests as well as holiday-makers.

Iona Crawford's just hung Fraser's first 4 pictures

What an exciting day! The pictures add such a new dimension to the hall and dining room. They are all my favourites, so difficult to choose which one to show you. So here's Sagacious Drake, who's in the hall - he's beautiful.

Amazing sights in the cold snap

I thought you only saw it on-screen, but here it is in Stirling - ice floating down the Forth! It seems there's even more of it today than last week. When it crashes into the bridge supports there's a kind of cracking sound, like breaking glass. Very unusual for us to get such low temperatures, but very intriguing.

First guests arrive

What an exciting event - our first guests! 2 ladies and 1 gentleman. Despite the sub-zero temperatures outside, all went well. After all the work on the building and furnishings it was a treat to have people to stay and appreciate what has been done.

I must run off some 'before' pictures and put them up.

Hogmany

What a wonderful night at Stirling Castle. The concert with Gary Mullen was wonderful - as usual. It was a clear night with a full moon and no wind, rain or snow - you could see for miles, right over to Edinburgh.