Kinnoull House and Peninsula Cottage

07/04/2026

First guests of the season are nearly here at Kinnoull House… which means it’s been a full day of pretending i’m on a home makeover show 😅

✔️ Stables painted (probably more paint on myself)
✔️ New plants planted (please survive 🙏)
✔️ Driveway swept (why does it never end?!)
✔️ Patio cleaned (briefly considered just calling it “rustic”)
✔️ Hot tub filled and ready (the real priority, let’s be honest)

There’s still a to-do list longer than my arm, but we’re calling it for today.

Time to sit in the sunshine with a well earned beer 🍺 0% and somehow… actually decent?! Who am I.
Guests arrive soon… ready or not

06/02/2026

Love this 😂

On this day in 1941, Scotland faced a very specific kind of "national emergency"…

During a heavy storm, the cargo ship SS Politician ran aground off the island of Eriskay.

Her cargo?

264,000 bottles of malt whisky.

The island had run dry due to wartime rationing, so when the locals heard there was a "wee dram" washing up on the rocks, they launched a "salvage operation" that would become legend.

The ship was also loaded with 290,000 Jamaican ten-shilling notes. worth around £3 million!

The locals, thinking the foreign cash was useless in the Hebrides, didn't bother hiding it. Instead, they reportedly used the notes to light their pipes and fires while they enjoyed their salvaged whisky.

Customs officers were furious. They raided villages, checked under floorboards, and arrested crofters. When they realised they couldn't stop the locals from "rescuing" the cargo, they did the unthinkable...
They blew up the hull of the ship with dynamite to destroy the remaining whisky.

It remains the real-life inspiration for Whisky Galore! and possibly the only shipwreck in history to actually boost local morale.

To this day, it’s rumoured a few bottles are still tucked away in the peat banks of the Hebrides.

Be honest…

You’d have grabbed a bottle too 🥃

04/01/2026

Out for a snowy walk along our local Aird path ❄️🐾
Crunchy underfoot, cold noses, and plenty of running, sliding and general silliness with the pooch. The light was changing minute by minute, that soft winter glow you only get with snow on the ground ❤️😍

04/01/2026

Out for a snowy walk along our local Aird path ❄️🐾
Crunchy underfoot, cold noses, and plenty of running, sliding and general silliness with the pooch. The light was changing minute by minute, that soft winter glow you only get with snow on the ground ❤️😍

29/12/2025

The Braighe putting on a show today, not one, not two, but multiple rainbows shooting off in all directions 🌈🌈
Wild weather, shifting light, and a reminder that beauty often follows a storm.

07/12/2025

Something we don’t talk about enough up here in the North is just how dark the winters really are. We might bask in 18 plus hours of daylight in summer, but the trade-off hits hard when it’s cold, gloomy, and practically nighttime by 1pm in December.

But there’s a gentle side to it too. It’s a nudge to slow down, cosy up, and savour the little things, a hot cup of tea, a bowl of something comforting that nourishes the soul, a candle glowing in the window, a hot bubble bath and a Christmassy film to settle into.

02/12/2025

02/12/2025

There comes a point where you just can’t get any wetter so might as well embrace it. Soggy walk around the Lews Castle grounds today. Even in the rain, the Grounds are gorgeous. And apparently mud is extra exciting when you’re a dog.

Wouldn’t swap it. ❤️🌲

12/11/2025

We’re so lucky to have this as our ever changing view from Kinnoull House and Peninsula Cottage 😍

Beautiful shot taken by our Chairman Tom Clark yesterday afternoon. The view from the Upper Aird loop of the Sheshader - Aird path. Looks good even on a dull day!

10/11/2025

🐮 Did you know?
Highland cows — or Heilan coos, as they’re fondly called in Scots — are one of the oldest registered cattle breeds in the world, dating back to the 6th century.

Their long, shaggy coats aren’t just for looks — they’re double-layered, with an oily outer coat that sheds rain and a soft undercoat that keeps them warm through the harsh Highland winters.

Despite their rugged appearance and mighty horns, Highland cows are incredibly gentle and friendly, known for their calm nature and curiosity.

Fun fact: their milk contains higher butterfat content than most other breeds — perfect for traditional Scottish cream and cheese!

08/11/2025

🪶 Did you know?
The Callanish Standing Stones on the Isle of Lewis are among the most mysterious and ancient monuments in Scotland — even older than Stonehenge, dating back nearly 5,000 years.

Arranged in a cross shape with a central stone circle, they are thought to have been used for rituals, ceremonies, and astronomical observations, aligning with the movements of the moon.

Local legend tells of giants who refused to convert to Christianity and were turned to stone as punishment — their silent figures still standing watch over the windswept moors.

At sunrise or under a glowing Hebridean sky, Callanish feels like stepping through time — a place where myth, spirit, and the ancient world still whisper in the wind.