17th Sept 2010: Planning Permission comes through - hurrah!

17th September 2010 - we hear the news we have been waiting for and the plans are signed and sealed!

Now, we just need the building warrant Stephen . . . ?

August Bank Holiday Weekend 2010

Another bank holiday weekend, another opportunity to head north and chip away at the the 'to do' list.  Stephen has arranged to meet two local contractors who we hope will do the initial groundwork and build the fence.
Both meetings go well and the remainder of the weekend is spent doing further tidying and clearance back and forth to the local tip with the trailer (in between trips to MacLeans the bakers of course!).

Removing these monster conifers has created so much more space and light at the gate and for our neighbour

The garage, with the rusty tin roof, is great storage for now but will be demolished to make way for foundations



See the mound of earth in front of the bothy wall - this all has to be excavated

The boys assisting with the works . . .


Dad, we think this might be a drain of sorts?



Just throw my ball will you??

We leave that weekend having really done all we can for now.  The next major milestones include obtaining planning permission, digging the ground out and erecting the fence.

Submission of Plans

Late August sees the plans submitted and we keep our fingers crossed for a positive response.

Ground Force . . .

We have just spent the last 10 days over in Plockton for our sumer break and have had a great time, sailing, kayaking, walking and drinking a ridiculous volume of pear cider and other beverages!  We are returning to Lancashire via Elgin/Grantown, this time with the ground and its vegetation being the primary focus!  The good summer has meant everything has blossomed overly well for our liking and we are greeted with a jungle of sorts which needs taming!  We (or primarily Stephen) set to work . . .

A large cut off branch makes its way inadvertently into one of neighbour's gardens; Stephen popped round to retrieve it and apologise(?!) and we then meet Sheena, who gives a well received cup of tea as we have a quick chat over the fence.

Yes, that's smoke . . .

He's in there somewhere!

End of day one

Dad has kindly leant us his trailer and we make our first trip to the local tip/recycling centre which is only a couple of minutes drive away. 
By the end of the following day it looks like this . . .

It's great to finally see what's there and meet our two neighbours directly in front.  We are conscious they have probably had little or no disturbance from that patch for many years and here we are chainsawing and strimming away on a Sunday; however we hope that the end result will be more pleasing on the eye and feel we have been made very welcome for which we are very grateful.

Visibly alot has changed this weekend at our little bothy and it is with some difficulty that we drag ourselves away and head south back to work.

Jenny's first visit - May Bank Holiday 2010

A few weeks pass before we both get the chance to head north again and for me it is my first proper look at what we have let ourselves in for!
On arrival, first priority to is to say hello to Sarah Jane and we spend some time exchanging updates and news on mutual contacts and acquaintances. Stephen leaves us to it over a cup of tea! It is lovely talking about years gone by and learning about the intervening years and where people have got to.  The connection with the bothy also perhaps brings a heightened responsibility to really look after it and transform it into something really special. 
When I head back to the bothy, Stephen has already started taking down the partition that divides the two rooms and we move the timber into the garage in the hope that we can later reuse/recycle this and or at the very least salvage what we can for essential fire wood supplies.   The removal of the partition opens up the space incredibly and lets us fully appreciate what we have in the main structure.

Next, the corrugated iron lean to coal shed comes down - this is leaning unsafely and is better flattened by us in a controlled manner rather than as a result of a gale force wind!



From this . . .



To this

 














The boys, Bruce and Fionn take it easy . . .

The dogs soon learn to chill in the back of the car

We discover the delights of MacLeans bakery in the Square - recommended for a good cup of tea, a bacon roll  and a nice wee cake! 

 

http://www.macleansbakery.com/

We spend the two days 'tidying' and demolishing what we can and bit by bit Dad helps us build up a collection of handy tools and equipment which will help us on our way.  In fact Dad and Molly pay us a visit and leave with a bag of coal for the Elgin fire.

The ground is going to be quite a challenge, especially as there is still alot of summer growth to take place.  Tackling this is the main item on the agenda for the next visit.

Alan Titchmarsh and Charlie Dimmock . . . where are you?!



Grand Designs . . .

Although the bothy was sold with planning permission to convert to a 2 bed house, it was clear to Stephen that there was so much more potential; with a bit more imagination and he set to work on a new design!  The initial sketches were approved by the 'client' - yes, that's me!! 

And this is where I confess the encouragement (nagging?!) began to get the drawings submitted for planning . . .

Proud Owners!

Late April Stephen drives up to collect the keys (I am on a course . . . boohoo!) - keys fit for a castle!! He meets Sarah Jane and the Blairmore/Gordonstoun connection is soon established; such a small world!  Suddenly it's so much more than just a place in Grantown on Spey - it becomes an opportunity to meet old friends and acquaintances, to remiminisce about the past and to reconnect with the area.
And look what's inside:

The old wash boiler, hence the washhouse!

Gable end window

Timber lined

A snow covered viewing

We made the journey up on the Saturday PM, stayed over with Mum and Dad and then headed south again the following morning to view the bothy.  It was a bad (or good, depending on how you view it!?) winter; there was some snow on the ground and it was damp and cold . . . 

We were unable to get access inside and the site seemed smaller than than we had expected, however the potential was clear to us both and our minds were made up.  Next step, finances, offer and fingers crossed all would go our way.

How it all began . . .

1st February 2010 - I confess I was browsing one lunchtime on my PC at work, the usual dreaming about a 'wee place' in Scotland that until that point had seemed out of reach and something that would probably always remain so until we made the move up north on a permanent basis.  We had largely remained content with holidays under canvas (although 2009's damp 10 days in the busy Lake District had perhaps left us a little less content!) and often reminded ourselves of the joy and ease of Mum and Dad's Plockton hideaway that we tried to frequent a couple of times a year.  However, the lure of the Cairngorms was always there, both for holidays and one day perhaps a permanent home.  Previous browsing had never revealed anything of real interest, usually on the basis of price and/or location and I have no idea why 'the bothy' jumped out at me from the screen this time but it did . . .I rang for the details there and then!
That evening I arrived home, opened up my Inbox and there they were. 'Stephen, have a look at this? What do you reckon, worth a look?'  We both agreed it was and made arrangements to go up and view it on the morning of Sunday 14th February.  Mum and Dad had some house guests!