A beautiful day on which to install our new signage (spot the lectern in the top image). Took some more photos of the grounds (and of course Barty!).
Category: Dunans Castle
Our Lairds and Ladies form a huge community of interest around the restoration of Dunans Castle. The website sells gift packages and merchandise, most of the latter being based on our very own ‘Dunans Rising’ tartan.
We have lectern! New signage at the castle for the multitudes of Lairds and Ladies this summer!
The first of our new signs is now in place. Its a kind of lectern made out of treated softwood, so its neither too heavy to shift, or too light to run away with. We also wanted something we could swap signs in and out of as the project progressed. I think Mike has done us proud realising the design.
Later this week we’ll post photos of the new Bridge sign.
Here’s the original design post btw.
Delighted to announce our first reprint of Conservation Plan for Dunans today!
Very happy to announce that the sales of our Conservation Plan, both online and onsite at Dunans have been so good we have had to order a reprint of the book. Great situation to be in, and delighted that the investment in the design and print time has been worth it. This is also a testament both to the readability of Robin Kent’s report, and the interest that our Lairds and Ladies have shown in the project.
We’re anticipating high sales going into Christmas, so there’s likely to be a second reprint in September.
And here’s a question – what is the subtle difference between original print-run and this reprint? Answers in the comments please!
Hint: the photo is a clue!
The Design for the new Flag for the @DunansCastle Project is finalised!
We have recently had some requests for a Dunans Castle Project flag, one that all the Lairds and Ladies can get hold of and fly if and as they so desire. Well, today I am delighted to say, we have finalised our design and the order for the prototype has been made. Once we’ve received the flag we’ll check the colour reproduction, and adjust the final pantones accordingly.
All we need now is a flag pole!
New Signage for Castle & Bridge drafted incorporating portability
Today I finally found time to draft the new tabletop signs for the front of the castle and the side of the bridge. The idea is that they provide a table height interpretation for both structures which can (a) be moved as the restoration projects demand (just like a table) and (b) the signs themselves can be swapped as needed when there’s a significant update (like the bridge being restored or the castle re-roofed).
Left is a sketch of the wooden frame we are going to make from the Lime I have loaded up in the sawmill at the moment. The signs are A0 size or 841mm x 594mm … More once the signs are in place and the frames made!
Initial Enquiry into the Heritage Lottery Fund for Dunans Bridge Today!
… and they’ll be getting back to us in 10 days. As soon as they feedback we’ll report here. In the meantime here’s the detail of what we said:
Continue reading Initial Enquiry into the Heritage Lottery Fund for Dunans Bridge Today!
It *seemed* like a good idea at the time, but was it? We get interviewed by the BBC’s lovely Clare English!
… actually it was great fun, which I think comes across. Particularly like the bits where Clare is trying to get Sadie and me to concentrate on the more challenging times and we keep laughing about them – especially the midges swarming over the windows on the red shed.
I mentioned the interview on my blog at the time and it is going to be broadcast at 13.32 gmt on Thursday this week, BBC Radio Scotland. Here’s the link:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b045byym
Right is the official photo with Clare to prove she was actually at Dunans (in the kitchen)!
Cause for Celebration! Application to Historic Scotland completed and submitted
It took a week to put into the right words, a second to submit – on Friday at around 3pm – but this application (and the one to HLF which I will be working on this week) starts a process that restores the bridge by October next year and enables the opening of the castle by late 2018.
It feels onerous on the one hand, but fantastic to be finally moving on the other!
Below is the edited text of the application.
Continue reading Cause for Celebration! Application to Historic Scotland completed and submitted
Rash razing over the weekend: a perilous quest for wildflower rich pasture…
I finally got the pasture topper running on the back of our dinky orange tractor and made a good start to the big paddock. I suspect it will take the rest of the week around my other duties, but it put me in mind of my upbringing on an arable farm in Lincolnshire where things are a lot flatter and the tractors a lot bigger. Rash razing in contrast to the wheat harvest, seems to take forever – I am just hoping I’ll only have to do it once more this year – turning the tractor at bottom and top feels particularly perilous. I am not sure how hill farmers do it year-on-year.
Big Dunans Rising Day: scarves & rugs are here and the Historic Scotland application is in!
The name of our tartan refers to the castle and to the effect of wearing, or rather purchasing, the tartan – that every time a person dons it, he or she will bring the castle’s restoration a step closer and the building will rise.
Today is a case in point: we received three boxes packed with scarves, stoles, serapes and sashes all in the Dunans Rising tartan. And just as the postman drove off (in a cloud of dust) I hit the send button on our Historic Scotland application for Dunans Bridge (in time for the deadline tomorrow).
Dunans is rising, slowly but surely. Next is the initial enquiry to the Heritage Lottery Fund, and then, well then comes the nail-biting wait.
But for those of you who have been hanging out for a scarf or two, they’ll be on the site next week….