There is little else to say other than, the perfect photo is nothing more than composition, timing and subject. Jean nails it here IMHO.
Training on Joomla with DigitalSoul in Lochgilphead for ACT
Interesting morning working with the firm who have produced the branding and website for ACT getting to grips with managing content on the website. We’ve some really whizzy mapping functionality which even gets GPS coordinates automatically as well as a great front end editing system. These were the guys who recommended Elastic Email and they have created a great end-to-end experience!
Transactions on ScottishLaird.com are now securer with 128-bit encryption, SSL, HTTPS and a bunch of other acronyms!
We’re delighted to confirm that we can take Credit Cards and Debit Cards on any of our ScottishLaird.com websites now as we have just implemented Secure Sockets Layer and HTTPS, enabling 128-bit encryption for all transactions. No longer is Paypal our only means of taking payment – which is great because it means transactions will now become less complicated and more frictionless. The picture (inset) is our security certificate from Comodo and covers both the general ScottishLaird.com site, but all of our Redemption sites for Groupon certificates.
And the featured image? The lock on our browser when the checkout page is reached!
CGDT uses timesheets to record everyone’s activities – and that means the directors too now!
The Development Trust board was thinking about how to leverage the hours and hours of voluntary time that it puts into the organisation. The first problem is how to record that time. The answer, of course, is to use the timesheets that Sara has developed for the CCF project. Of course, we are all slightly wary of recording the hours we put in because there might be too many … but too many at least means more match-funding, no? I think we win either way!
There are lots of events coming up related to CGDT’s activities, including our AGM on the 20th July (1400hrs), a consultation on Community Wind Turbines on 28th May (1900hrs) and a meeting about our progress on Community Broadband on 15th May (1800hrs). There’ll be a newsletter coming out soon as well.
Making progress at #DunansCastle with our architect, surveyor and H&S consultant
Much discussion over the next stage of the work pending the consultation responses from Historic Scotland, Argyll and Bute Council, the Community Council, Development Trust and of course our Lairds and Ladies. During the afternoon we discussed the possible reasons for the round tops to the eight stanchions on the bridge (which you see in every photo of the structure). Robin, our architect, and author of the Conservation Plan (available here) thinks that they might have been designed to have obelisks or turrets atop. He made this quick, very rough sketch to outline the idea and I had to share it with you. Of course the reality is that it is unlikely they were ever built, and if they were they were taken down for good reason. More research may reveal the real intent.
After 5 hours of working through our plans we called it a day, or at least that was the intention – instead, Sadie launched into TWTC work and I, for my sins, went off for a three hour meeting with the Development Trust. It really doesn’t stop!
First Feedback on the Conservation Plan for Dunans from one of our Lairds!
Laird Andrew Kerensky was the first of our Lairds and Ladies to acquire his copy of the Conservation Plan, and he has this to say about it:
Hello Dunans Castle – Home of the Scottish Laird Project I have received my digital copy of the Dunans Restoration project book thank you. It is a fascinating read… it is very well written and incredibly insightful into the work going on thus far. I’m amazed that you are allowing us one footers an opportunity to contribute some opinions and thoughts into your wonderful project. Thanks for this!
Of course we are delighted, and to whet your appetite even further, we have included the introductory spread of the book as the featured image on this post.
Narcissi, Primula & Barty: a winning combination for tours at Dunans this Spring!
To celebrate that Spring really may finally have sprung, three photos. The first two are very much about the grounds. The narcissi come up every year and are a delight – banks of them in front and behind and around the castle. The primroses seem to have had an excellent year this year and are now present on both approaches to the bridge. Perhaps this explosion is to do with the significantly warmer winter we had this year, and perhaps this explains Barty the basset hound’s sprightliness – I haven’t seen him move this quickly, ever. So quick was he I nearly didn’t capture him fully – as it is his head is blurred. Barty the Ballistic Bassett perhaps?
If you want to meet Barty, see the beautiful grounds, and hear about the progress of the restoration, book a tour now at help@scottishlaird.com (we run tours Mon-Weds-Fri at 12 noon, April-October) £2.50 p/p, free for Lairds and Ladies!
Making email newsletters more elastic and more cost effective: @elasticemail
So Scottishlaird.com has over 11,000 subscribers divided into three separate lists, and frankly we were growing tired of an ever-inflating monthly charge from our old supplier – a rather overgrown simian. Now, don’t get me wrong the service was excellent, the templates great and creating an html email a breeze to put together and design, but the cost was ridiculous.
So yesterday, in email dialogue with Julie from ACT around the mailing list for that charity, the contractor recommended Elastic Email. So me having the technicals, I gave the system a once over. So impressed was I, that I have converted our entire list to Elastic Email and dumped Mailchimp back down to the free account.
Why keep the free gorilla account? The wonderful integration between it and my e-commerce software – we’ll be using it to collect subscribers and then transfer them over to EE. Security-wise we’re fine, given that both companies are at the top of their game, but it is a bind to have to migrate users over ….
The only word of caution I’d give, is that EE isn’t quite as user-friendly as MC – but then I *think* that’s what you’d be paying extra for with when you go ape!
(… and all of this rather explains why there has been a hiatus on the email newsletter front with Scottish Laird – sorry!)
ACT Launches: “Local Charity will ACT”
Unfortunately, I was unable to make yesterday’s launch (hence my absence from the photo), but here’s the Press Release:
New local charity ACT (Argyll and the Isles Coast and Countryside Trust) launched on Monday (April 28th) with a strong and positive vision – to maintain, enhance and promote the coast and countryside of Argyll so it can be enjoyed by residents and visitors.
This new initiative is a partnership between Argyll and Bute Council, the Forestry Commission, NHS Highland and Scottish Natural Heritage and will be active in a variety of projects running across the area.
ACT will focus on initiatives which improve opportunities in the access, biodiversity, health and wellbeing, economic growth, heritage and environmental tourism sectors. The new charity will provide opportunities to support existing initiatives and projects and will be actively encouraging the people of Argyll and existing groups to get involved.
Following a successful funding bid of £10,000 for the launch project, ACT’s new website has gone live and takes an active and inclusive approach towards making Argyll a more attractive place to live, work and visit.
ACT Chairman, Ian Hepburn said ‘’Many groups and individuals in Argyll have a strong commitment to our environment and natural resources and wish to maximise the opportunities for developing them fully, which will have economic, health and environmental benefits for us all. We’ve known about all of the positive things happening in the community for a long time but often it’s difficult for people to get involved because they don’t know where to go or who to ask for more information. It’s the people who live in Argyll and the Isles who have the best ideas on how to enhance the area and we are hoping to attract members who will be able to represent all of the communities and projects across Argyll and the Isles.
‘’ACT will be serving the community as an information hub and a platform for local people to get involved, suggest projects that will help to improve our communities and to find out about recent or upcoming changes. We encourage people to sign up through our website for ACT membership.’
ACT has already established partnerships with Argyll and the Isles Tourism Co-operative, the Kintyre Way and the neighbouring Loch Lomond and the Trossachs Countryside Trust and has a number of other projects under development. ACT will be working with these organisations to develop ideas and exchange information.
You are encouraged to get involved via the website at www.act-now.org.uk – there are a range of options to join ACT as a member, friend, facebook follower or business supporter. Members will have the opportunity to suggest projects and join the Board, as well as receiving regular updates.
#RequiredReading: SF, Fantasy and a little bit of the old Medieval
In downtime I read avidly. Here’s a snapshot of the last six months or so:
Wool [and] Shift [and] Dust – Hugh Howey. The first is brilliant and the second and third necessary and involving extrapolations of the original idea.
11.22.63 [and] Under the Dome – Stephen King. Fell out of interest with King until I picked up the first, which like the second, is a superbly realised high concept novel. If you can get over the style these are classics.
American Gods – Neil Gaiman. Interesting take on the Gods imported to America by the European diaspora, at times compulsive.
Blood Song – Anthony Ryan & Emperor of Thorns – Mark Lawrence. A great trilogy in prospective with the first, and a sometimes excruciating finale to a great trilogy in the second. Really, really rate Mark Lawrence.
Revelation – C. J. Sansom. Shardlake is one of those persistent characters whose idiosyncracies stay with you long after the novel ends. Sansom hasn’t disappointed yet, although this time around I’d guessed the culprit long before the eponymous revelation.
Proxima [and] Flood – Stephen Baxter. One of my favourite all-time authors. The first is totally compulsive. The second a bleak warning about climate change – a must-read.