Category: And The Next Thing is …

Cover finalised for the Conservation Plan of @DunansCastle, including Barcode, ISBN, blurb and fabulous panorama

Sometimes the simplest design is the most beguiling. In this case a panorama taken one  early summer morning from the bridge towards the castle. With title, strap and author on the cover;  title, author and Dunans Castle Ltd. logo on the spine; and blurb and barcode on the back, everything is pared back to the minimum.

The thinking is that the Conservation Plan represents the foundation point from which we are restoring and therefore should display the bridge and castle at their barest – although of course in a picturesque way – reflecting its “quite breathtaking … impact.” (Davies)

But aside from all the design niceties, we’re very, very grateful for the CreativIndieCovers website for the great free online barcode generator – just wonderful how the market throws up truly innovative answers to the questions one asks i.e. where can I generate a barcode free online? And before you ask why one should be able to generate a barcode artwork for free, the answer is that because the standard for deriving barcodes from ISBNs is free, and if I’d had to I’d have coded it myself – and also offered it free once I had.

A superb collection of singles that (frankly) I have never heard, but wish I had before now. #FutureIslands #OnMyPlaylist

Future Islands – Singles

So I am just older than I’d like to admit, but I am loving this bona fide eccentric (as Kitty Empire calls it in the Guardian)(and therein hangs an indicator if ever there did).

Updating posters for @twtc today in a distillation of the TWTC & the West Coast of Scotland using Illustrator

powerof3This poster is one of two that TWTC asked me to design for their projected tours in the UK and North America this year. We had a lot of fun selecting the images of the performers – yes its Colin Little as Long John Silver on the right there – and iconic elements of the Scottish landscape. The tartan is of course ‘Dunans Rising’ from the ScottishLaird project!

The image was created using illustrator and the main font is called ‘Another’ – ‘Futura’ is of course  the other.

Panorama from Stronafian Community Forest to the blue afforested hills of Bute and Kilfinan

Today a group of directors with potential contractors visited the highest point in Stronafian Community Forest – of which a panorama above. We were nearly blown away by the ferocious April blast. But the views were terrific! The forests of Bute and Kilfinan in the blue distance to the south. Our forest closer at hand. Invigorating. A good reminder, as we sit at desk or in kitchen burrowing into the interweb,  of how we should get out more often into the heathery, blustery hills. Certainly there was lots of thigh strain, huff, puff and deep breathing – and that was getting out of the car.

By the way, this weekend we have the Bin Men in Colintraive Village Hall from 6pm onwards on Saturday, and there’s also the big archaeology weekend at the chambered cairn in the Forest. A great weekend to be in ColGlen. More accurate details here. And more photos soon!

Three days of comparative dry, lots of raking, shovelling and digging, and we now have access at Dunans!

Today and yesterday we continued the consolidation of the drive at Dunans. The constant rain of the last 6 months has meant that we had not so much a track but a series of large ponds. The result, I hope you’ll agree is a vast improvement.

The contractor? Don’t be silly, that’s me and my mother with the blisters. Actually, more my blisters as I’ve not had the chance to wield a rake in anger since early last year. Thanks Ma, great job!

@KilmodanPS went to the River Fyne today to #FreetheFish!

Today, all along River Fyne there was the sound of Kilmodan Primary School pupils encouraging fry to live well and prosper having reared them in their classroom over the last couple of months.

Colin MacDonald and Andrew Barker from the Ruel Improvement Association and Argyll Fisheries Trust, along with the latter’s biologist, a delightful Orkadian called Daniel Brazier, were on hand to help teachers and pupils get the most out of the opportunity to experience the rapine environment, which included sampling the river’s microfauna (see pic above).

There should be more about the project on the Glen of the Red River blog tomorrow from the children.

Looked after beautifully @invercottage on #motheringsunday – the Rhubarb was stupendous!

Inver Cottage, on the shores of Loch Fyne, and opposite old castle Lachlan is the best place to eat near us. Recommended for every occasion, and particularly when in the company of three lovely mothers who require a wonderful time.

Photo of Dunans @sunset walking back to the house after a big day on the conservation plan.

Sometimes the interaction of landscape and building is stunning, although mere photos are often not able to catch the full width, breadth and height of the stunningness involved – and I suspect this is one such case. Lucky to live where I do.

Sunny tour @DunansCastle for twenty Lairds from Finland!

A great morning spent with a group of Lairds from Finland, photographed by Jean Donaldson (Powan Media Ltd.) and guided by the Laird himself, seen above describing the general programme of works needed to restore the bridge into proper fettle!

They have promised to come back in five years and inspect the completed restoration!

#Blogging with the P6s at @KilmodanPS today about their latest excursion to #HampdenPark

We had a lot of fun today writing about the recent very successful trip for the school to Hampden Park in Glasgow.

We had four different perspectives from the pupils, each wanting to describe a particular section of the day or event.

We used their own experience as source material, but as they had already written news stories, we referred to them. We also discussed the different blog posts and each blogger asked the others for help in identifying what was fact and what was not. One good discussion revolved around the score on the table football game. We decided the blogger wanted to make himself look too good by reporting a score of 10-2 and if he did that he might find people didn’t trust his blog. They really enjoyed talking about what their audience might say.

We also talked about what was appropriate in a blog, and what they could say and couldn’t. One pupil was intent on telling funny stories as he had a fortnight before, but we decided he should draw the line at lavatory humour. Another wanted to talk about how impressed he was with the luxurious facilities at Hampden Park – and we decided .

We also used pictures taken by the teachers to illustrate the posts, making the entries seem more immediate.

The posts are here: http://glenoftheredriver.com/our-school/our-blog/

Next week the pupils will be posting news entirely on their own during their technology afternoon – it will be very interesting to see how they get on.

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