Tag: Dunans Castle

Working on the 5 year plan for @DunansCastle today and the big news is … we can do it!

The picture that heads this post shows the 5 year cashflow for restoring the castle. I’ve been working out how the financial demands for the work on the project can be catered for utilising a mix of income from Scottishlaird, grant-funding and finance. The figures show it is possible at present levels, but it would be much more comfortable if the ScottishLaird project kept expanding at its current rate (of course!).

The reason we’re looking at this now is that we will soon know whether the bridge restoration project, led by the Dunans Charitable Trust, will get funding – this is effectively the ‘go’ button for the entire site and will lock us into a five year process that will mean we’ll open the building for visitors sometime early in 2019.

Obviously there are some critical stop/go moments. The grant-funding is one, listed building consent is another, loan finance yet another, but if there is anything I have learned from working with CGDT over the years, is that any project, large or small, is unstoppable once it gets momentum.

So now that the cashflow is roughed out, the next step is to put together plans for how the ScottishLaird project will maintain its momentum, continuing to sell decorative titles and also all the other products which will help to restore out Highland Castle. We’re looking at mugs, calendars, garments and more books (of course), but more excitingly (for techheads like me) we’re considering a game for smartphones – considering only at the moment, but given the revenues generated in the casual gaming market at present, this could represent a huge opportunity.

All I am wondering now is, what type of game should it be? A Castle restoration sim perhaps? Or maybe that’s too close to the bone?

But first the 5 year plan – and here’s the gant chart it’ll be based on!

draft-timeline

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!

dunanssaltireWe 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!

 

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!

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.

rashsmashfield

Before & After: a pasture full of rashes & a pasture full of *cut* rushes

WARNING: If you have never used or wanted to use a lawn mower, strimmer, brush-cutter or scythe, then this post is probably not for you!

I know, I know, this really is a man and machine-type thing – you know when we get all excited about the latest, greatest gadget – but in this case its the repaired mechanical scythe which we really missed last year when it went out of commission.

There are areas of the grounds at Dunans which have consistently resisted taming, and only by using of our trusty BCS 620 Powerscythe can we ever hope to reduce the rash quota and reinstate grasses, wildflowers and other entirely desirable natives. Even inch thick, gnarly bramble succumbs.

The pictures show a before and after of the lawn on the south side of the castle – well, I call it a lawn, but it has been traversed by several heavy machines and is now more like a mire. I am hoping a weekly cut with the scythe will begin to get things back to a sward-like state.

 

Georgia Bear & Co. visit Dunans Bridge with @thatpowanwoman and the results are Magical!

georgia_bear_bridgeTo see more, please visit the Dunans Castle Facebook page.

Over the next fortnight or so expect some absolutely lovely Dunans Rising garments and accessories to launch on the ScottishLaird website, including scarves, rugs and hats. We’re very excited about them, coming as they do, hot on the heels of the launch of the Conservation Plan for Dunans, which is presently available at ScottishLaird.com and via Lulu.

Sheep inna windae: @thatpowanwoman takes photo of the week @DunansCastle

10353487_10152395438231224_840965589864182290_oThere is little else to say other than, the perfect photo is nothing more than composition, timing and subject. Jean nails it here IMHO.

Making progress at #DunansCastle with our architect, surveyor and H&S consultant

bridgesketchMuch 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!

The Conservation Plan for Dunans, Lairds and Ladies edition is Published!

smWebCover-ConservationPlanCover

Both the commemorative edition for Lairds and Ladies, and the PDF version have finally been published on ScottishLaird.com. This marks the first stage in the consultation on the plan, and all answers will contribute to the development of our plans for the building, grounds and bridge.

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