Struthan Cottages - Tiree Accommodation

New Contact Details

tireecottage — Thu, 31 May 2012 20:38:34 +0000

Hi everybody, just to let you know we’re now moving offices (and home) tomorrow! As such the landline will not work , nor the old Sky email address. Mobile phone number will still be ok and we’ll advise the new landline number when it’s installed on Monday. Please see our contact page for updated details. Thanks.

Tiree Music Festival 2011 Highlights

tireecottage — Sat, 24 Mar 2012 20:00:43 +0000

Highlights from the Tiree Music Festival 2011

2012 Deposit Reminders

tireecottage — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 17:02:41 +0000

To all holiday guests planning a trip to Struthan Cottage with us during 2012, if you’ve not already sent in your deposit, then it is now due for 2012. This is especially addressed to those guests who currently have reserved dates in September, October and November. The deposit is due now and necessary in order to guarantee your booking. Without paying the deposit, you run the risk of others enquiring about your reserved dates. Your attention to this is appreciated. For clarity, any guest who has confirmed their booking already and paid a deposit, has a secure guaranteed booking showing on the availability chart in green.

MV Clansman Sails by

tireecottage — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 14:10:05 +0000

Calmac’s MV Clansman sailing by Waverly. Saluting each other on way back from Tiree.

Rare Turtle washed ashore

tireecottage — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 22:35:33 +0000

Amazing story in the latest edition of An Tirisdeach.

This young turtle was found freshly dead on 9th December, the day after the big storm, and was originally identified as a Loggerhead. However, experts have now re-identified it as Britain’s 36th record of Kemp’s Ridley Turtle (Lepidochelys kempii). A few days later, a second individual was found on a beach in Ceredigion, West Wales.

Kemp’s Ridley Turtles are a warm water species, and the rarest of the marine turtles. They are considered critically endangered, nesting only on a few beaches in the Gulf of Mexico. Dr Peter Richardson of the Marine Conservation Society (MCS) says these recent turtle strandings suggest there may be more turtles out there that could wash up on UK beaches. “Our advice isthat under no circumstances should stranded turtlesbe thrown back in the sea. While they may appear to be dead, they may in fact be comatose due to the cold conditions, and can be nursed back to health if immediately rescued and given expert care. If they are dead, it is important that they are collected and stored for post-mortem examination.”
MCS has a produced a UK Turtle Code, which can be downloaded at www.mcsuk.org and gives information on how to identify turtle species found in the UK and who to call if you find one. In addition, all dead or alive stranded turtles should be reported to Marine Environmental Monitoring (MEM) on 01348 875000.
MEM organises the rescue and rehabilitation of live stranded turtles; collection and post-mortem of dead animals and maintains a national database of turtlereports.

Happy New Year 2012

tireecottage — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 14:19:36 +0000

A warm and sincere Happy NEW YEAR to each and every one of our guests , past , present and future. May you continue to have wonderful memories and experiences on Tiree and in our cottage.

As it’s a new Year, we’ve now opened up 2013 for reservations! Be quick if you want that popular Summer time slot! All the best.

December winds & storm

tireecottage — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 14:15:58 +0000

From An Tirisdeach: huge storm that hit Scotland on Thursday 8th December left more than 150,000 homes without power during the day on Thursday and more than 70,000 were still off overnight. At least 10,000 homes in Scotland were still without power on the Saturday.

Here on Tiree it took until lunchtime on Sunday before power was restored to all homes! The hurricane-force storm has been described as a ‘weather bomb’, which in meteorological terms is defined as an ‘explosive deepening’.
According to catastrophe modelling specialists, Windstorm Friedhelm “began as a depression over the northern Atlantic, but as it approached the British Isles, it experienced a rapid drop of pressure that caused its wind speeds to soar”. This phenomenon occurs when cold air meets warm air and is characterised by a decrease in atmospheric pressure of at least 24 millibars in 24 hours. The lower the pressure, the stronger the winds become. Thursday’s storm was accompanied by a drop of 44mb!
By 9.50am ‘Windstorm Friedhelm’ officially became a hurricane as winds of 76mph were recorded at Tiree Airport – winds over 74mph are classified as hurricane strength. It was to get worse, with the maximum gust on Tiree being 91mph (146kmh). The mean wind speed for the day was 61mph. At Aonach Mor, just outside Fort William, there was a gust of 130mph (209kmh), whilst winds at Cairngorm Summit reached 165mph (264kmh).
Thanks to Sophie Isaacson for the photograph and to all the hydro boys for restoring our power in such horrendous conditions.

Been to our Cottage Recently?

tireecottage — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 14:11:15 +0000

Our Struthan Cottage Business relies on good word of mouth and satisfied customers. Sharing your holiday experience and kind comments is vital to our business plan. If you’ve been to Struthan Cottage at all, please take 1 minute to sign our Online Holiday Guestbook leaving a brief comment or two. It would be most appreciated not only by us, but for other website visitors too. We want to hear about your holidays!! Thanks. http://struthancottages.co.uk/about/holiday-guestbook/

Calmac to Raise ferry fares in March

tireecottage — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 12:46:38 +0000

Calmac have announced their ferry fares are increasing by 6.5% on March 30th 2012. This is in response apparently to rising fuel costs. You can read the full story here

http://forargyll.com/2011/12/curiosities-in-6-5-argyll-ferry-fares-rise-by-2012/

Thankfully Struthan Cottages are going to keep the same prices in 2013 as 2012 prices!

Merry Christmas from Struthan Cottages

tireecottage — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 19:10:24 +0000

Well, it’s that time of year again! After the excitement of last week’s wind and weather, Christmas is upon us again and thoughts turn to holidays, and being with family. It’s been a fantastic year for the cottage with more people passing through than ever before, leaving some very welcome and kind comments in our cottage guestbook. What’s more many of you are booked again for next year, with 2012 selling out very fast indeed! Repeat business is great for us, but it’s also wonderful to see so many people enjoying Tiree and the cottage itself. We’d like to wish every one of our past, present and future guests a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Tiree Windfarm Casestudy

tireecottage — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 18:49:48 +0000

With some nice panaromas of Tiree as it is today.

RET Ferry fare scheme extends

tireecottage — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 10:09:44 +0000

The Scottish government is to extend the Road Equivalent Tariff (RET) scheme, which aims to reduce the cost of ferry tickets to the equivalent of travelling the same distance on the road. The programme will become permanent on Western Isles and Coll and Tiree ferry services. Plans have also been announced by Transport Scotland of a roll out of the scheme to the Sounds of Barra and Harris services in an attempt to improve connections. From October 2012, the RET will be expanded to Gigha, Colonsay and Islay ferries, while a pilot scheme is due to start in 2014 in Arran.

Western Isles journeys have been boosted by the pilot scheme by almost one-third, benefiting tourism and local businesses. Minister for Housing and Transport Keith Brown says that the pilot has had a positive impact since its introduction in October 2008, boosting local tourist trade and local economies. They want that same positive impact to continue, which is why they are expanding the scheme to include new ferry routes. Tourism is only one of the benefits resulting from the pilot, and they expect it to bring more positive results to the additional routes being included.

Highlands and Islands MSP Mike MacKenzie welcomed the news, saying that the announcement is fantastic, as the move will further boost local businesses and tourism. The cheaper fares have largely boosted travel, tourism and business in the Western Isles. Anyone using a ferry to the isles or running a tourist business knows the difference lower fares make. Passenger numbers have increased 20%, room occupancy in the Western Isles is up 24% and car journeys have risen 31%, he noted.

Western Isles Council leader Angus Campbell said that the Comhairle has lobbied for the RET to become permanent and be expanded to the inter-island routes. He is delighted that this has paid off. They supported a discount scheme to demonstrate its viability, and they will make the case that the proposed 25% reduction in fares be extended to the new routes.

Also welcoming the decision was Western Isles MSP Alasdair Allan, saying that the commitment to expand the RET to the Sounds of Barra and Harris is well beyond the party’s 2011 manifesto commitments, and he believes it will be a real benefit to both islanders and tourists. The scheme has proved itself since being introduced in 2008, and it will make life easier for travellers and transport between the islands stronger. Allan added that, considering the large cuts that the British government has made to Scotland’s budget for the next three years, the renewal and expansion of the RET is a serious commitment to the islands and their economies.