"Atholl Palace is a wonderful place to visit. The staff are very helpful and polite, nothing is a problem! The food is amazing and the rooms are made up daily. This is great for either a weekend break or stay for a week. Great for couples or families. The spa is also brilliant and relaxing. Book now and stay, you won't be disappointed!"
October 2007
A fox, nonchalantly, crossed the path to the herb garden at 9.30 am the other morning which reminded me of the first lines of a poem I read many years ago. Annoyingly my memory can’t recall more than these first couple of lines.
“and whit will ye dae whin the red fox runs and the hootlets begin tae hoot,
the fox is my brither as well he kens
he has nae fear tae dread “
Seeing a fox in broad daylight is not as unusual as it seems. Many times in my previous life, when working out on the hills, I watched foxes moving about during the day without a care in the world, but to see one in the Palace grounds is a great bonus.
We have planted out over 4000 daffodils in recent weeks. The continuing process of adding to the diversity of colour in the gardens means we have concentrated the planting, this year, on the Japanese garden and wild bank. Frittilaries, tulips and Foxtail lilies have also been added to areas where we feel their presence will add a “little something” to the borders. Only a few months before the bulbs are up and the effect is seen. The other major planting operation, recently, has been to deal with nearly 400 Candelabra primulas( the yellow bulleyana and the red japonica) for the Japanese garden. They are lovers of moist, shady areas so we have great hopes for them when they emerge next May and offer understated colour up the burn side or in a shady spot. In the herb garden two of our original arbours have collapsed, under the weight of golden hop,clematis,climbing roses and more. The idea of building them in local birch was good at the time but the natural process of decay has taken its toll. They will be replaced with sturdier stuff over the next few weeks.
Autumn colour has been exceptional this year, indeed it still is. We are in to November and the roses are still blooming, the sweet peas are still offering a few stems for the vases and colour still lights up the borders, here and there. Now that fox…....I reckon he was heading for the Blackspout to find a quiet spot on a sunny ledge, in the gorge, to snooze away the day,peacefully. Innes
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