"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!"
March 2008
The imprint was as clear as if a fine artist had etched it moments before ………the fine detail of the feathers and the whole outline of the body had been left after the impact. But when I found it, lying on the lawn, there wasn’t much left to admire.
The local peregrine had been at work. Detective work showed that the woodpigeon had crashed full speed into the big lodge window, obviously desperately trying to outfly it’s pursuer, before coming to grief and offering the peregrine an easy meal. All the meat off the breasts had gone and a scatter of fine feathers covered the grass below the window. All part of a gardener’s day. Peregrines and sparrowhawks frequent the Palace grounds regularily, attracted by the large numbers of jackdaws and fat woodpigeons which live here. The sight of a sparrowhawk flashing past then dipping over a hedge to grab a small bird or the remains of a woodpigeon spread out on the lawn with an angry peregrine screeching overhead occur several times a year.
The log edging has been secured on the pathway to the Japanese-styled garden and already, before any flowers are out, many pictures are being taken on the red bridge and in the pagoda. Slowly new,green shoots are emerging and the cherry buds are swelling. We can hardly wait. Elsewhere things are coming on, but slowly. It’s just been too cold with several days of swirling snow. But the daffies are out the odd, early rhodie is about to burst into flower and all over little spashes of understated colour indicate a clump of crocus,a patch of miniture iris or a dog-toothed violet. The pins are out on the putting green. It is fast, very fast. I managed a score of 25 but Dougal Spaven, general manager and keen golfer, has claimed a 21. It’s the sort of green where you can toddle around in 2’s until one rolls away from you…..then, well it could be a big score.
Spring at the Palace is a lovely time. Birds,deer,squirrels and flowers can be found around every corner. It’s a place to wander quietly,sitting frequently….not a place to rush. Enjoy the coming season. Innes
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