Avie-more the Movie.

Thanks to Ollie who stayed here last week for this fine piece of film making.

Avie-more from Ollie Gallant on Vimeo.

Late availability for May - 25% off.

The last 2 weeks we have available on Inshriach House before the peak Summer season kicks in are the weeks starting Monday 5th May and Monday 12th May. We are offering 25% off either full week or weekend bookings on those dates which brings them in at £2100 for a full week or £1575 for a weekend. Email hello@inshriachhouse.com for details.

Jon Panniers - bespoke guitars and joinery.

Jon Panniers has been the main man on the Insider build team for the last 5 years and it took me all that to persuade him to move to Inshriach on a permanent basis. Jon is a trained luthier and builder of custom acoustic guitars and can repair and set up stringed instruments. Until we get that business established he is also happy to turn his hand to a kitchen, some shutters, set building or general high quality joinery.

We have turned over the squash court to become his workshop and are busy wiring it up, fitting the extraction system and installing some mighty tools and he can build pretty much anything in house for very reasonable rates.

If you want a quote for something, however unusual or elaborate, or if you have sat on your guitar, drop him an email to jmpanniers@yahoo.co.uk.

Badger in a hole.

The badgers used to turn up in the farmyard most days at dusk, intent on wreaking merry destructive havoc amongst the chickens. That was until we trained the chickens to put themselves to bed through a high level hatch. Now the bins and compost and any food we choose to leave out are a more achievable target. This fella must have been snooping around the yard and had fallen into the inspection pit in the workshop. He sat tight and unnoticed in a corner for the time it took to me remove an exhaust and I only spotted him when I dropped a spanner and shone my torch at him. This is not the usual fighty flighty attitude I have encountered from cornered badgers in the past so presuming he may have been down there some time I took down some chicken soup and water and some dog food and then made him a ramp and by the morning both the food and the badger were gone.

The Inshriach Shepherds Hut - part II.

This is the shepherds hut out in position. I have been staying in it the last few nights and it is a delicious little nest. Our friend Lucy donated a little Alles stove that does a fine job of roasting the occupants and on which you can cook very small meals. Marcus the smithy folded up some steel to support the steps, Lizzie made the curtains and turned the bed into a ball-pool of cushions, we made some little shelves for pots and pans and once the skirting is painted and the last details are taken care of it will be available to rent through canopy and stars alongside the yurt, the beermoth and the bothy project.

Dune film.

Here is a little film I just came across that was made while shooting this seasons Dune catalogue back in May. Recognise any of it?

Introducing - The Blunder Bus.

The day after the shepherds hut made its perilous journey from the farmyard down toward the March pool (it is now tucked away in the juniper down towards the bothy project - not far short of the new sauna), another project arrived to take its place. Almost immediately christened the blunder bus, this is a 1951 Bedford K type which once upon a time was used to ferry pilots around an airfield. It then spent some time as a school bus and now is pretty much in kit form after languishing partly restored for a decade or so. Apparently it is one of only two left in the country.

As an accompaniment to the Beermoth in the Canopy and Stars stable of oddball rentals the current thinking is that it is going to need some buttoned leather, perhaps a chesterfield style fold out bed, a gramophone, a drinks cabinet and the right lighting. It also needs the body removed from the chassis just to get into the workshop. And it needs a whole heap of metalwork.

What this means is - if plans go according to plan - that in the spring the full Inshriach public transport restoration department will come into operation. At one end of the farmyard the Railway station will be coming together and at the other end we will be restoring a vintage bus. To me, this is a very exciting prospect. Thankfully we have 5 more new and amazing people living around the farm now, all skilled and willing and up for getting involved. When we are back to full strength after Christmas I will introduce them.

Watch this space.