24 June Update

Hello again,

Our First Letter!

First - a big thank you to Anais for her letter - all the way from Texas - the first one posted on this blog from a guest - she and her husband John, were the hardy guests who went on the guided walking tour in May and bagged a Munro - Ben Lomond. I will give the company details again as they were so impressed by them: http://walkaboutscotland.com

August Availability

We are in the most unusual position - due to a cancellation - of still having  availability in the Garden Apartment during August - do take a look at our calendar - it is £150 per night for 2 people, so, of you want to visit, do get in touch!

Balfour Apartment eTour

The 360-degree eTour of the Balfour Apartment is on on our site’s Home page - so do take a look - especially if you have booked, or are considering booking.

Golfers?

We have a lot of golfers stay - most make the pilgrimage to the Old Course, of course, in St Andrews, but some play locally… There are some fabulous courses, including Muirfield, along the East Lothian coastline - take a look at: http://www.golfeastlothian.com And, it may be of interest to know that Gleneagles course is around an hour-and-a-half’s drive away.

Car Hire

Bear in mind that, when booking your car hire, if your rental firm states that it is located ‘minutes from the station’ ask which one… Haymarket station is on the other side of Edinburgh - it is not the train station in the city centre, which is Waverley Station. If you would like advice on hiring a car, cheaply, and locally, do ask us - we’ll be happy to give some suggestions for firms that are based nearby and which are excellent value for money.

An August Wedding

Well - we have our first Edinburgh wedding taking place in August- and, are honoured and delighted that the bride and groom, and close family - from the US - have chosen to stay at Pilrig House. I am, somewhat anxiously I profess, awaiting delivery of the wedding dress - for which, I have made arrangements to have steam-pressed on time for the ‘Big Day’. I hope I can persuade the happy couple to have their photo taken on the Palladian staircase entrance here at Pilrig House, and, can show you in a later blog! We are looking forward to this event…

Reduced Rates

Please remember to take advantage of our reduced rates for weekly, and longer, stays - go to the Rates page for each apartment and it tells you the weekly rate and the percentage discounts for longer stays. And, you may have noticed, we are now posting ‘Special Offers’ for late deals on our Home page, which we hope you’ll take advantage of!

Summer in Edinburgh

Edinburgh is teeming with visitors and it is fun walking around in the city centre and seeing what’s happening, with cameras at the ready on every corner of the Royal Mile… despite the new Edinburgh tram system being laid and causing havoc on the main streets! It is fine if you are not taking buses everywhere - just as well Edinburgh is a great city for walking around in and easily navigatable… I suppose this is one way of reducing cars in the city centre - albeit a drastic one. But, it wouldn’t be Edinburgh if our local council didn’t decide to carry out major roadworks in the middle of summer… We ‘Edinbuggers’ (as our friendly neighbours the ‘Weegies’ call us (Glaswegians) are a hardy breed!

Well - must dash. Guests arriving shortly and off to welcome them.

If you’re due to visit us soon - we look forward to meeting you!

Debbie

A letter from Anais

Dear Debbie’s Diary,

Hi, to all readers. What a privilege to be able to write here! Almost up to the level of staying in Pilrig House! Debbie and Philip have created an atmosphere of hospitality and history second to none. And we were able for a short time to feel like stewards of the old house. During our ten-day stay we experienced what it must have been like to be residents of 17th century Leith with all the conveniences of the 21st. Over the next few months I hope to share with you some of our memories of Pilrig House.

So here goes. I spent a lot of time in the window seat in the Park Apartment watching Pilrig Park and Arthur’s Seat in the distance. The view changed with the passing of the day, but the tranquility remained. It was from this window that I saw Mr. Fox, a red fox who visits the garden on occasion. And I drank many soothing cups of Debbie’s tea on the front steps of the Park Apartment while admiring Philip’s lovely garden and observing the fat wood pigeons that frequent it. We are back in Austin, Texas now, but we have left a part of us back at Pilrig House.

More soon!

Anais, June 18, 2008

June

Hello - hope you are also enjoying the lovely weather that we have been experiencing in Scotland for the last 3-4 weeks. May has been heavenly - sunny, occasional breezes, and almost sunbathing weather - well, for us Scots anyway - our visitors from Austrlia are wearing heavy coats and can’t believe that we find this warm… I informed them that we have built up our immunity over a lifetime!

Balfour Apartment Opens
The Balfour Apartment welcomed its first guests last week - and, the response was as we had hoped. The photos are now posted in the gallery on the website, and a 360-degree eTour will be appearing on our website around the end of June/first week in July - in the meantime, do take a look at the pics.

Recent Guests
These last few weeks, we have welcomed guests from the US, Australia, England and Germany. One couple’s daughter was playing in the Junior European Golf Championship at Gullane; a lovely couple from Texas managed to ‘Bag a Munro’ (climb one of Scotland’s mountains) - Ben Lomond - at over 3,000 feet (well done!). They highly recommend to other guests: www.walkaboutscotland.com (see blog on that site with their photo - ‘Mildred and John’). Other guests had a busy time visting ever-popular places such as Inverness, Rossyln Chapel (of the Da Vinci Code fame), Loch Lomond, Glen Coe, St Andrews (and, naturally, the Old Course), and the sites of Edinburgh. Another popular choice is Alnwick Castle - where Harry Potter was filmed (as well as the film ‘Elizabeth’ and the BBC series ‘Blackadder’). We told some who were driving to Alnwick to also consider stopping off at Lindisfarne: www.holy-island.info/lindisfarnecastle/index.htm and Bamburgh Castle nearby: www.bamburghcastle.com/ Both are only around an hour-and-a-half’s drive from Edinburgh! A few courageous souls were brave enough to go on the late-night ghost and torture tours here in Auld Reekie…

Upcoming Events
19-22 June: The Royal Highland Show. See: www.royalhighlandshow.org
(Availability is as follows: Balfour: 18-20 June (3 nights); Park: 21-23 June (3 nights); Garden: 14-24 June still available
1-30 August: The Edinburgh International Festival - We still have availability for the Edinburgh Festival in August, as follows. Please enquire:
Garden Apartment: 1-27 August - £150 per night for 2 people (week-long bookings only)
Park Apartment: 29-31 August (3 nights) - £170 per night for 2 people (can sleep up to 4)
Balfour Apartment: 1-3 August (3 nights) & 11-14 August (4 nights) - £170 per night for 2 people (can sleep up to 4)

Genealogy Links
For those of you interested in genealogy, I have added even more links on our website that may be of interest. Click on What’s On/Useful Links and scroll down till you come to ‘Useful Genealogy Websites’.

2009 - The Gathering of the Clans
I have also added the website that contains all the information about ‘The Gathering 2009′ event -  one of the largest clan gatherings in history to  be held over two days - 25-26 July 2009, in Holyrood Park. Be part of history!  See: www.clangathering.org  We have already taken a ‘Homecoming’ booking, so, if you are keen to attend, book up now. We think it will be a fabulous event!

Local Car Hire Firm
A local car hire firm that can drop off the car here at Pilrig House for you, and collect it, at great rates, has come to our attention, and you may wish to take a look: www.1car1.com (click on Scotland on the map, and the nearest local office is ‘Bothwell St’).

On the domestic front - Philip has been busy installing new parking bollards outside in our car park to ‘protect’ our spaces - on the brink of an outbreak of ‘parking wars’ - free parking in Edinburgh is a rare commodity! During this activity, he has been seen sitting on the wall ‘blethering’ to neighbours, guests, park visitors… and, seems to be having a very nice time of it - until he nearly hammered his finger into the ground along with the bollard.

On that note, au revoir till next time!

15 MAY

15 May 2008

April
During April we had some lovely guests visit us from Ireland, USA, England and Canada - highlights included a 40th wedding anniversary, an engagement, and a once-in-a-lifetime trip. It has been a very enjoyable and sociable past few weeks.

I have been reminded that I have not been keeping my blog up to date as often as I should - it’s all new to me - I’m a complete computer duffer! So, apologies. I can’t use the excuse that I have been lying out in the sun these last glorious 10 days or so - although it has been very gratifying to see guests soak up the sun and relax in the gardens - no, Philip and I have been working around the clock to complete the renovation of the Balfour Apartment. Three days to go before our first guests arrive, and, we are nearly there. It is looking great - well, we think so! Photographs and an eTour will be posted on our site in around 2 weeks’ time -  we do hope that you’ll like it. 

Martin Wishart’s New Cookery School - Close to Pilrig House!
The Michelin-star restauranteur, Martin Wishart, has recently opened a fabulous cookery school - only minutes’ walk from Pilrig House  - do take a look at the website: www.cookschool.co.uk You can attend a cookery course or book in for a cookery demonstration - the wide range of classes and courses look (and almost smell) wonderfully inspiring and not at all threatening (if you are not an experienced cook or are a little wary… ).  This would be a special ‘event’ to combine with your stay here - why not book up to coincide with your visit? I am longing to go myself, but will have to wait for quieter times. So, please go and tell me - and others via this blog - all about your experience.  Having eaten in Martin Wishart’s restaurant at the Shore area in nearby Leith, I have no doubts that you will enjoy it.

Alistair Sawdays’ Inspection Update
In the midst of all the chaos, we heard that our review/inspection had gone well, and that we are to be amongst those select few included on Alistair Sawday’s website for self-catering accommodation:  www.specialescapes.co.uk  We are absolutely thrilled. Not only that, but, we have also been invited to be featured in Alistair Sawday’s Scotland guidebook (due out in the Autumn). What a  morale booster-and-a-half this month, especially when we have been so tired. Do look at the AS guides - they are a fantastic source of great places to stay that are not run-of-the-mill.

Old Friends
Many ex-guests write to us from around the world - we really enjoy hearing from you all - especially so long after you have visited - and count ourselves very fortunate to have met so many nice people - whom we now regard as friends. Keep writing. And, we will to you too - if you can bear it.

Edinburgh Shuttle Door-to-Door - New Fare
The fare has just gone up from £8.50 to £9 for a single fare door-to-door from the airport - and, notably, all, guests seem to have enjoyed arriving via this bus service from the airport - you can prebook online in advance of your stay - see previous blog for website details.

On that note, I am taking the bus to dreamland. Hope you are all well and happy wherever you are, and, that, your gardens, if you have one, are bursting with colour, as ours did at the first sight of sunshine this month - a  joyous sight to see.

 

 

 

 

22/4/08

Phew… It’s been a busy few months. As some of you will already know, we have been busy renovating a third apartment in Pilrig House - the ‘Balfour Apartment’ - it seemed appropriate to name it after the family who lived here for hundreds of years! The first guests arrive in May, so, I am pleased to report that, after blood, sweat and tears (Philip’s mostly - he may take up full-time residence at the Scottish Malt Whisky Society shortly) - we are on the home straits and it is, at last, coming together and looking lovely… Well, we think so, and hope you do too! Pictures will be posted on the site - and an eTour - by the end of May. We were so impressed with the refurbishment of all the old sash windows, we are having the Park and Garden Apartments‘ windows given the same treatment in November.

April weather has been disappointing and most unusual - snow, rain, hail, wind and sun - mostly on the same day, then a few days’ sunshine, and the sweet relief of brief interludes of warmth… but, the brave daffodils all emerged in the garden, and have decided to stay with us all month.

We have been delighted to see some friendly faces return to us this year already, from as far away as Australia - and, it was heartening to see their genuine delight at the above weather conditions after the heat from which they had fled! It’s always nice when people come back to Pilrig House Apartments - feels like old friends popping in.

Good reports and feedback from guests about Rabbies’ Tours - in case you are booking a tour in advance of your stay.

And, for those guests arriving at Edinburgh Airport, remember that you can prebook, online, the door-to-door Edinburgh Shuttle bus service that will bring you straight from the airport direct to our door (£8 single fare): www.edinburghshuttle.com

Last week, we were visited by the Alistair Sawdays reviewer/inspector - a charming woman, and most ‘uninspector’-like. So, we are waiting with baited breath to see if we are to be included on their self-catering accommodation website. Will keep you posted.

Must dash - furniture being delivered and unloaded as I write.

Keep reading. Will write again soon. Wishing you all health and happiness wherever you are.