New heathers just arrived to boost the winter colour. Planting might have to wait until the snow has melted!

Look closely at this wee robin and you’ll see she’s been recently ringed. In a chilly couple of hours, a local birder ringed 27 birds including blue tit, coal tit, great tit, greenfinch, yellowhammer, tree sparrow, robin and blackbird and also spotted woodcock and snipe in the boggy area. Good evidence that local birdlife can flourish and feel safe by adding relatively small areas of mixed trees and shrubs, especially those producing berries and hips, and allowing boggy flooded areas to remain.

Here’s a reminder (if ever you need one) of a few of the things that makes this corner of Scotland a very special place to visit.

Delicious free range eggs from my neighbour now on the menu each morning. Can’t get fresher than this 🙂

Excited to have won a 2020 Tripadvisor Travelers’ Choice Award based on a full year of Tripadvisor reviews, prior to any changes caused by the pandemic.  Award winners are known for consistently receiving great traveler feedback, placing them in the top 10% of hospitality businesses around the globe.

“Winners of the 2020 Travelers’ Choice Awards should be proud of this distinguished recognition,” said Kanika Soni, Chief Commercial Officer at Tripadvisor. “Although it’s been a challenging year for travel and hospitality, we want to celebrate our partners’ achievements. Award winners are beloved for their exceptional service and quality. Not only are these winners well deserving, they are also a great source of inspiration for travelers as the world begins to venture out again.”

A huge thank you to all my guests who have given me reviews and helped me to achieve this award.

            It’s a big day as we re-open after almost four months of lockdown.  Troustry is squeaky clean and there are lots of safeguards in place, including letting only one room at any one time (unless you’re a party of four)  and rooms standing empty for 24 hours after deep-cleaning and before the next guests arrive.  Fife is looking amazing and there’s lots of summer sunshine left so check out our calendar for availability and we can’t wait to see you all once again.