The Start of Summer!

This is the first weekend of the summer holidays in Scotland with most schools now on six weeks leave. It's been a lovely sunny week in Oban and today is no exception. We're heading down the glen to celebrate a 21st birthday and looking forward to a day off as we've been mega busy here at Cologin. Two more of our Inner Hebridean lodges now have decking and patio doors. Our water system has been given an overhaul following the exceptionally wet winter so all the filters, UV lights and pipe work are ready for our summer visitors. We don't use Chlorine in our water on a regular basis but every now and then we do flush the system through to make sure it meets the ever tighter EU regulations! Our water is better now than it has ever been but the standard it has to meet is extremely difficult for a private water system. Oddly, the farmhouse and cottage (because they are classed as domestic dwelling houses) don't need to meet the regulations but our chalets and lodges - and of course the pub - must pass every time they are tested with ZERO contamination of any kind. According to environmental health if we bottled our spring water it would not have to meet the same stringent criteria - another nonsense of EU red tape and illogical legislation!

Okay - moan over! The departs are away (excellent timing as it is just gone 10am) and the cleaners are in full

swing for the first Saturday change over of the holidays. Fresh oysters have been collected from our local fishmongers Watts on the pier (the oysters are from my good friends Hugo and Judith at Caledonian Oysters, Loch Creran) and they will be served tonight at a retirement dinner for one of our regular customers - The Blairs - who feature in one of Cologin's video's on YouTube. Peter and Jackie have been coming to us for their summer holidays for nearly 30 years as Jackie first came with her parents when she was a youngsters. Now their boys are nearly grown ups themselves - I wander if they will eventually bring their own children to Cologin - one thing's for sure - I don't think I will still be around to see them - hopefully our own children will have taken over the business by then and Jim and I will be enjoying our retirement! DREAM ON.....