Events and OffersEriskay Ponies at work
Throughout December - February. Free
Help us collect seaweed from the beach for fertilizing the soil the traditional way, working with our Eriskay ponies. Help as little or as much as you want to. Dependent on weather and tides.
Phone for more details - Jonathan 01878 700828 ‘Croft-sitters’ sought
Opportunity for responsible person or couple for a working holiday keeping our croft, garden and holiday cottages running while we’re away visiting family for a week or two. Free accommodation in exchange for feeding animals, other routine tasks and perhaps a special project, depending on capabilities and interest. For more information and to express an interest, contact Jonathan. |
Jonathan’s Askernish Blog 12 February 2012
Our first Askernish guests of the year have had a week of mixed weather; but, coming from the Isle of Lewis - a hundred miles north from here, they knew how to make the best of the conditions, be they rain or shine. The garden is showing the first signs of spring, with clumps of daffodils and buds on the willow trees. It’s time now to take cuttings from the willows and plant them out, to make good the losses due to winter storms, and to improve shelter of the garden. And on the subject of the winter storms, there’s a new garden bench to buy - the old one was reduced to firewood! See also The Big Garden Blogs > 15 January 2012
Denise and I have just finished all the planned redecorating for the year ahead: a full paint job in both the kitchen and the bathroom, and a freshen-up elsewhere. Lots of small care-and-repair work too, the sort that’s all to easily overlooked but which is important if the house is to look cared for. I’ll be back on odd days over the next few weeks for mostly outdoors jobs, like planting more trees, weeding the drive. The weather has improved from the endless gales of the past few weeks (the worst winter gales for many years - and not just here in the islands!) so let’s hope it stays that way. 17 December 2011
I discovered just this evening that the Askernish website has been misbehaving badly - quite likely for two to three weeks! It’s taken a couple of hours to fix, but now it’s seems to be working fine .. and just in time for the busiest time of the year for enquiries! 24 November 2011
Lashed by a late autumnal gale that’s forecast to continue for several days, the Uist landscape is reduced to its barest essentials - rock and water, beaten grasses, rush and heather. Yet amongst these the hardiest species still bravely set forth their flowers: ragwort and some form of umbellifra for the natives; escallonia and veronica for the incomers. But welcome though these are, this is the season for those indoor tasks for which in high summer we scarce had time for thought, let alone doing: spinning and weaving, overhaul of websites, taking stock and exploring new ideas. And at Carrick and Askernish redecorating repairs and improvements that will continue off and on - between occasional winter lettings - until early Spring next year. 16 October 2011
It’s a day of blustry wind and showers dashed with cheery patches of blue sky and sunshine. This is the season of school half-term holidays, and there’s many familiar faces about - those who know and love Uist at this time of year. Yes, it’s likely to be windy at times, or wet, quite probably both; but wonderful if you’re prepared for it. Good outdoor clothing to be sure, and perhaps a dog for company; but it’s our expectations that makes the day windy and wet to some, yet wonderful to others! Soon the clocks will be set back, and the days will seem shorter than they are; and I shall be busy with decorating, maintenance and improvements. 18 September 2011
Autumn has arrived early: with warning of approaching severe storm the greenhouses have been fitted out with their winter overcoats a month earlier than usual, and its only the hardier all-weather breed of tourist that’s to be seen now on the island roads and beaches. But for all that, the weather remains very mild and it’s lovely to be working outdoors without risk of overheating or sunburnt!. And autumn brings its consolations: blackberries, rosehips and a bumper crop from our apple trees. 21 August 2011
Croft and garden have flourished over the past two months, with bumper harvests of currants, peas and beans. But some things never recovered from May’s unseasonably bad weather: scarcely any new potatoes due to wind damaging the haulms , and tomatoes at least a month late due to the lack of sunshine. Just the other day it suddenly struck us that we haven’t heard a blackbird sing at all this year - normally there are a couple of males singing their hearts out from the ridge of the house. But that no doubt was due to the long freeze of this winter past - exceptional for Uist. 19 June 2011
At long last the weather has settled into its old familiar ways! Long sunny days of blue skies; soft breezes carrying the perfume of countless wild flowers and herbs; bogs brightened with yellow flag iris, and the first patches of deep purple bell heather on the hillsides. Today is warm - well over 20degC - and the ewes with their fat little lambs, the geese and their posse of goslings are all resting contentedly in the cool shade of long grasses. So calm and quiet it is, that even the bees rest a while amidst the flowers. 15 May 2011
April’s May weather has given way to April weather in May - Sunshine and showers, but blustery winds as well. At last week’s ‘turnaround’ I dead-headed all the daffodils; and this week heard a cuckoo calling from the top of an electricity pole. At long last the trees we’ve planted and nurtured over five years now are starting to show some promise. Grass now as green as green can be, full of energy, and the lambs growing fat on it! 19 April 2011
Curlews are burbling, lapwings diving, lambs bleating, hen harriers hovering and daffodils blooming: all the wonders of spring in abundance outside the very windows of the cottage. All the effort we’ve gone to over the winter - and all the care we take even in routine cleaning - was repaid in full with the very genuine appreciation of our last week’s guests! 20 March 2011
This coming week we’ll have finished repainting the house walls; pleasant work in the spring sunshine. Working this morning we’ve heard the first lapwings and skylarks in the crofts surrounding the house. Still a cold wind, but spring is here! February 2011
A brutal storm on the 3rd! Since then mostly mild, grey and windy, but with several days of very welcome warming sunshine. The first guests of the new season arrived today (20th) to a warm, cosy and well-presented house - blissfully unaware that just a few days ago the indoors was utterly chaotic! As well as the decorating and minor repairs, we also had to find and fix a leak around the window by the TV - what a mess that made! January 2011
A mild, wet south-westerly gale, or still bright sunshine and cold nights - and this is the time of year for maintenance and repair! Outside, a roof slate or two to replace, and fences/gates to repair. Indoors, the living room and twin bedroom are being completely redecorated, and the whole house to deep clean. | 
