Summer is almost finished but who said that the autumn/winter won't be just as exciting??

This blog has been a long time coming but let me say that our incredibly busy summer period has had something to do with it!

Unbelievably (or at least it is for us anyway), we have been here for almost 9 months and what a 9 months it has been. So much has happened so I must ask myself...where do I begin?

I think an appropriate place to start would be the additions to the Murray family who have already had a significant impact on our lives here at the Dowans. Firstly, Bannor, our German wire haired pointer has become an increasingly interesting talking point for our guests as he hangs off and picks fights with their luggage on their entry....we have decided that he is so keen on the bags of guests that we will endeavour to train him as our new porter. We've decided to complete the look with the compulsory bell boy hat!
     
We also have two mallard ducks who are currently occupying the pond...although please don't tell them that the carpark isn't also their domain as they seem to have to decided that it is for themselves! I would like to say that we have names for them but alas, they have yet to fully reveal their sex in which case, we have to wait for the naming ceremony that will soon take place.

Soon to follow will be a pen of chickens! Watch this space! We have not only added to our family but have also welcomed some new members of staff who have been invaluable over such a busy summer period...we will be forever thankful and are all excited about the continuing development of our young helpers!

The excitement of the new members of the Murray family has been matched in a different format with the completion and opening of Bistro '57', our gastronomic addition to the Speyside area providing food that aims to complement the wealth of local produce whilst also invoking an atmosphere of family-friendly relaxed comfort. Features on the menu including the pasta dish, vegetarian option and catch dish change weekly and due to our close relationship with local suppliers, we regularly have additional dishes such as lobster, venison, pigeon and lamb which hopefully keeps the dining experience fresh even for those who regularly return to dine with us. Lately, we have added pizzas which, like the majority of the rest of our food, are home-made and will have ingredients that are changeable as the seasons progress. We have had very positive feedback thus far and hope to continue to pull in the guests.

We are in the process of developing our fine dining menu with our third Chef now finally in tow and so hopefully should have Spe open in the not too distant future...we are all very excited about the prospect of both restaurants being up and running at the same time. We are more than up to the challenge and can only hope that Spe turns out to be as popular as Bistro 57!

The kitchen and the work that has been done to it has certainly given us the freedom that we now have to start our fine dining menu...that, and the fantastic work that each of the Chefs has done to impact upon the development of menu ideas whilst aiming to make the Bistro 57 menu as good as it can be. It's a continuous learning process but we wouldn't be where we are without their input so thanks for that lads!

Beyond the work on the kitchen, we largely stopped the renovations to the rest of the hotel for the summer months, but now that the fishing season is almost complete and we will have a bit more time on our hands, we are about to start again with a conversion of two of our small single rooms into a decent sized suite. Luckily, we have found that both rooms have interesting features that have been previously covered such as a skylight and an old spiral staircase and therefore we will aim to include these in the conversion if at all possible. Although we are all excited, I think that mum is probably the most as she has already started talking to the rest of us about colour schemes....our blank faces are not necessarily appreciated but luckily she has suppliers that can share her dreams-how different to this time last year when we were all forced to remember and keep up with what seemed like a different idea per day! Photos will follow on our facebook page!

Talking of social networking sites, it is my almost-end-of-year resolution to start utilising our facebook and twitter accounts more in order to get the word out about what we are doing and what stage we are at with Spe, our new suite, Christmas and Hogmanay plans and anything else that might be of interest. So make sure to keep an eye on @thedowanshotel and The Dowans Hotel on Facebook.

Recently, we were mentioned in a Dominic Roskrow article, a highly respected whisky journalist, whilst he was on a canoe journey down the Spey with Spirit of Spey's Dave Craig and Spirit of Speyside director Mary Hemsworth. Click here to view the article and the rest of the Whiskeria magazine Autumn edition.

There has been so much that has happened over the summer, so many wonderful people that we have met, too many new experiences to mention, and several challenges to face and overcome in our position as newly integrated members of the hotel owners' club that it is difficult to know where to stop but I will leave this newest blog as a small catch up on where we are at and will aim to do a new blog in the not so distant future concerning specifics. Until then, watch the website for changes and news (www.dowanshotel.com).

Visitors to the Dowans...

In our last blog, there was a sense of increasing fascination at the historical significance of our new home and business and yet, that fascination became somewhat unbridled when we received two passing visitors, both of whom had spent their first years in life as orphans within these walls that we now occupy and which have become part of our future. In that sense, both their and our attachment to this building could be seen as partially intertwined in its offer of a significantly varied future to the one that would have existed without it.

The nursery wing of the Aberlour orphanage which was founded in 1875 for 'mitherless bairns' under the ethical sponsorship of Canon Jupp, was opened in 1953 by Princess Margaret, its namesake, and remained open until the closing of the main orphanage in 1967. At any one time, the house had around 26 orphans under the age of 5 who were looked after by a combination of teachers and helpers. The existence of the orphanage and the significant number of children who passed through its doors was partially as a result of the economic situation in which the UK and its residents found themselves, in a period at the end of the 19th century that was classified by large increases in population levels with poverty as a direct result. Although not affected by these same exact circumstances, David and Billy who we met, both found themselves joining those others that had required the assistance of the orphanage at a time of considerable necessity.

Their stories which they willingly shared with us reflect a heart-aching personal history that exists solely because of a predicament that was largely out-with their control. For us, their stories brought us a little closer to the realisation that our lives have collectively become part of a rich history that, although steeped in elements of abandonment and pain, is full of people that are thriving regardless of what they faced early in their lives.

Thus, we are somewhat responsible for their stories and those of others that have, at some time or another, called this space 'home'. Often referred to as 'forgotten children', we know that they are people that we will not soon forget nor ignore the history of.

We look forward to the publication of Professor David Divine's 'Aberlour Narratives of Success' this summer and the following collection of stories that he is currently collecting in respect of those orphans that once lived in Aberlour.

New Discoveries

We arrived here at the Dowans already aware that it had an extensive history. The details of that history  were somewhat unnecessary before we arrived however as so many other items on our 'list' appeared to be of greater significance. Yet, with each passing guest and their seemingly unending tales about the varying stages that this magnificent building has traversed, there has been a growing desire each day to discover more and more. Each of us has reached this sense of fascination at various stages of our time here and as a consequence of differing events although the end result remains the same: an eagerness to become Tony Robinson-esque historians. (Steph has already developed an East Coast enthusiasm in her accent, Neil Oliver eat your heart out).

Sean, torch in hand, began his hesitant (remember the ghosts) interest in the history of the Dowans when he discovered two 'hidden' rooms in the eaves of the 'servant' wing (aptly named as that is where Sean, Lauren and Steph currently reside) a few days ago when we were discussing refurbishment of room 16 which was started by the previous owner and which we will finish as one of our first renovations. For all who know Sean and his intense passion when discovering a new 'toy', it will be easy to imagine his sudden interest in bankrupting the already small refurbishment 'kitty' with ideas of new passageways, steel enforced beams and mezzanine en-suite bathrooms for the superior rooms that exist below. Michael, with pound signs flashing in his eyes, swiftly stopped Sean's imagination in its flow before we were extending the building onto a new site.

Lauren and Marie, in purchasing the recently released 'Old Aberlour' book (written and notated by Fraser Dyer) which provides a history of the area at its bi-centennial with added pictures of varying events and locals throughout its ages, were disappointed that there was not more information on the Dowans itself. However, by way of some local informants, it was revealed that landed gentry were once regular guests at the Dowans and this has certainly proved to be the start of a determined interest to get them back..."Do you think that we could get Wills and Kate to come up??" was Lauren's exclamation. Not so much. But with Marie's newfound friendship with some of the local dignitaries, you should never say never.

Local dignitaries, however, are not the only interest of Steph who has taken up an additional role as font of village knowledge. Some may say that this is a role that is actively pursued but Steph would like to claim, for the record, that it is through no fault of her own that local guests that have come to visit have been open with providing her with as much information as she can absorb over the course of lunch, dinner or a dram. 

Although these village affairs may certainly be of interest, it is also with eagerness that Steph is awaiting some contact from Aberdeen University about the specific affairs of the Dowans hotel and its life before as Princess Margaret Nurseries and Army Officer's mess during World War 2. Hopefully, this and some further conversations with those locals who are aware of its history will bring the opportunity of collating this information into a detailed memoir.

Watch this space.

1 week down-Finding our feet!

Almost a whole week down and the Dowans is still standing! Although, considering I have been doing some of the accounting work, it is honestly a wonder (even to me) that we haven't already gone under! Mathematics is definitely still not my strong point and I think if Rhona, our go-to lady of the hour, hears me shout from the general area of the front desk/office one more time then she might clobber me with one of the many stag heads that adorn the walls!

The list of things that we had to do was already as long as all of our arms combined but, now that we are here and have actively started to work on that list, it seems to be getting longer by the second. Additionally, our well thought out ideas for the enhancement of the business and the interior design of the building are more prominent in our minds as we look around and see the potential for this stunning baronial mansion. Subsequently, I think that Sean's planned stay of 6 months (or until he finally gets his coveted piloting job) might get drastically reduced if he is told of one more area that he needs to go and clear out of odd bits and ends! The one skip that we hired might therefore need to be increased to two!

The clearing out of piles of what mum has definitively declared to be 'rubbish' might not be the only thing that reduces Sean's time with us as we were informed by a guest at the beginning of the week (who was unaware that this building was once the nursery section of the local orphanage) that he was awoken one night by what he could only describe as the sounds of children laughing and playing. Together with the howling wind, the standard creaking floorboards of such an old house and Sean's already active imagination, any viewing of the Shining or any more talk of ghosts (or Poltergeists as Lauren has insisted they might be!) would certainly send him over the edge and off back to Glasgow!
Although, considering that he is being royally treated by Alison, our breakfast Chef, who has taken a particular shining to Sean's endless (cough) charms, his rush out of the door might not be quite so quick.

Apparently Sean is not the only one to be affected by living in such a large house as mum had dad up at a ridiculous hour this morning to source the 'noise' that woke her up from her sleep! In a 17 bedroom house, this is no easy feat!

Beyond early morning investigations, mum is thoroughly enjoying having the access to an industrial kitchen (particularly the combi oven which might make our Christmas lunch an easier cooking task!) and the chance to discuss some of her plans for the menus with our Chef, Murray (coincidentally named!). Watch this space for some of the dishes that they both come up with!

Dad, on the other side of the food creation process i.e. the eating, is also enjoying the fact that he is no longer the self-proclaimed family dishwasher although Lauren and I might have to rein in his apparent determination that we not only serve guests but also him and that his dishes will magically walk themselves to the dishwasher!

Altogether, it has been a whirlwind week full of eager learning; discovering new aspects of this new role and life that I don't think any of us had fully anticipated before our arrival in this beautiful part of the Scottish Highlands. We have thoroughly enjoyed every second and, although we sometimes have to pinch ourselves in order to convince ourselves that this is 'ours', I'm throughly convinced that this is only the beginning of what is going to be an exciting journey. Over the next few weeks, we are all looking forward to meeting more of the lovely and welcoming locals that have already graced us with their presence and hopefully we can convince them that our hospitality will extend beyond that first dram!

As we wait on the arrival of our first extended family member guest, our Gran, we wish you all a Merry Christmas and hope that Santa brings you all that you wished for!

22.10.12 Our exciting new start.

Shock? Delayed responses? Guarded excitement?

It has been ten months since we all started our love affair with the Dowans hotel in Aberlour, Scotland and although our hope centred on our acquisition of the business and the beautiful building that houses it, we had somewhat given it up after the long and often tumultuously emotional journey that had led us to the date, the 22nd of October 2012. Our reaction when we opened up the email that heralded the beginning of our future in the picturesque village of Aberlour, located in the highlands of Scotland, was therefore befitting of this long journey.

After some time, the shock has turned to eager anticipation, delayed responses have transformed into renewed discussions of our plans and our hopes for the business, and our guarded excitement has been replaced with outbursts of joyful and often unending prose that we impose on anyone that will stand long enough to listen!

We, the Murray family, are at the beginning of a journey that will undoubtedly be tough at times requiring the most focused of work that we have ever encountered as a family but it is with measured anticipation of the potential for a successful business that we begin this journey together.

18th of December. Here we go.

And here it begins.