Factor’s life for me!

Here is a follow up to the post I put up last week regarding our Factor and a hard day at the office. Please make sure your volume is turned up high!

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Our Factor Hard At Work!

This is our Factor, Ralph Peters hard at work. He spent the day yesterday (Wednesday) fishing on Waterside & Ferrar beat on the River Dee and was extremely pleased when he caught a 10lb Salmon and had the Laird, Michael Bruce ghillieing for him. Another day well spent in the office.

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New Estate Gardener

Andy Beckingham has joined the team here at Glen Tanar as Estate Gardener and is settling in well. Andy graduated with a BSc in Horticulture at Writtle College in Essex. He spent his first year working as Trainee Botanical Horticulturist at Oxford Botanic Garden. He then worked as a gardener on a small estate in Surrey and moved to Westonbirt The National Arboretum as a trainee. Three years later he was looking for a new challenge and applied for the job here and was successful. “I am very grateful to have been given the position here and I am looking forward to the challenge of resurrecting the once magnificent gardens. If you have any questions or ideas about the gardens then please feel free to stop me for a chat when you are here or email me at gardener@glentanar.co.uk”.

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Braeloine path diversion removed

The path diversion around the Braeloine Visitor Centre while tree felling was taking place has now been removed. There are still some stacks of wood around on the South Drive that runs alongside the Fairy Lochan, so if you’re walking in the area keep clear of them and watch out for vehicles coming to remove them.

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BBC’s Fiona Armstrong opens River Dee’s Salmon season

The 2011 Salmon fishing season has been officially opened today, Tuesday 1st Febuary by BBC broadcaster and keen angler Fiona Armstrong.

The opening took place at Potarch Bridge and Fiona has hopefully set the trend for the year as she caught a 4lb Salmon.

We have some dates available on the Glen Tanar beats in March so please contact us on (013398) 86451 for more information.

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Path Diversion at Braeloine Visitor Centre

For anyone planning to visit the glen to walk the Braeloine riverside path, there is currently tree felling taking place so part of the path, from the Braeloine Centre downstream, is closed temporarily.

You can still use most of this path, following the signs out from Braeloine, but then diverting away from the riverbank on the return section.

A map is on display at Braeloine showing the precise line of diversion, and there are signs on the route itself.

It will probably be about a week, from the 25th January, to complete the work

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Glen Tanar on TV

On Friday last week Glen Tanar featured in the BBC Landward programme in their piece about Scottish Wildcats, including descriptions given by our Wildlife Manager Colin McLean and some of the footage of the cats from our camera traps which Colin is shown tending. There were also some spectacular shots of the deeply snow-covered Cairngorms landscape in brilliant sunshine.

You can watch the episode (number 23) on BBC iPlayer at this link. The wildcat section is near the beginning but the whole programme is well worth watching and includes a piece on photography in Skye with ace landscape photographer Colin Prior.

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Venison Festival

From the 26th to the 31st of October chefs, venues and estates across Royal Deeside and The Cairngorms will be toasting the Monarch of the Glen from hillside to plate at the inaugural Royal Deeside Larder Venison Festival.

Here at Glen Tanar on Tuesday the 26th of October we are holding a Wild Life Safari which will include a tour around the Estate looking for Red Deer in their habitat and learning more about the beautiful animals. A BBQ lunch will be provided by Liz Peck of Liz’s Larder and this will be served at a remote bothy at the bottom of Mount Keen.

This event costs £40 per person and runs between 11am to 2pm. To book a space please contact us by telephone on (013398) 86451 or email us at info@glentanar.co.uk

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Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels

To celebrate Red Squirrel Week, a national week dedicated to everything red and squirrelly which runs from Saturday 2nd to Sunday 10th of October 2010, Glen Tanar charitable Trust Ranger Service will be hosting a Red Squirrel fun day on Sunday 10th October, in partnership with the Scottish Wildlife Trust’s Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels (SSRS) project team.

Come along to chat with the SSRS project team and learn about squirrels and how this project is working hard to try and protect them.

There will be an information stall at the Braeloine Visitor Centre and red squirrels woodland walks throughout the day starting at 10.30am, as well as fun activities and the chance for the kids to meet Mr Squirrel, a giant red squirrel who likes nothing more than a big cuddle.

Red Squirrel at Glen Tanar

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Venison Recipes from Liz’s Larder

Liz from Liz’s Larder has kindly given me a couple of her delicious recipes for Venison to put up here so that you can all try and enjoy.

Norwegian Venison
Serves 6 people

225ml (8fl oz) wine vinegar
225ml (8fl oz) water

1kg (2.2lb) Venison cut into 5cm (2inch) cubes
Seasoned flour
2 medium carrots sliced
1/2 head of celery sliced
2 medium onions sliced
40g (1.5oz) butter
600ml (1 pint) strong ale
225ml (8fl oz) sour cream
1 tbs dill chopped

Marinade the meat for at least 2 hours in the vinegar and water. Drain, dry and dust with the seasoned flour.
Melt the butter in a large casserole pan and toss in the sliced vegetables and coat with the butter.
Preheat the oven to 180c or gas 4.
Put the floured meat into the casserole with the vegetables and add the ale.
Cook covered for about 1 hour. Strain the juices into a clean pan and reduce if necessary. Mix in the soured cream, pour over the meat and cover for a further hour.
Sprinkle with dill and serve.

Venison Tagine with Dates
Serves 6 people

1kg (2lb 4oz) Venison haunch or shoulder boned or cubed
30g (1oz) butter
1 onion finely chopped
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
55g (2oz) chopped dried dates
Good pinch of saffron threads
2 tbs honey
2 tbs lemon juice
200g (7oz) fresh or dessert dates pitted
15g (0.5oz) butter extra
40g (1.5oz) slivered almonds

In a large pan melt the butter and gently cook the onion until softened. Add the ginger, cinnamon and black pepper, stir for 1 minute.
Increase the heat to high, add the venison and stir until the colour of the meat changes. Reduce the heat; add 375ml (13fl oz) water, the chopped dates & saffron.
Add 1 tsp of salt. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 1.5 hours, stirring occasionally to prevent the sauce sticking as the dates cook down to a puree.
Stir in the honey and lemon juice and adjust the seasoning. Put the pitted dates on top, cover and simmer for 10 minutes, or until the dates are plump.

Melt the extra butter in a small frying pan and add the almonds and brown slightly, stirring often. Tip onto a plate to prevent over browning.

Remove the whole dates from the top of the venison, set them aside with the almonds. Ladle the meat onto serving dishes and scatter with the dates and almonds to serve.

We hope you try and enjoy these recipes and please feel free to let us know your thoughts.

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