The Bobbin Mill, our very lovely four star self catering house, is on the banks of the River Earn in Comrie, Perthshire. The location is truly wonderful looking like something from a traditional Scottish postcard, and as we live next door we share similar views of the river in all its natural glory. It never looks the same twice and living beside it means that the view from my kitchen window is always interesting. Obviously the size of the river is dependent on the weather and since, remarkably, there has been little rain over the last few weeks, it has been reduced to a very low level. The weir, built to power the mill wheel which cut the wood for the Bobbins originally produced at the Mill, has been exposed almost to summer levels and a salmon which must have died after being stranded on the weir has been clearly visible for the last few days.
Now, overnight there has been a dramatic change. Gone are the bright, sunny winter days and the accompanying hard frosts which turned the landscape into a magical fairyland, and instead a temporary covering of snow and subsequent heavy rain has swept the salmon off the weir and turned the river into a chocolate coloured roaring mass. The ducks which seem to play on the weir have taken themselves off to more accommodating water and the heron has deserted us for an easier standing point. There have been no sightings of otters for a while though their tracks are still around so they are here.
The location of the Bobbin Mill is one of its biggest selling points and is one of the reasons why our guests return regularly. A self catering break in Scotland is always going to be a gamble on the weather, but feedback from our guests tell us that really, when the house is so lovely, warm and comfortable and well equipped, it doesn't matter if it rains or is cold outside. The lucky ones who encounter snow enjoy the beauty it creates in this already stunningly beautiful part of the world and when you do get the sunshine there is nowhere like it.
We offer short breaks between October and April and the fact that we are pretty much always busy is a testament not only to the wonderful house but also to where is is. People come for all sorts of reasons - because we're easily accessible from the larger conurbations of Scotland and their airports; because this is a great area for golf with 33 golf courses in the county including the world famous Gleneagles; for walking because there are so many beautiful walks and and Munroes; for biking with our off road tracks and local challenging mountain bike trails; for water sports since Loch Earn is a short drive away and offers everything from waterskiing to banana surfing; for the history and the culture; to hang out with friends and family in a beautiful and comfortable environment and just for the peace and tranquility, the wildlife, the stunning countryside, and the river which, whatever the weather, can lull even the most confirmed insomniac to sleep.
