Family Cesspit Project Part 1

On our visit to Scotland in October we were keen to help out again and Jon suggested that filling in the cesspit would be a fun project. This was located in the first fairway alongside the remains of the shower block.

After a quick lesson on cesspit design....the waste goes into a tank where solids settle out. Liquids flow into another tank from where they run out into a soak away and eventually the ground. Periodically the solids need to be taken away. When we started the excavation Jon had located the soakaway but wasn't sure where the liquid/solids tank was and if it had been emptied.

The first task was to clear away the fencing and all the overgrowth around the area.

That done, we uncovered a breeze block lined pit divided into three sections, the soakaway, liquid and solid tanks. To everyone's relief, the latter had been emptied. The pit had been capped with concrete beams and the picture shows Alisdair and Jon removing one from over the solid/liquid tanks ready for loading into the Cushman truck.

Keen as always to recycle as much material as possible, Jon and Douglas (the digger) removed several cubic metres of large gravel from the soakaway.

The final job before the area could be filled in was the rescue of four frogs from the liquids tank. Jon very bravely climbed down into the pit to scoop them into a bucket before Claudia released them by the stream.

We also found a fork, toothbrush, orienteering punch, batteries and various other rubbish which we disposed of properly.

To be continued

Loch Brahan

On my last entry I said that there was a puddle on the first fairway that would need some drainage works. Well unfortunately it has now grown into a full blown water feature which has been christened Loch Brahan...pictured below. Elsewhere on the course, Jon has borrowed some sheep from the farm next door to trim back some of the rough. With the weather having turned much colder, he is hoping to do the last cut of the season any time now and put the mower to bed for the winter.

Long Overdue Update

A bit of a break from the blog as I have been quite busy recently with various bits and pieces including a trip up north to see Jon & Claudia. Even though it has only been a couple of months since we saw the course, we could see plenty of progress. The picture was taken in August looking back down the first fairway towards the tee and the ninth green. All the tufty bits of grass have now gone and the fairways look great. The only problem is a rather large puddle roughly where my children are standing that will need a drainage solution. This has been caused by a deluge of rain during the last few weeks. I have some new pictures to upload over the next few weeks and look out for details of the family cesspit project!

Screaming!

It has been pouring with rain in Tollie during the last few days, in fact Monday was so miserable that Claudia & Jon spent the day in the office doing paperwork. Despite a drop off in temperature, the grass is still growing strongly and is quite difficult to mow when wet. Very frustrating and it brought to mind the sculpture pictured left. This was carved into a tree stump by expert woodsman Willie when he visited at Easter and reminds us of Munch's picture The Scream.

To remind everybody of the lovely summer months, the second picture is of teabreak time. We had been giving the fifth green its second cut having first raked off the cuttings from the previous mowing.

Lots of jobs done

These are pictures of the fifth green looking back down the fairway towards the tee position and fourth green. In the top photo the grass seed was just starting to grow and in the second, it is established and has had a couple of cuts. When Jon & Claudia first started work, the gap between the trees did not exist and it was impossible to walk through. They have worked very hard to clear away all the gorse and scrub etc revealing a burn in the process. Foundations for a bridge to cross this have just been laid. Elsewhere, drainage has been put in at the back of the sixth green to take away some standing water and Jon has been busy with the hired mower although the original one was whisked off to Musselburgh Race Course as theirs had broken.

The greens have all had their first top dressing of sand which is part of the process of making the playing surface even.

Still Growing, Still Mowing

Just a quick post. As the title suggests mowing the course is still taking up quite a bit of time. Jon & Claudia presently have a semi-rough mower on loan which is being used to deal with some of the stubborn tufty bits of grass on the fairways which the regular fairway mower would take a while to cut down. Jon has also been working on the area around the fourth green and fifth fairway with some help from his friend John, a golf course architect who has been staying recently. Claudia and Jon have also enjoyed having some guests to stay and Claudia has been perfecting her Scottish breakfasts.

The picture shows a view across several of the fairways on the lower part of the course. Claudia is on the mower and Jon is driving the Cushman truck.

Back to the Blog

Hi there, sorry there have been no new posts during the last month but the family and I have been up in Ross-shire looking at the course for ourselves. Wow, what an amazing difference! From rough grazing land has sprung a golf course. I must admit I was quite sceptical last autumn when Jon said that a bit of mowing would convert the scrappy grass with its pock marked surface into fairways, however he has certainly proved that he knows what he is talking about. With the fairways now cut and the greens growing in it is now possible to see Jon's vision and how he has used the landscape with the design.

For all it is just nine holes at present, the feel of the course changes as you go around from being more compact at the front to wide open spaces at the back of the land. The views are fantastic and the wildlife that is around is tremendous. During the fortnight we saw an osprey, red kites, deer, numerous butterflies and dragonflies amongst other things. Hopefully in the future people will appreciate these aspects every bit as much as the golf. The course is worth seeing in person and as mentioned before, Jon and Claudia have room for friends to stay. There is plenty to do and see in the area which is very accessible by road, rail or air. Contact Claudia on 0751 851 4650 (+44751 185 14650 from abroad)

The pictures show the transformation of the ninth green over the last few months. If you look back to earlier entries at the beginning of the year you will see how this area looked prior to the toilet block and some trees being felled.