Time Out

On the Beautiful

Isle of Arran

In conjunction with some local highly skilled therapists, we are proposing to host inclusive weekend breaks later this year.  You would create your own special weekend  with a choice of  two therapies and daily Yoga sessions.  We are currently looking at  possibly holding one during May or June, and another in October or November.

The price would be approximately £250 per person

(Price based on 2 people sharing a lodge - food included)

If you think you may be interested in this type of break, please email enquiries@dyemill.co.uk  and  tell us - firstly it would be helpful to know if this type of package is of interest to anyone, and secondly once dates and price are fixed we can let you know.

For more details of the proposed breaks click here:

Short Breaks in 2008

Short breaks in one of our comfortable lodges may be available during the spring or in September and October. 

Starting from £180 for 2 nights

Short breaks may also be available in one of the holiday homes - price on application

Please note that during our busier periods we may not be able to offer bookings of less than a full week.

For availability, information or price for a particular date, please phone us on 01770 600419 or email: enquiries@dyemill.co.uk

Arran Wildlife Festival - 2008

Following the success of the 2007  festival, dates have been set for 2008 from 14th to 21st May. 

Follow the link below to find out more information about activities during the festival:

www.arranwildlife.co.uk

Nature Notes for 2007

A wide range of birds were seen on or around the site again this year including Tree Creepers, Wrens, Goldcrests, Buzzards, Barn Owls, Hen Harriers, Merlins, Woodcock, Pheasants, Song Thrushes, Coal Tits, Blue Tits, Long Tailed Tits, Blackbirds, Robins and many more.  Swallows were back in both our garage (which was the original Dyemill) and the woodshed  successfully producing a total of 15 young. Our resident Barn Owls produced 3 chicks this year, but sadly  it turned very wet as they were close to fledging making hunting very hard for the parents, and as a result 2 died, but we are pretty sure the third fledged OK.  For those of you interested in finding out more about the birdlife on Arran, follow this link:  www.arranbirding.co.uk .

The attic of our house is a maternity roost for Long Eared Brown Bats  which are often around at dusk.  Some of the young Long Eared bats seem to get a bit confused when trying to find their way back to the roost, and each July for about a week we have to check our wood-burning stove in the kitchen  to rescue the ones that come down the chimney!  This year we put 11 back in the attic, and when doing so on one occasion estimated about 150 bats clustered up there! Needless to say we got permission and took advice from the Bat Conservation Trust on exactly what to do when this started happening a couple of years ago.  We have also seen smaller bats around during the evening, which are almost certainly Pipistrelles.

Red Squirrels have been frequently seen around the site again this year, and although we didn't managed to spot a dray, hopefully they were breeding on site once again . It’s amazing their range of colours  – from the classic red, to almost black, one regular visitor is very easily identified, it's almost black with a large white tip to his/her tail.  

We didn't have any close encounters with Otters at the Dyemill this year (there were two in 2006) but we have been lucky enough to have several good sightings around the coast when we've been out and about, as well as lots of Seals and a couple of Porpoises.

We had our two Midge Eater machines running right through the midge season again this year, and they do seem to make a big difference.  Midges are of course part of life in the west of Scotland, and nothing is going to completely get rid of them, except possibly global warming!