A quick update....

Hi everyone.......Hope that you are all well and looking after yourselves and not missing Raasay too Much.

Its been brilliant weather up here lately, but the rain had decided to pay us another visit; I had forgotten how magical Raasay is when the weather is glorious.

With the end of the month upon us and I headed up to Raasay House for another site meeting, and to catch up on how the redevelopment of Raasay house is progressing.

I could bore you all for hours about the details of the refurbishment work, so I will just give you all a quick run down on what has been happening over the last Month.

The scaffolding if now fully erected around Raasay House and it looks slightly surreal, for visitors to Raasay it really re-enforces the fact that the house is closed and that the re-refurbishment is going ahead full steam. With the scaffolding now erected around the whole of the house it will enable them to focus on the roof repairs over the next few weeks and make the building water tight.

On the interior front ROK are still in the process of stripping out all of the rotten timber, taking down false walls, removing over 200 years of rubble from under the floor boards and generally getting the House ready to be put back together, so not much to really tell you about there.

Anyway words are a bit boring and I know that you all want to see pictures of what has been happening so here you go....




Re-poiniting of the front wall in the cafe

Room 9 stripped back to basics.

Repairs to the library

The old office being pulled apart.

Windows being repaired in the main hall.

Room 2 repairs.

Spring is in the air......

Spring has arrived in Raasay and we’re enjoying a few days of spectacular weather. It’s not often it coincides with the start of the lambing season but what a difference it makes when it does.

Work has started on the ferry terminal as well as Raasay House so it’s made quite a difference to the farm. The cows need to be kept inside for more of the time because trees are being felled below the steading. Normally they’d be outside on a good day like this. The view from the steading has fairly improved! We can only hope everything doesn’t blow away in the next gale. We’ve got 8 calves now – the youngest making its appearance only this afternoon. Some of the sheep were taken inside and these very new twins were visited by a former Raasay House resident. There’s a Balfour Beatty village in front of Raasay House now that work has started on the ferry terminal. (The horsebox on the right serves as a maternity hospital during the lambing season.).

It has been a beautiful day - warm and sunny in spite of the snow on the Cuillins. Let’s hope we don’t get winter again next week!

Anne.....

Good Times and Great Food......

One of the more exciting additions to Raasay House when it re-opens next year will be the new kitchen dedicated to our restaurant and bar meals. In the past the Dolphin Café, Restaurant and bar, has had to share space in the kitchen which also catered for 50 residential clients & 30 odd staff.

And this means that while the spectacular view of the Cuillin hills at sunset and the fantastic atmosphere will not change, our new menus will hopefully render you speechless! (In a good way - of course!)

We have been dedicated to serving great food made with locally sourced produce, and this won’t change when we re-open. However we hope to increase the fresh produce from Raasay and Skye on our menu, (Raasay now has free range pigs invading from the north!!) and fresh seafood dropped off at the new pier by local fishermen will also compliment our innovative meals.

Keep visiting our website for more about our creative and delicious menus as the year progresses.

Another change in the design of Raasay House will be the separate bar next to the restaurant. Known as the blue lounge before closure, the new bar will also have meals available for those who would prefer a quick and tasty meal. Our bar will specialise in fine Scottish whisky and unusual and flavoursome Scottish Ales. With the restored open fire, this will be a fantastic place to escape the Raasay weather during those winter months.

Raasay House has always been and will continue to be a special place to visit – whether for a quick cup of tea and delicious home made cakes, or to linger over a sumptuous three course meal sampling the best produce Raasay and Scotland can supply.

New special nights, evening entertainment and other unique events will all be regular features of the new Raasay House.

We look forward to you joining us.