This is such a gorgeous time of year on the Estate, with the majestic trees changing from green to red and golden hues. The berries are weighing down the branches of our collection of elder and rowan, and the beech nuts are bursting out of their comfortable shells, carpeting the avenue in a crunchy feast for the red squirrels.

We held our first Autumn Recital last weekend to celebrate this abundant season, and everyone enjoyed an afternoon of musical, as well as gastronomic, treats. The sounds of the grand piano, clarinet, flute and piccolo filled the Georgian drawing room for the first time in years, while sun shone through the windows, warming the audience as they listened.

Thank you to our very talented local musicians - Dot Adam (piano), Andrew Oag (piano & clarinet), Kirsty Young (flute & piccolo), Marion McGlone (flute & piccolo), Sarah Cornelius (flute) and Joe Reid (piano & vocals). They expertly performed an eclectic mix of classical, contemporary Scottish and popular music, and we hope they'll visit our venue again in the future.

The concert was followed by an afternoon tea in the dining room (including apple cake made from our orchard apples). The guests were overlooked by contented ancestors happy to see the house full of people again. Tables were groaning under the weight of home bakes and fresh flower posies - Thank you to Lorraine Reid for providing stunning seasonal floral displays for the occasion. The deep red hydrangea heads are now drying so that they can be reused in Christmas decorations.

The gallery walls were adorned with a collection of beautiful new artwork by Letitia Smith-Burnett, depicting vibrant landscapes, as well as more subtle, misty scenes. Her work will also be on display during our Christmas shopping event on the 1st and 2nd of December - More news on that soon!