News
Bouncy castle event at the Dunblane Centre today from 9am
Reimagined Cromlix Opens its Doors
New era for the hotel owned by Andy and Kim Murray
On Monday 27 MArch 2023, Cromlix country house hotel, in Dunblane, opened its doors after a three-month renovation. The five-star property owned by Kim and Andy Murray has refurbished its 15 bedrooms, most of its bathrooms and all common areas of the hotel, including the bar, restaurant and billiards room.
There is a new entrance via the vestibule at the front of the property, with a valet parking turning circle at the top of the grand driveway.
The restaurant, rebranded as The Glasshouse and fronted by Executive Head Chef, Darin Campbell, will also be opening today, with a fine dining menu focussed on locally sourced, thoughtfully prepared ingredients and seasonal produce. The hotel's bar will feature signature cocktails with garnishes from the Kitchen Garden.
In January this year, the hotel moved to self-management by the Murray family, with several new appointments being made: General Manager, Barry Makin, Sales & Marketing Manager, Emily Shields and Revenue & Reservations Manager, Eilidh Leishman. Rosemary Spenke of The Hotel Management Company was brought on board to oversee the move to self-management and rebrand of the hotel.
The renovations of the hotel were managed by Kim Murray who worked with interior designer Suzanne Garuda of Garuda Design, architect Fergus Purdie and a team of local Scottish artisans, suppliers and designers to reimagine the 149-year-old building.
The aspiration for the new Cromlix is to reshape expectations of the country house hotel experience, where guests can unwind, be themselves and enjoy a characteristically welcoming stay in an elegant yet unfussy environment. The bedrooms have interiors with a relaxed country feel and have all been named after flowers and herbs which can be found onsite in the hotel's 34-acre grounds and private gardens – for example, Lavendar, Viola, Thyme, Rosemary and Verbena.
The hotel retained many pieces of furniture in the refurbishment, but has added new items for comfort and style. New artwork adorns the walls of the hotel, many paintings and prints personally selected by Andy Murray and others on loan from the Royal Scottish Academy.
In addition, Cromlix has a new brand identity and website which was created with Scottish agency, 80 Days, and illustrator Gary Bullock. The new logo was inspired by the Virginia Creeper that covers the front of the building and blazes a glorious red every September.
Commenting on the reimagined Cromlix, Kim Murray said: "We have had an incredible team putting in a mammoth effort for over a year to get to today, when we can finally open the doors to our new-look Cromlix. I'm extremely proud of what everybody has achieved and it is exactly what I hoped for. The Murray family has had a connection to this building since 1982 and after a decade of ownership we are looking forward to the future with a real sense of excitement. This was the first phase in a series of planned works to breathe new life into both the property and the business".
Cromlix Hotel was bought by former world number one tennis player Andy Murray and his wife, Kim Murray, in 2013. The hotel has 15 bedrooms and a self-catering Lodge house. Situated in 34 acres of private grounds, Cromlix also has its own chapel, loch, award winning restaurant, kitchen garden and tennis court.
For more information, please visit Cromlix.com, noting that the new website will not be live until end of April.
Go direct to the Just Giving page
Old schoolfriends, Helen and Mary, are walking Lands End to John O’Groats starting on 7th April 2023
We are hoping to walk the 1100 miles in about 60 days, supported by wonderful friends and family.
I am raising money for Dementia Friendly Dunblane's Dementia Cafe, a superb community organisation.
This is not a registered charity as it falls under the umbrella of Dunblane Development Trust.
However I can confirm all the money will go to them. Proof can be supplied.
View trip on instagram mary.abercrombie585Instagram
A diseased Sycamore tree will be cut down on Baxter’s Loan on Saturday April 1st.
The lane will not be closed but there will be personnel on site to stop walkers during the more dangerous parts of the operation, please do what you are asked to keep safe.
The tree location is shown on the map.
Conservative candidate Robin Kleinman won the contest for the Dunblane and Bridge of Allan ward on Thursday 16 March. He replaces Graham Houston who sadly died in December.
The NHS National Services Scotland and NHS Education for Scotland have asked us to share their survey to gather patient views of digital prescribing. This will help determine what matters to the people of Scotland in using services which involve prescription medicines.
If you are interested in giving your thoughts on digital prescribing please visit this link.
Get involved - join your community council : https://www.stirling.gov.uk/community-life-and-leisure/your-community/community-council-elections-2023/
The community centre built as a “living tribute” to the victims of the Dunblane shooting is facing an uncertain future amid rising costs.
The Dunblane Centre opened in 2004 after the town received donations from across the world following the tragedy at the primary school in 1996.
But there are now fears the facility may be forced to close without financial help.
Donations to the Dunblane Centre can be made on the facility’s website.
Read more on STV news here
More...
Cycle lanes from the five ways roundabout to the Claredon roundabout are set to be erased. This is thought to be a safety measure because of doors being opened in parked cars.
Although some suggest that this route isn't particularly useful for cyclists given that there is no onward connection to Bridge of Allan from the Claredon roundabout, it should be noted that it includes the only bridge over the railway other than pedestrian bridges and is therefore key to cyclists travelling between the two halves of Dunblane. Others suggest that the cycle lanes were a traffic calming measure to support the 20mph limit. This theory certainly appears to be being given credence by the large cycles that are now painted right across the main carriageway that is presumabley still intended for use by cars.
This was discussed by Dunblane Community Council and Stirling Council at length on the 1st March. They will publish findings in due course here :
https://www.greens.co.uk/ On 11th March, the Coop became Greens of Dunblane. The shop makes use of the NISA network (owned by the Coop) so will continue to stock Coop brand produce as well as the produce detailed on their website.
According to the Glasgow Evening Times, Mary's Meals is set to close a number of shops including Dunblane. The shop is much loved in Dunblane so many people will be saddened by this news if it turns out to be the case.
World record holding Dunblane theatre group take on 24-hour singing challenge
Article from Stirling Observer
Performers sing their way through the night at church hall in the town.
Local Guinness World Record Holders Rubber Chicken Theatre are excited to announce 24 Hours of Song. The non-stop sing-a-thon event will help raise funds for their widening access programme and their upcoming trip to the MTI Junior Theatre Festival in Birmingham this spring.
Singers of all ages are taking on their share of the 24-hour stint, which began at 7pm yesterday (Thursday) and ends at 7pm tonight (Friday) at Dunblane Christian Fellowship – where the performing arts group regularly rehearses and runs drama and musical theatre classes.
“This year there are no records to break, but our performing arts family are once again coming together to support a common goal,” said creative director Pamela Mackie. “Twenty-four hours is a long time to fill, but our family of resilient performers are no strangers to a challenge.”
The local record breakers gained their Guinness title in 2022 when they made a successful attempt for fastest theatrical production.
But this year’s challenge is one of endurance rather than speed – with a continuous performance, including through the night, by almost 100 singers.
Pamela said: “As we take to the stage this week, we hope the local community will get behind our ambitious fundraiser and support us with donations either in person or online.”
Rubber Chicken Theatre believes every child should have access to high quality performing arts opportunities regardless of their background or finances and have implemented a policy to ensure that cost is never a barrier.
Pamela said: “Our goal is to provide a supportive and inclusive environment where children from all walks of life can come together to learn, grow and shine. By making performing arts accessible to all, we hope to inspire a new generation of young performers and create a brighter future for everyone.”
Members of the public are welcome to support the performers as they sing their way through the night with back-to-back slots throughout - right up until 7pm tonight.
Pamela added: “Pop into the building during the challenge to watch the singers in action and show your support for your local performing arts family.”
The MTI’s Junior Theatre Festival brings together schools and youth groups from across the UK and Europe for a day of musical theatre mayhem. Rubber Chicken Theatre joins 1200 other participants at the ICC in Birmingham and has attended annually since 2019. The day encompasses performance opportunities, workshops presented by highly acclaimed teaching artists, and announcements of new work and showcases from world-renowned musical theatre performers.
Rubber Chicken Theatre have collected awards for their performances at the festival in the past.
Pamela said, “We’ve been producing shows, teaching and supporting the performing arts across Dunblane for 16 years. We love our wee performing arts family and welcome anyone interested in the arts to join.
“We’re a social enterprise and work with several local charities, organisations, and schools to provide access to the arts where there are barriers to participation.
We offer drama classes, workshops, community choir, shows, and performing opportunities (on and off stage) for small children through to retired adults. No auditions are required - it’s about being part of a performing arts family, and building confidence, friendships and skills through the magic of theatre.”
The fundraising page is at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/24hoursofsong.
More information can also be found online at www.rubberchickentheatre.co.uk
