More Honours:

Robin and Hazel met Prince Charles on 2nd June at Holyrood Palace and were extremely honoured to accept 2 awards for Rabbie's in recognition of our sustainable business and community practices and commitment to challenging issues around Climate Change. Rabbie's received a Big Tick from Prince Charles' charity Business in the Community and we have even been selected as UK finalists in the Awards for Excellence in the Climate Change category. We find out if we are the overall UK winner on 5th July in London.

In addition Rabbie's won the Scottish Business in the Community's SME of the Year Award (small/medium sized enterprise) for our commitment to improving our overall impact in the marketplace, the workplace, the environment and the community. Needless to say we are all extremely proud to be recognised in this way and as Robin said "it's all down to the commitment and dedication of all the Rabbie's staff to make a positive difference to the communities and environment we visit. A recent customer review by Atticus43 on TripAdvisor was a testament to how we all can make a difference."

"An awesome tour, The guide greatly knoweldgeable and entertaining. Definitely a good blend between the two. Never boring but always informative. The quality of guides this company employs makes all the difference. It's easy to see they truly like what they do and are proud of the history of the country. Very environmentally friendly without being preachy. My guide actually picked up garbage at the sites we visited. They really care and want to give the best tour they can."

	As Prince Charles pointed out at Holyrood mankind has been living off the capital of the natural environment for many centuries rather than sustaining itself on the interest nature can afford. We remain committed to doing our best to operate our business sustainably and responsibly and will continue to try to drive down our passengers carbon footprint. We have managed to reduce it by 24% in the last 2 years and we are constantly striving to achieve more.
SME of the Year Award		Big Tick Award - Climate Change

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What do you get when you mix four single malts (aka four tour guides from Rabbie's), and a mixed blend of visitors, then transport them in a Rabbie's bus to the mecca of whisky, the island of Islay? You've guessed it, a Rabbie's four day Islay whisky trip.

Now I will readily admit that I am not really a whisky connoisseur but being on the tour certainly made me want to be. It is rather more easy to see how people fall in love with the amber nectar, as this rich molten liquid settles like someone has just lit a small peat fire on the back of your taste buds. We stopped off at four distilleries, including the newest and smallest, Kilchoman, which incidentally became my favourite as it seemed to hark back to the more embryonic days of whisky producing sited on a working farm. With the cool fresh air of Islay in our lungs and a malt to warm the wame (stomach) in true Rabbie's spirit this epic canter along the by-ways of the island was a real classic. With time for those that were interested, we also visited Finlaggan, the ancient power base of the 'Lords of the Isles'. I can only imagine that the great Alexander MacDonald enjoyed some of same recipe as he hardened his resolve in the west with many a night of drinking along with his council elite!

A wee thanks too to all passengers who helped with the transportation and sawing of ' the log' from the shores of Laphroaig. It is still a work in progress! And we’re glad you had such a great Birthday trip Harald.

Chorus
Just a wee deoch an dorus, just a wee drop, that's all.
Just a wee deoch an dorus afore ye gang awa.
There's a wee wifie waitin' in a wee but an ben.
If you can say, "It's a braw bricht moonlicht nicht",
Then yer a'richt, ye ken.

There's a good old Scottish custom that has stood the test o'time,
It's a custom that's been carried out in every land and clime.
When brother Scots are gathered, it's aye the usual thing,
Just before we say good night, we fill our cups and sing...

Now I like a man that is a man; a man that's straight and fair.
The kind of man that will and can, in all things do his share.
Och, I like a man a jolly man, the kind of man, you know,
The chap that slaps your back and says, "Jock, just before ye go..."

For those needing a translation - 'deoch an dorus' is gaelic for quite literally 'a drink and the door'- meaning a drink before you go!

'but n ben' is a wee house

'It's a braw bricht moonlicht nicht the nicht - is a good bright moonlight night tonight.

I love trees. I say it simply. I really mean it. I hug them. Often.

In today’s fast living world, many people suffer from 'stress'. A lot of today’s suffering can be because of our own life style choices but life is not without its challenges at times. Experts say that if we could manage at least 20 minutes per day in deep relaxation then this would be beneficial to our health. I think a walk in a forest is a great way of reducing anxiety and a great way to feel peace and tranquillity, as trees welcome us openly into the cradle of themselves. They are so socially beneficial and give so much to our natural environment.

They not only enrich our surrounds, but they clean the air we breath by filtering dust and other impurities. They absorb carbon dioxide from the air and breath out oxygen, our very life force. They are a symbol of strength and power, and yet are gracious and graceful. My father, when he welcomed a boyfriend of mine into the family fold, used to say he was like' hugging an oak tree'! He was certainly a strong, solid laddie as I recall...but hey I digress! Trees are a must, and do you know if we were all to recycle about 365 newspapers a year, ie. one a day, then we would save about half a tree each. Now that can only be good.

One of my favourite trees - The Rowan tree - Ruadhan ( Gaelic) meaning the red one.
In some countries the Rowan is also known as the mountain ash, as it grows high up on mountain tops.

In the Highlands, people used to plant this particular tree outside their homes because they believed it warded off unwanted attention from witches and the like. My Uncle Charlie had one. It was planted on top of a faery knoll outside the wee house as he believed the tree kept away the 'little people' or the Sith, in Gaelic. Often we sat under that tree as children, and waited with baited breath to see if the faeries would be roused enough to make an appearance. I now have a rowan outside my kitchen window. Though I think it’s more likely that the people round about me will think I'm the witch...it’s a red hair thing. And it doesn't help that my own sister gave me a sign for the door which says “the witch is in”.

The wood from the Rowan was used for wooden utensils and small pieces of furniture, again particularly in the north where there was a scarcity of trees.

The tree has lovely red berries in the autumn/winter months, which are quite acidic to taste if tried raw, but adding sugar to their mashed pulp, makes a palatable paste and jelly, which is best used as an accompaniment to venison and game dishes.

Cridhe an Tighearnais - The Heart of the Lordship.

Eilean Mor, "the large island", was home to the MacDonalds during the middle ages. The MacDonalds descend from a half  Celtic and half Viking ruler called Somerled (Somhairle) - translated as 'summer traveller' in the 12c. Despite his Norse ancestry, Somerled finally fought back against Norse encroachment, winning a great sea battle off the coast of Islay in 1156. His descendants include the MacDonalds and the MacDougalls. The MacDonalds became immensely powerful and self styled 'Lords of the Isles'. At a time when land communication was difficult, the MacDonalds controlled the western seaboard, and who so ever ruled the seas had control. In the 1480's anger flared when the bastard son of John MacDonald, Angus Og, rallied a force against his father as he tried to reclaim MacDonald power from his weaker parent. The battle of bloody bay, off the coast of Mull, saw the birlinns gather for war, and the seas turn red with blood on a day that would cause a fracture in the highlands, and a depletion of power for the MacDonalds. King James IV headed north to assert his authority, and the great title 'Lord of the Isles' was then annexed to the crown in 1493. Today Price Charles holds this title.

In Spring just before our Rabbie's conference a text message came to us all asking if we wished to participate in the aerial assault course at Ratho climbing centre near Edinburgh.

Being somewhat ignorant, several of us signed up. Well, you know what they say, ignorance is bliss! When we arrived at the climbing centre, our conference was held overlooking giant climbing walls, and there suspended in the air, one hundred feet up was the aerial assault course. Ah, ok perhaps not all of us, but certainly some of us, were now thinking, cripes, is that what we are doing? It was quite hard to focus on the meeting in hand when in front of us were a variety of people making their way up flat faced walls, with great overhangs. .On at least one occasion, a shriek of fear could be heard through the toughened glass as one climber slipped from their foothold and bounced about in the air, like a cork, forgetting for that moment that they were safely attached to a harness.

None of this, it has to be said, helped the jangling nerves of those participants later on as we were taken to the top of the building, where for those suffering from vertigo, it all became a little ominous. Despite harnesses, crash helmets, and comforting words of '”you'll be fine” it was none the less daunting, as we each in turn had to walk out on a steel platform and step off into space. My own legs were a bit mushy by now, as I really don’t like heights but once you had committed yourself, well there was no turning back. I might add that the girls well outnumbered the boys in this task, and it was a trio of girlie Rabbettes that led the way as they raced around the course in double quick time hoping to be able to have a second attempt. One circuit of floating logs, trees and cargo nets was enough for me, particularly as I had Calum, our resident iron man on my tail. My calculated efforts, took on a whole new meaning as Calum nipped at my heels. There was no overtaking, so as frustrating as it was for him, he was stuck. With sweat blinding my eyes, and a palpitating heart, I strove to keep at least a foot in front of him and at the same time not be lapped by our intrepid fearless lassies.