Upper Woodburn Cottages

10/05/2024

The bluebells at Upper Woodburn are looking utterly breaktaking at the moment.

18/02/2024

The green shoots of Spring are starting to show at Upper Woodburn. I've really started to notice the birdsong in the mornings now.

30/01/2024

Snowdrops are out for a winter sunset.

27/10/2022

So excited that the meeting hut/studio is now finished!
And we used it at our first artists in residence course. I can't believe how much I learned in building it. Thanks to Cross-cut Coop for the course and coming to run the workshops to get the hut up. (it's just been ages for me to finish all the last bits!)

05/09/2022

Spent the day seeking out wee oak trees to protect from browsing. Hopefully these little trees will still be here, standing as huge oaks, in a hundred years rather than end up as deer food this winter ....

22/07/2022

Help get the word out about the first Activist and Artist Residency at Upper Woodburn, just north of Glasgow, 2-8 October. We're making the cottages available for free as a place of retreat for local activists campaigning for environmental and social justice, and for artists, particularly those who use activism as part of their practice.

It is in collaboration with the grassroots groups Radical Renewable Art + Activism Fund , Hope Street Collective, and freelance artist Jude Williams .

All three cottages will be available, providing space for seven people. Our intention is to provide a place of refreshment, inspiration and connection for artists and activists dealing with the high-stakes, and often intractable issues of the climate and nature crises, and systemic injustices.

Participants can use a week at Upper Woodburn in whichever way suits them best – whether to connect with nature, find new energy in time spent walking, time alone, or time spent connecting with others. We will provide a small indoor meeting/studio space and a large undercover but outdoors space for people to gather but the time will be your own to create, walk or connect with others.

Please Share!!
https://upperwoodburn.com/artist-and-activist-residencies/

For several weeks in Spring, Autumn and Winter, we will be collaborating with the grassroots groups Radical Renewable Art and Activism Fund (RRAAF), Hope Street Collective, and freelance artist Jud…

14/07/2022

Just finished another couple of days working on the hut which will be a meeting and communal space for the artist/activist residences. Cladding and insulation nearly done!

Help spread the word on the first residency 2-8 October. https://upperwoodburn.com/artist-and-activist-residencies/

17/05/2022

Tales of Robert the Bruce making a pact with John Comyn, duels, a tragic poisoning before a forced marriage, castles and houses built and ruined, wham sticks, illicit whisky, the Riot Fair, and a warhorse’s last resting place.

That's what I've been immersed in this evening as I have eventually got round to scanning (and, with the magic of the internet, transcribing) a fascinating document that was passed on to us when we moved to Upper Woodburn, about the history of Auchenreoch (or Auchinreoch as it is spelled throight the document)

Read the whole thing here ...

There is some intriguing history in the area recounted in this document that was handed to us by the previous owners of Upper Woodburn when we moved here. Have a read of tales of Robert the Bruce m…

12/05/2022

Day three at the CrossCut Coop hut-building course at Falkland and we're making definite progress. Today we raised the walls and started on the rafters. It's getting exciting to see the hut, which will be a base for our artist/activist residences (as well as other things ...) take shape.

Cross Cut will be leading a week course at Upper Woodburn 6-10 June putting up the hut with an opportunity to whistle through everything we've learned this week and also put on the cladding, insulation, roofing and put in the window and door!

There's one place on the course left if you want to come. Link in the comments.

10/05/2022

Day one of the CrossCut Coop build school course at Falkland Estates learning loads. Very excited that this will be the hut that is coming to Upper Woodburn to be fully constructed and to meet Jodie of Crosscut who will be leading the Build-a-Hut Week.
There's one place left at the week, get in touch if you're interested!

09/05/2022

A walk through the bluebell woods just above the cottages - thanks to Ellie Harrison for sending us the video!

We've just opened our bookings for next May so folks can come and experience the spectacle.

04/05/2022

Today we took down a giant Douglas fir which had half blown over and was resting in an oak tree. The incredible people at Scotia Tree Services got it down safely in big sections. The logs are now awaiting being milled.

There is now no tree overhanging the area where we will building the hut and there's loads of light.

02/05/2022

We're really excited about Build a Hut Week 6-10 June. If you're interested in off-grid building and huts come and join in.

The week will be led by CrossCut Coop , a cooperative of women who design and build ecological and sustainable structures.
Beginners welcome (we certainly are!)

Cost is £250 and there is accomodation available in our cottages at £150 for the five nights.

More information below.... Or just message us with any questions.

Come and join us for a week with Cross Cut (a cooperative of women who design & build ecological, sustainable structures) taking part in a 5-day hut build. You will learn learn the skills you n…

01/05/2022

Yet more bluebell photos ..... 💠💠💙💙💙

25/04/2022

The bluebells are coming out and look so spectacular. Here are my attempts at capturing the beauty with my phone camera .... These just don't do it justice in any way!

19/04/2022

The humungous rhododendron overshadowing the decking at The Lodge is no more. I took against it a couple of weeks ago and with the help of friends, my parents and Glen with his digger we took down the three-storey Triffid.

Now there's a view of sunset from the decking and sun on it most of the day! Just need to mend and clean the decking and plant a few azelias and it will all be great!

17/04/2022

The bluebells are starting to appear and there are flowers all over the wood. The little white ones are wood sorrel which is also called 'Alleluia' because of the time of year they flower.
Happy Easter to all our followers!!

11/04/2022

I'm literally beside myself with excitement. I'm off to learn how to build things with wood! It's a four day course at the Falkland Centre for Stewardship run by a cooperative of craftswomen called CrossCut. And then the plan is to bring the newfound skills back to Upper Woodburn to build a small artists' studio/meeting room/space for shelter and refreshment

There will be a chance to come and join in with the build and learn new skills yourself! Look out for it sometime in September ....

More info.
We're planning to start a series of retreats for artists and activists this autumn and our initial discussions over how they would work suggested we needed a space for people to gather and work together or for studio space for artists. We're also starting monthly conservation workparties which will use the space to dry out and have a cup of coffee and some cake mid workparty.

And I think the bird ringers will appreciate a more salubrious space to act as their base than our junk-filled shed.

10/04/2022

We're getting really excited about bluebell season, when the woods are an ocean of blue.

We still have accommodation available in May, when they'll be at their most spectacular. So if you're looking for a special getaway this spring have a look at our three cosy cottages in the woods within easy reach of Glasgow and Stirling but feeling completely secluded. The bus stops at the end of the drive for those without transport!
https://upperwoodburn.com/

I've put a 15% discount on for bookings in May which means The Roundhouse and the Lodge are £640 for a week and The Pavilion £595

07/04/2022

With summer coming on (we hope .....) I've added a section to the website of Things to Do in the area. I have pages on Castles, Days Out, The Cities, Loch Lomond and the Trossachs. And of course Outlander locations (who would have known there were so many filming locations within 30 minutes)

If you're local and have a favourite spot I've missed put it in the comments and I'll add it in!

https://upperwoodburn.com/things-to-do/

There is loads to do in the area – whether you want to explore the cities of Glasgow, Edinburgh and Stirling, visit castles, lochs or cafés… or you just love Outlander

31/03/2022

Yellow is the theme at Upper Woodburn at the moment but bluebell leaves are popping up all over the place so in a month the place will be an ocean of blue.

24/03/2022

We've just started on the 'Split your Own'. Daughter very much getting into using the new toy. We'll be here 4-7pm if you want to split some wood for your wood sheds and donate to the DEC Ukraine appeal!! Come up to the shed by the main house at the end of the drive

22/03/2022

We’re getting excited about the new spring and summer season coming and are seeking a cleaner to help keep the three cottages beautiful for the guests.

The work pays £15 per hour and can be flexible to fit around childcare responsibilities or other commitments. At present we do turnovers once a week, but we could shorten the period of bookings (and increase the work provided) depending on time you have available.
https://upperwoodburn.com/2022/03/18/seeking-a-cleaner-for-beautiful-cottages/

14/03/2022

The badgers were busy last night digging up our lawn 🙈😱.....

However it's not all bad. They've also been busy turning over and aerating the compost heap which is pretty useful at this time of year!

I need to get the trail cam set up to capture the culprits in action ... More news to follow

05/03/2022

The last of the bonfire to clear the brash from the fallen spruces and firs so there's space for the bluebells to emerge.
Making fires and burning things is the best fun so I'm thinking of doing regular workparties for folks who like dragging branches around a wood and throwing them on an inferno.
Who's up for it?

04/03/2022

And the tree is down!!!!! Incredible work by the tree surgeons.

04/03/2022

Huge excitement today. We're taking down the humungous dead beach tree by the Pavilion. We'll leave the trunk for birds and bats and beasties if we can make it safe.
I've got front row seats as the round house is free today. Wish I'd sold tickets for the spectacle 🤣

03/03/2022

Sunset was looking so amazing this evening I had to dash up to the wood to see it from there. It's all bathed in a golden-russet glow. I'm just going to sit here for a bit and hope to see a badger as the night falls.

02/03/2022

We're seeking a Jackie/Jack of all-trades to help us at Upper Woodburn with maintenance and woodland-management tasks. So if you're local please help us get the word out!

The basics: Freelance post, one day a week - very flexible - can work around childcare, interesting variety of work, £140 a day.
https://upperwoodburn.com/2022/03/02/newsflash-were-recruiting/

Jackie/Jack of All-trades Wanted Advert-Jackie_Jack-of-all-tradesDownload We are seeking an adaptable, handy and can-do person to work the equivalent one day a week – hours flexible – o…