Hillcrest Arran

01/12/2023

Happy December folks 🌲

03/11/2023

The art of folding sheets 🕊

Sheets drying in the sun. It’s starting to feel like a distant memory as the rain batters against the windows and we wind down for winter.

So many folk have eaten at the Hillcrest kitchen table, sang at the piano and drank by the fire this season. And we’ve loved seeing the house come to life!

01/11/2023

Things have slowed down at Hillcrest as Autumn has well and truly arrived 🍂

03/10/2023

CALL FOR WRITING

What does it mean to forage?

verb: a wide search over an area in order to obtain something, especially food or provisions.

We’d love to read your writing, poetry or prose, in response to this prompt.

Deadline: End of November

Send your foraged thoughts to [email protected] and we’ll share our favourite pieces 🐿️ ✍️

26/09/2023

Back from a wonderful few days on Luing.

We’ve been island hopping & enjoying an incredible feast by Ballintaggart at Wildluing.

As the storm comes in, we’re ready to get blankets out & cosy up by the fire 🍂

17/09/2023

Join us in slowing down this Sunday.

We've compiled a list of things that mean 'slow living' to us.

Expect ramblings, recommendations and beautiful film photos from our good friends Tom & Fede.

Have a read & subscribe: https://bit.ly/44S58dX

12/09/2023

Finding firewood, cooking lunch & hiding from the rain at Loch Garbad🌲

09/09/2023

Floating chair, Whiting Bay

04/09/2023

Cordon Community Garden 🫛

Another great outdoor cooking workshop with The Arran Pioneer Project & Arran Eco Savvy!

Picking veg, cooking on the fire & eating together. We’re looking forward to the next one already 🔥

03/09/2023

September blue skies! Enjoying the last days of summer & watching the first leaves start to fall 🍂

26/08/2023

Recording at Hillcrest 🏠🎙

Carina’s grandpa taught Stevie to play guitar, so it felt pretty special that he chose Hillcrest to record his first album.

We loved having him to stay in the workshop, watching his process and hearing him record some pretty incredible tunes!

Stevie will be one of the musicians at our first living room gig this Autumn. Watch this space! 🍂

15/08/2023

Open the door to island life at Hillcrest 🏠🌲⛰

14/08/2023

Hillcrest Creative Issue #1: Islands

A collection of writing from responses to our writing prompt -

'what is an island?' From land surrounded by a body of water to a kitchen unit, what does the word island mean to you? Does it make you feel claustrophobic or free? ⛰

Thank you to everyone who submitted! Check out the pieces on Issuu ⬇️

This collection was curated from a selection of pieces in response to a writing prompt from Hillcrest Creative - 'what is an island?' From land surrounded by a body of water to a kitchen unit, what does the word island mean to you? Does it make you feel claustrophobic or free?

03/08/2023

The cabin room 🪑

This room gives off the sense of feeling ‘hidden away’. Look out over the sea and listen to the river run past in the garden. Nothing else really matters!

01/08/2023

Returning from a day of exploring...

Boots off, stove on & drinks poured 🥃

31/07/2023

Scottish summer at its best 🌲🧺

Rainy walks, spotting swallows & picking raspberries.

26/07/2023

Running on Arran time

That means nature sets the pace for us, the weather decides when we go outside and ferries decide when we venture to the mainland 🚢

23/07/2023

Our donated door taking pride of place in its new home at the Holy Isle Project, Arran ⛰️

21/07/2023

Outdoor cooking workshop…

An afternoon of cooking together, sharing food and exploring Corrie Community Garden🍴🌲

Locally grown produce came from all corners of the island, from Corrie right down to Woodside Arran CIC in Kildonan!

Thanks to Jess from Arran Eco Savvy and Simon from The Arran Pioneer Project.

17/07/2023

Lovely review from our recent guests!

15/07/2023

Whiting Bay Memories…

We talk a lot about the history of Hillcrest. But last week we had the chance to explore the history of the whole village!

‘Whiting Bay Memories’ exhibition took us all the way back past when Carina’s grandparents arrived here in the 70s 📮

13/07/2023

Rustic and relaxed 🪑

11/07/2023

We’re appreciating every ray of light that comes into the house at the moment.

It’s good to hear the river running through the garden again and be able to leave the veg patch unwatered for a day.

But I think we’re ready for another spell of sunshine.

11/07/2023

Tending to the garden brings us so much joy 🧺

Picking kale, watering the tomatoes, eating a few raspberries on the way down.

But we’re still learning and have found ourselves googling some pretty strange questions including ‘does cinnamon really keep ants away from courgettes?’ and 'is this a w**d or a carrot?’…

03/07/2023

Our first event wasn’t far from a folktale ~ Wild winds blew and our writer in residence couldn’t make it onto the island ⛰

But folk from all corners of Arran still made their way to Hillcrest for an afternoon of storytelling.

Sharing stories of gutting fish, an island bakery, stolen salmon, and boats on an unknown journey.

Special thanks to Argyll Coffee Roasters for fuelling our stories with great coffee. And Kirsty Logan for taking the pilgrimage all the way to the ferry terminal to be turned away!

It was a magical day and we can’t wait to bring people together again 🏠✨

19/06/2023

The countdown to our first event is on!

Have you spotted our posters by Max Machen around Glasgow? Thanks to our East End, Southside & West End pals for postering for us ✌️

There’s still time to pick up tickets - link below.

🎟 https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/words-at-hillcrest-with-kirsty-logan-tickets-643750875197 Kirsty Logan

17/06/2023

The Singer sewing machine in bedroom 2 is our favourite writing nook for Morning Pages. It’s positioned right beside the window, South-East facing with views over the garden and sea 🌊