The Annexe - St Cyrus

29/05/2024

So nice to receive good reviews

17/01/2024

Not easy when you have short legs

17/01/2024

If this is as bad as the snow gets then that’s fine. At least the sun is shining and the dogs love the heightened scents. Our roads are untreated but the farmers do their bit to clear a path. In a couple of days it will be gone ….and we will be back to rain!

31/12/2023

We’ve had our last beach walk of 2023 in what was the calm after the storm. What a year it has been. We were so lucky to have many fantastic guests throughout the summer and the pizza oven was a hit. We’ve enjoyed some amazing skies but since October we have been on the receiving end of one storm after another. It has been relentless. Our road infrastructure has been badly affected with many bridges damaged by raging rivers. More trees have come down making access to and from The Annexe a challenge to say the least. Al has been busy with his chainsaw so plenty firewood for the house and hardwood for the pizza oven. Wee Pip is now on borrowed time. She has been diagnosed with a malignant tumour but we have decided that surgery will not gain us anything so she will just live the best life for as long as she can. She still smiles on a beach walk. It is her favourite.
So what for 2024? I must get my act together and put together a website. We have a new gigantic polycarb tunnel so more and more home grown veg and flowers on the cards. I think we deserve a brilliant summer and we look forward to welcoming guests old and new to The Annexe.
Wishing everyone a very Happy New Year.

13/08/2023

13/08/2023

Making no apology for this but today it is all about the swallows. We were worried that numbers were down thi year but today the call has gone out and they have congregated at Shieldaig for a feeding frenzy. Sadly it signifies that the summer is coming to an end but despite some disappointing weather, we have enjoyed loads of fabulous guests in The Annexe with still some more bookings into October.

22/07/2023

Getting more adventurous with the wood fired oven. Today after cranking up the heat for a batch of pizzas, we still had enough heat to bake a sour dough bread and roast a chicken on a bed of home grown veg. 🔥

10/07/2023

So, the wood fired oven is built and we had a lovely pizza night with guests. DIY pizza followed by mackerel cooked over the embers. A fabulous addition to our holiday accommodation. Looking forward to hosting more pizza nights and getting more ambitious with things to cook outdoors

11/05/2023

At long last the fog that has been plaguing us has lifted and we are enjoying some much needed sunshine. The dogs and I went on a bit of an unplanned hike today but I forgot my phone so no pics. Now we’re just chilling

11/05/2023

Can you tell what it is yet?

04/05/2023

Today’s walk was along Seaton Cliffs just north of Arbroath town centre. There is good parking at Victoria Park with loos and (today at least) a toastie van. It is a cliff path with some areas of unstable cliffs but well signposted and easy walking but if you have a dog you need to be sure they aren’t too adventurous! Our hearts were in our mouths a few times as Pip explored some of the edges! THe cliffs are red sandstone with loads of caves, erstacks and natural arches. It seems (to me at least) to support a healthy colony of nesting fulmars and cormorants. Apparently it is also a good place for dolphin spotting but honestly today was a bit blustery to hang around for that!

27/03/2023

What a fantastic day. To be honest I don’t do many beach walks in the winter. I am usually the one at home preparing the bath to wash off sandy dogs! But today - wow! Blue skies and so warm. It was like summer. We are blessed with having the St Cyrus Nature Reserve on our doorstep. Miles of beautiful sand. At the north end of the beach there are lots of rocky outcrops and rock pools left by the outgoing tide with critters waiting patiently to be refreshed in a few hours time. Notably there is a rock known as Hen Rock - can you guess why (?), a waterfall and a ruined outcrop know as The Kaim of Mathers.
Coming back we normally head to the dunes. On a wild day this offers some respite from the weather. Today it was just beautiful and warm. We park at the Nature Reserve car park but there is also a cliff path from the church in the village. Historically this part of the coastline was run by two salmon fisheries where salmon were caught in fly nets off the shore. There is little evidence of the nets now but you can still see some of the stakes behind the beach. SCNR are restoring one of the old Bothies which will offer educational facilities.
The cliffs are now unstable and you can often see evidence of fresh erosion but they still offer a great place fir nesting birds. The gorse is in bloom and whilst underfoot it is mainly moss, soon The Reserve will be a carpet of wild flowers and orchids.
If you head south on the beach it takes you to the mouth of the river North Esk but that’s for another day

24/03/2023

The sand dunes at St Cyrus National Nature Reserve are truly a sight to behold. 🤯

📸 instagram.com/ehepworthphotography

VisitScotland

24/03/2023

24/03/2023

Guest ready.

05/03/2023

Finally made it to Lathallan Woods today to enjoy the snowdrops before they pass. Soon the woods will be a riot of yellow when the daffodils explode into bloom. The woods lost a lot of ancient trees in storms of recent years but nature recovers. Ivy is flourishing on the tree roots and trunks of fallen trees. There is a family of herons who roost in the woods. Some were feeding on the fresh growth in the crop fields. One was feeding on the shoreline.

03/03/2023

From worn out saggy baggy to new seat foams and Spring colour theme. My hands feel like pin cushions and only one visit to the first aid box. Chuffed with result. 👏

02/03/2023

A lovely glimpse of our spectacular beach. So lucky to have this on our doorstep

02/03/2023

A wee glimpse of our fantastic beach and its history

13/02/2023

We’re not out of the woods yet but we have been enjoying unseasonably good weather of late. The days are lengthening and there are signs of Spring.

01/02/2023

Our daughter Sarah Paterson and grandson Dylan Osborne have been selected to represent Agility Team Scotland to compete in the Netherlands in a few months time. To raise funds they are holding a mega raffle and we are delighted to be offering a 2 night stay at The Annexe as a prize. Of course you can extend the stay if you wish. We are dog friendly and can easily accommodate 2 well behaved pooches. Osborne is also offering a 121 agility lesson so even if you have no experience it would be a great taster session and who knows….! I have asked Sarah to post a link with the full list of prizes.

01/02/2023

After a long journey what could be nicer on your arrival than to sit down with a cup of tea and enjoy some home bakes courtesy of your hosts.

25/01/2023

So January is nearly over and we are preparing for our first guests of 2023. One of the bedrooms has had a makeover. Daring feature wall and fab mirror. Love it. Please share.

02/01/2023

Happy New Year. We look forward to welcoming many new (and some familiar) faces to The Annexe in 2023.

25/12/2022

Wishing everyone a very Happy Christmas. The table is set here at The Annexe for a Christmas afternoon tea. Whatever the time of year we can offer you seasonal treats. We look forward to welcoming our 2023 guests soon.

12/12/2022

Although we are experiencing sub-zero conditions at the moment the sun is shining and it great to be outdoors in the fresh air. The mountains are beautifully white and our village is lit by the afternoon sunlight. Even the deer are enjoying the winter crops

27/11/2022

From our own free range hens, we are happy to provide all of our guests with complimentary eggs as part of your welcome pack

27/11/2022

Welcome to The Annexe A self-contained two bedroom property offering spacious accommodation with stunning views over open countryside. The accommodation is available all year round and we are happy to accept pets. Bookings can be made via Cottages.com using the following link https://www.cottages.com/cottages/UK34958