The old boat shed before & after the gale

CHANGES OVER THE YEARS IN JOHN FISHER'S COTTAGE AND THE AREA

Some of our visitors return several years after their previous visit. This page records sthe changes over the years so that they know how we have improv ed and altered the cottage..
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2008

GREAT NEWS! - Progress on television reception
Now the whole of Carn Gorm has its own access to the Sky satellite, giving us "crystal clear" ("unbelievable") pictures for BBC 1 & 2, ITV and Channel 4.  It has taken a long time and the imaginative use of modern technology, but now it's here. No nostalgia for aerials on the machar and a signal sent from Portree to Carr Brae and then relayed from Rattagan. The quality is even enhanced by our new flat screen TV

But because of the way our signal is received, it is impossible to record programmes on video or DVD. We have therefore removed the video-recorder and bought a DVD player and provided 60 DVDs. It is also impossible to get subtitles and programme information.

Our 40th Anniversary
We acquired John Fisher's Cottage in May 1968, and to mark the occasion we have planted a tree outside the kitchen window.

New furniture, decorations and a tray
New sitting room chairs are in place and comfortable, and there is now a shoe rack in the lobby. Marie collected shells on a beach at Raasay which she has made into a design hanging on the bathroom wall (very attractive), and we have a new tray showing a picture of the cottage which she took. We even took advice and bought a loo roll holder which perfectly matches the bathroom decor!

The kitchen work surfaces have been replaced and the kitchen and lobby area have been painted.

There is a new manhole cover in front of the porch door and sometime additional chips will eventually bring the surface up to the manhole level.

2007

Summary
The bathroom has been completely renewed; new carpets have been fitted to the hall,
stairs, landing and dining room, and they look very good!  Socket night lights are now
provided in the inner lobby underneath the notice board and on the landing for overnight
use. We have fitted a UVF filter to the incoming water supply. There is no charge for
use of the telephone or broadband connection through the router. The byre has been
extensively renewed to provide a garage and storage space for straw for David Lee's cows.

2006

After the gale
A severe gale in autumn 2005 demolished the old boat shed at the foot of the drive-in and
loosened the retaining wall right across the garden. The retaining wall has been rebuilt,
extended somewhat to allow easier car access and off-street parking. Instead of rebuilding
the boat shed, the shed has been extended to provide secure space for bicycles etc,
and storage for a garden table and chairs.

We welcome suggestions for further improvements.

Around the Area

The Portbahn Café at Ault-a-chriunn is now the Jack-o-bite.