News!
5 April 2024
For various reasons, the time has come for me to part company with Harbour Loft. There are some roof and chimney repairs needed, after which it will be going on the market. Anyone interested, please do contact me. I will miss the garden in particular, where I have spent many peaceful hours in summer with a book (and snacks, often Portsoy ice cream!).
My lovely current tenant has made Harbour Loft a cosy home and has done lots of good things in the garden. Thank you, perfect tenant!
My lovely current tenant has made Harbour Loft a cosy home and has done lots of good things in the garden. Thank you, perfect tenant!
25 July 2017
From the end of September a new chapter will be starting for Harbour Loft - instead of holiday lets, it will be let on a long-term basis. I have enjoyed 'meeting' all the guests, if not usually in person, and hearing about the various activities enjoyed and recommendations for eating out etc. Thank you to everyone who has stayed in the flat - without exception you have all been lovely.
2 July 2017
Thanks again to Dave Upcott, who has been back staying at Harbour Loft, for this great photo of the Scottish Traditional Boat Festival taken from the garden.
27 May 2017
Harbour Loft now has a DVD player, and a small selection of DVDs.
15 April 2017
26 March 2017
Sadly, the 100+ wildflower plugs planted last year in the garden seem not to have done too well - I have found only three survivors so far! Think the soil may not be right for them, so am going to change tactic and try cornfield annuals instead this year. On a more cheerful note, the flowering currant is looking magnificent and the garden is full of birds.
12 February 2017
26 December 2016
Merry Christmas!
Thanks to my sister for making Harbour Loft festive for the next lot of guests! Christmas decorations are from Scott's the Chemist in Banff and The Linden Tree in Huntly. Cones are also local...
2 December 2016
Winter in Portsoy.
5 November 2016
Just finished preparing the ground and planting up the Secret Garden with over 100 wildflower plugs, including bird's foot trefoil, selfheal, dropwort, wild clary, common catsear and oxeye daisy. How many will survive, of course, is the question! It will be interesting to see how well the various species do.
The wild flower seeds I ordered have also arrived, including yellow rattle, which is apparently parasitic on grass and is found in every ancient meadow. It weakens the grass and gives the wild flowers a chance to compete. We'll see!
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2 November 2016
Thank you to Dave Upcott, a recent guest at Harbour Loft, for providing me with some beautiful photographs he took in October while staying in Portsoy, which he has very kindly allowed me to use on the website. This is much appreciated, especially as my own skills as a photographer are very limited (as most of the photos on here demonstrate!). Here is a lovely view of Portsoy from the coastal path. See the Home and Photos pages for more of Dave's fantastic photos.
21 October 2016
I've been taking a bag with me on walks in which to collect wild flower seeds for the Secret Garden - at the cost of a few nettle stings! So far I have quite a selection including campion, vetch, sweet cicely, cow parsley, harebell, thistles, purple knapweed, hawkbit and scabius.
The plan is to increase the diversity in the garden - at the moment it is mainly grasses, wild mallow (lovely pink flowers which the bees love), roses and buddleia. I'd like the meadow area to have more wild flowers in it and have been cutting some of the grass short so that I can plant wild flower plugs and seeds. In spring the flowers should (in theory!) grow up along with the grass. I'm also going to sow some 'cornfield annuals' such as poppies and cornflowers in the beds along the back wall.
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