2007 Burns Fringe Festival Concert

The Sangsters, one of Scotland's finest Scottish harmony singing groups, will perform a mixture of traditional, contemporary and Robert Burns songs, interspersed with humour. This four piece group from Fife features vocals with guitar accompaniment.

Proceeds were donated to The Prince & Princess of Wales Hospice.

Blair House Reaches for the Stars

Stunning Blair House in North Ayrshire has been awarded five stars by national tourist board, VisitScotland, which recently launched a new category entitled ‘Exclusive Use Venue’, featuring properties that open exclusively for one party with a minimum stay of one night.

Caroline and Luke Borwick receive the

5-star award from Neil Borthwick and

Catriona Mackie of VisitScotland

At a ceremony in Myers Castle in Auchtermuchty, Fife, VisitScotland revealed that just four places in the country have been given a 5 Star Exclusive Use grading. 

Commenting on this recent accolade, Owner of Blair House Caroline Borwick said: “"We are very excited by the exclusive use concept and indeed Scotland is the first place in the world to do this.  We host things here on an intensely personal basis and people feel like they are coming to a Myers Castle itself is one of them and Blair is the only one in the west.  All properties in the sector will have to be graded four or five star and numbers will be limited.family home. Each occasion is catered for very individually."

"Guests have included people who want special birthday celebrations to boardroom meetings for a number of high profile companies from around the UK.  And, yes, we have also had celebrities but that will have to remain confidential I am afraid."

Catriona Mackie, Area Director for VisitScotland’s Prestwick office added: “Blair House offers the highest standard in service and quality, exceeding guests’ expectations with its dedicated staff and outstanding setting.”

Concerts

Blair, in association with French Duncan, are proud of our second series of charity concerts. The monies raised were donated to the new North Ayrshire Guiding Activity Centre, St Margaret's Parish Church and Hope & Homes.

October brought an era of nostalgia to Blair with a stunning performance by The Swingcats, a Glasgow quartet who recreate the Golden era of songs from the 30's, 40's and 50's.

Singer-songwriter Stan Graham and Bobby Irvine provided wonderful performances along with the Dalry Children's choir.

  In February

A selection of classics were performed by talented Masters of Performance in Musical Theatre from the RSAMD in Glasgow.

Following their sell-out Swingin’ & Singin’ concerts with the RSAMD Big Band, the students will be accompanied by fellow musicians from the RSAMD to give an evening of hits from the world of musical theatre.

The RSAMD has produced many wonderful world renowned musicians and this will be a superb opportunity to listen to the stars in the making.  The evening will encompass a variety of music presented in the elegant surroundings of the 1668 Drawing Room in Blair House.

We are setting up a museum in the top of the West Wing to display some of the fascinating archives and diaries of the Blair family. There are some wonderful costumes from former years which we are restoring and will be available for you to admire and envy the waist sizes of the ladies.

                    Paul Hodgkiss Table
    
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We hosted Isabel Smith's 50th Birthday party. Isabel's husband, Ian, is the producer of the Film Cold Mountain so the 36 guests were treated to wonderful party capped by an excellent cake of a very shivery mountain produced by chef Jeremy Norris.

Summer in Scotland was spectacular and was

crowned by a beautiful autumn.

    

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In October 2003 we were visited by a wonderful group from America, who stunned the North Ayrshire Shooting School with their accuracy.

The team was led by Shari LeGate, who is in the USA's women's clay pigeon shooting team and has her own television programme in the USA.

A great deal of Scottish hospitality characterised this enjoyable week. We hope they will come and visit us again.

               
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In the last 18 months the 1668 wing, the 18th Century East Wing and the Victorian West Wing have been completely reroofed and the house has been very carefully and sympathetically redecorated.

              
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        In March 2003 the Scottish Field featured Blair in an excellent article which you can access at: www.scottishfield.co.uk

"Reputedly the oldest inhabited baronial mansion in Scotland that has not been rebuilt, spectacular Blair is set in its own estate surrounded by 400 acres of parkland and gardens near Dalry in Ayrshire. The oldest part of the house is the guardroom tower which dates back to 1105, while the keep behind was built separately in about 1236."