Category: Trips

A trip has been organised to Scotland on the 4th to the 6th of July 2024. 

The Itinerary for which can be found below.
  If you would like to attend the trip, please register your attendance with the Hon Secretary by latest of Friday 14th June 2024 by 1pm.


If you are interested in attending, please do so
– Via email secretary@l-a-d-s.co.uk
– Via phone 07749 492915 to Mr Alex Pope (Hon Secretary) – call, text or WhatsApp.

Itinerary – LADS Scotland trip – July 2024

Thursday 4th July

07:30: Depart Lathom

10.00: James Jones and Sons Ltd, Lockerbie.

James Jones & Sons Ltd is a 5th generation family business and one of
the UK’s largest and most progressive timber processing companies with
core activities in timber harvesting, saw-milling, pallets & packaging, and
distribution. They operate from 25 sites across the UK, 11 Australian and
2 New Zealand sites and employ over 2,100 people. They operate seven
sawmills throughout Scotland and the north east of England: an
engineered wood manufacturing plant in the north of Scotland and pallet
and packaging operations at 14 sites across the UK. Producing high
quality, British grown timber for the UK construction, landscaping, and
agricultural sectors; market-leading JJI-Joists for the housebuilding and
construction markets and pallets and packaging for blue chip domestic
and exporting businesses.

12.15: Cairn Lodge Services

These services are part of The Westmorland Family, along with Tebay
and Gloucs. services owned by the Dunning Family.
Buy a drink, sandwich and some snacks to eat on route to Blackford
Farms, Dunblane.

14.15:  Blackford Farms

Blackford farms are situated in the majestic heart of the Perthshire countryside, central Scotland.
The estate spreads over 20,000 acres of rich fertile land on which the
cattle are bred. Crops grown are wheat, barley and oats on the estate.

Blackford farms is the home of Highland Wagyu which encompasses a
total farming operation from the breeding and rearing of pedigree
Aberdeen Angus, Beef Shorthorn, Highland Cattle, Dexters and 100%
Full-blood Wagyu cattle.
Run now by the 4th and 5th generations of the family, William and Karen
McLaren along with their daughter Seonaid, they will be celebrating this
year their Centenary of breeding Pedigree Angus cattle. William’s father
was a pioneer to keep the Angus breed going during its period of
decline. They were the number one show herd in the UK during 1980-
2010.
They are no longer showing and concentrating on a more functional type
of Angus using semen imported from Canada, America and Australia.
Also part owners in an Angus herd in Austria. The home farm,
Netherton, is 300 acres and carries the herd of Angus cattle. The
adjoining land farmed of which 5,000 acres is organic, is owned by
Highland Spring Water.

17.30 -1800: Red House Hotel, Coupar Angus

Our base for the next two nights. Dinners, bed and breakfasts provided.


Friday 5th July

08:30: Depart Hotel.

09:00 Peter Marshall and Co.

A fourth-generation family farming business, based in Alyth Perthshire.
The farm is run by Rowan, Jennifer, Pete and Meg Marshall alongside
an amazing team. The farm spreads over 1300 acres and is based in the
beautiful Perthshire countryside. They grow Strawberries, Raspberries,
Blueberries, Cherries, Blackcurrants, Redcurrants. Aside from growing
fresh fruit, they also grow Potatoes, Wheat, Oats, Oil Seed Rape and
Malting Barley.
They also have a small farm shop nearby where we can purchase their
freshly made ice creams.

12.30: Lunch at The Bridge of Cally Hotel

Purchase a sandwich or something more substantial for lunch

14.00: Persie Distillery

A 5-minute drive from our lunch venue is the Distillery. Award-winning
spirits are hand-crafted in small batches on the site of the former Persie
Hotel at the foot of Glenshee in Highland Perthshire. 
We will be taken behind the scenes on a guided tour, to see where
everything happens on site, from recipe development to distilling and
bottling.

16.00:
We will find something to do before returning to the hotel for dinner, if we
haven`t sampled too much gin !!



Saturday 6th July

09.00: Depart the hotel.

11.00: New Lanark, South Lanarkshire.

New Lanark is a former 18th century cotton spinning mill village located
on the banks of the Falls of Clyde. It is recognised as one of Scotland’s 6
UNESCO World Heritage Sites of ‘outstanding universal value’.
A guided tour around this working cotton mill is included. After the tour
we have lunch in the café.

14.00 or thereabouts

Set off south and an opportunity to call in at the Lockerbie Air Disaster Memorial and Garden of Remembrance, in memory to the 270 lives lost as a result of the bombing of PanAm flight 103 on December 21st 1988.

17.30: Arrive Lathom

Prices based on minimum 20 people on the trip
Sharing a twin room £390
Single room £450

The coach is a Holmeswood Executive 49 seater
with a toilet
No lunches included in the price

The Chairman has identified speakers for the coming season and is in the final stages of pinning them down to the most convenient meeting date. It is hoped that the card can be printed for distribution at the first meeting 5th October.

The committee are working with Briars Hall to achieve a compromise on the menu and associated price rises. It is hoped that we can work within the meal costing £25 each for the duration of the season.

Progress is being made on a number of LADS trips – pencil in mid to late January 2023 for a trip to Rotterdam. Intentions are that we will leave Thursday afternoon, travelling by coach/ferry rather than flying, and returning for mid-day on the following Monday. Visits to the Lely factory, the Nationwide Poeldijk Depot and glasshouses are in the planning. Indicative costs are in the order of £450 and the deposit will be £100. As always, priority will go to members but it is anticipated that there may be some places for guests. More details will be provided at the first meeting.