The SRGC Discussion Weekend 2014 will again be held in the highland town of Grantown on Spey.
Friday 3rd - Sunday 5th October
Following last year's very successful event, early bookings have been made and already there are no more single rooms available for the Discussion Weekend : there are guest houses in Grantown and people could attend as day delegates, though even this too will be limited.
Book soon to be sure of a place!
SRGC Discussion Weekend 2014
Programme
The 2014 Discussion weekend programme’s two themes intertwine the Himalayas and the Americas. This year’s speakers include some weel-kent faces and four speakers new to Scotland.
On Friday, John Amand will give the bulb lecture, talking on woodland bulbs and the route from nursery to garden. The talk will be followed by the small bulb exchange.
Saturday starts with optional woodland walks and the show. After lunch, Ian Christie begins our talks by describing the new developments with Meconopsis.
Kit Strange is on the alpine staff at Kew and will talk on the joint Kew¬Falklands native conservation project.
Nicola Ripley is Director of the Betty Ford Alpine Gardens in Vail, Colorado, and will talk about their development and their interesting features. Saturday evening comprises the reception, dinner and plant auction.
Sunday starts with Arve Elvebakk, Director of the Tromsø Botanic Gardens in Norway; Vail and Tromsø are respectively the highest and northernmost botanic gardens in the world.
Michal Hoppel, from Poland, is a keen grower of alpines, with a special interest in crevices and Asteraceae.
Stephanie Ferguson gardens in Calgary, Canada, using crevice garden techniques to grow a wide range of rare plants.
For each of the four latter speakers, this will be their first speaking engagement in Scotland, so their talks promise us interesting new viewpoints.
Finally, Tim Lever will round off the weekend with the tale of his expedition to Arunchal Pradesh.
We are delighted to keep the cost to £198 per person for the weekend for two persons sharing (see the below for full price details and booking form).
Thursday night or Sunday night or both are available at £65 DB&B per person per night. Outside this period the Grant Arms will welcome your company at its normal rate.
We look forward to seeing you all in October.
If you have any questions or queries please contact Carol Shaw (srgcsec@googlemail.com).
Beware! Last year the Discussion Weekend was very quickly fully booked; please make your reservation as soon as you decide to come.
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BOOKING FORM ETC
Notes from the DWE Team:
After the success of last year’s excursion to North Scotland, the organizing team once again invites you to Grantown on Spey for yet more Highland hospitality. The planned town, built in 1766 by Sir James Grant of Castle Grant, features a broad High Street with the town square and our hotel at its northern end. Almost unique amongst Scottish towns, it has no chain stores, just a range of independent shops, cafes and bars. It is a small town and, having suffered little from modern housing developments, still enjoys its peaceful location amongst woodlands alongside the River Spey.
It must be good for the spirit because locals still smile at strangers in the street!
Last year’s participants were delighted with the Grant Arms Hotel, built as part of the original town and located in the middle of the square. Recent refurbishments ensure a very high standard of comfort. As well as being guests of the Grant Arms we are also guests of the Bird Watchers and Wildlife Club (BWWC,
www.bwwc.co.uk) and all of their facilities are available to delegates. The hotel is cosy, having forty-eight rooms, two of which have been converted to suit disabled guests, while six are available as single rooms. When all the rooms in the Grant Arms have been filled, delegates will be placed in the equally pleasant eighteen bedroom Garth Hotel just a hundred metres away across the square.
Delegates arriving by car should leave the A9 at Aviemore and follow the A95 to and through Grantown. The hotel is on the right of the square. If you are coming by public transport we recommend the scenic train journey through the Grampian Mountains to Aviemore and then onwards by the frequent bus service to Grantown square.
Saturday morning is, as usual, free time for delegates and organizers to enjoy arranged visits. At Grantown we have a problem – there is just so much to recommend! Firstly, the Grant Arms is the base for Bird Watchers and Wildlife Club which will provide guides to take you on a wildlife walk in the neighbouring Anagach Woods and by the River Spey. Both long and short walks are planned. Did you know that there is a native plant garden located at 600 metres on Cairngorm mountain? The gardener will be waiting at Cairngorm to tell you all about his garden, after which you might like to ride the funicular to the Ptarmigan Station to see the views and enjoy the world famous hot chocolate.
We suggest that Grantown is a place to come for a longer break, with the Discussion Weekend as the ‘jewel in the crown’; there is just so much to see and do. If you interested in fishing, we can arrange a day on the River Spey -but remember that the season ends on 30th September. If golf is your or your partner’s secret vice, Grantown has its own magnificent eighteen¬hole course; or you can drive up to Nairn to try the two links courses. Even if you don’t spend your extra days at the Grant Arms the BWWC people will gladly help you plan your time up here in the Highlands.
For a flavour of last year's Show etc at the DWE - see here :
http://www.srgc.net/forum/index.php?topic=10060.0
