Emma Macalister Hall2013 will be a special year for the Rae family and Torrisdale Estate, this being their 30th year of visiting the estate for their annual three week holiday. Norman and Isabella Rae started coming to Torrisdale back in 1983 and have returned year after year with their two son’s Jamie and Norman.
The Rae family have had a connection with the Kintyre area ever since Norman was evacuated to Carradale during the war. Spending two happy years at Carradale primary school Norman made lifelong friends with whom he enjoyed many fishing trips around the coast of Kintyre.
The Rae family planting a tree as part of Torrisdale’s 1Tree Campaign
The Raes’ first visit to the estate was just after the castle apartments had opened for business, they stayed in Crossaig and have returned to the same flat ever since. The family remember summers spent exploring the countryside, trying to find new ways of reaching the top of Beinn an Tuirc, ‘walking the feet off the boys so they would sleep at night’ and making do without a Tesco in town. The Walled Garden was still productive at this time with peaches in the glasshouse and raspberries along the walls. The family love Torrisdale for the peace and quiet it offers, ‘it’s so relaxing, so peaceful with no phones and a chance to leave problems behind for a while’ explained Norman.
After staying in various places in Carradale and Waterfoot, Torrisdale was recommended by a friend and has provided the family with the perfect https://junglefitnessoc.com/ambien-for-sale/ place to take a time out.
Norman Rae loved taking time out from his job to escape to the peace of Torrisdale
When asked what had changed most in the area the reply was ‘not so much’, although the estate has gradually diversified, the overall landscape remains largely unchanged. ‘The biggest change was probably the jetty’ explained Isabella, remembering the barges which carried loads of timber away to Irvine on the Ayrshire coast. Thinking how easily coastlines change Norman remembered being told a tale of a particularly bad storm in 1932. ‘The storm was so ferocious it swept away a house just to the north of the jetty, the couple in riverside cottage across the bay thought they could see the house lights still on, what they were actually seeing was the fire still burning in the fireplace’.
The couple also remember the sawmill building still standing, and time spent exploring whilst trying to capture photos of the ever elusive tawny owl which made its home there.
There’s no doubt you become tolerant but nothing really works that great within 25 minutes except Ativan. I am 52 and absolutely have no concerns about withdrawal symptoms.
Fortunately the family have enjoyed documenting their stays with their video camera since 1989. Norman is in the process of digitising these videos and is happy to share them with the estate. We look forward to seeing these films and photos and looking back on 30 happy years of the Raes’ Torrisdale Estate Holidays!
