Blue Noun

Blue Noun Scottish experiences built around real English conversation. Helping your words come out — not through more rules, but through feeling at ease when you speak.

The United Nations created this day to celebrate the bicycle as a simple, affordable and sustainable form of transport.B...
03/06/2026

The United Nations created this day to celebrate the bicycle as a simple, affordable and sustainable form of transport.
Bicycles often feature on a Blue Noun holiday.
On Sunday, we cycled from Crieff to Abercairny Estate, where we spent the day exploring on foot. The estate was holding its annual charity open day, giving visitors access to landscapes that are normally private.
We followed quiet country lanes to get there, stopping at streams to look for signs of beavers and hearing a young fawn calling for its mother along the way.
What struck me was how differently you experience a place when you arrive by bike.
Arriving by car, you visit a landscape.
Arriving by bicycle, you become part of it.
You notice the birdsong. You listen. You watch. You arrive already connected to the place you’ve come to see.
My highlight was spotting an osprey and its nest, but that’s a story for another post.
I have lots of photos from the open day, but none featuring our bikes, so instead I’m sharing this photo from my own cycling holiday on the Isle of Gigha last year — swimsuit drying on the handlebars after a swim in the sea.
Bicycles are freedom.
🚲❤️

02/06/2026

We tend to stay quietly in the background, but as several years have passed since the photograph in the opening pages of the magazines was taken, we thought it was time to reintroduce ourselves to newer readers.

We're Alistair and Linda, the people behind The Quair Magazines, covering Highland Perthshire and Strathearn. Thank you to everyone who reads, contributes to, advertises in and supports the publications. Your encouragement and involvement have enabled us to continue delivering local news, information and community stories across Highland Perthshire and Strathearn month after month.

During Volunteers' Week, it feels like an appropriate time to recognise the many people who give their time, skills and expertise to help local organisations, events and community projects thrive. Communities such as ours depend on that spirit of volunteering and involvement, and it remains a privilege to help spread the word and serve these communities.

I'm Ruth. My speciality is no-classroom English coaching holidays in Scotland.I usually design for individual, professio...
31/05/2026

I'm Ruth. My speciality is no-classroom English coaching holidays in Scotland.

I usually design for individual, professional adult learners, but this August, I’m offering something a bit special:
An Edinburgh Festival family edition.

It's 5 days of nature-based play, crafts, and English learning for you and your family.

With 2 full days at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival by yourselves.

Accommodation-wise, you’ll have your own little house.
Transport, activities — I arrange them.

You just need to get here, relax, and get talking.

Three weeks.
Three families.

One bustling arts festival in the stunning city of Edinburgh.

And a landscape full of woodland paths, pebbly rivers, and birdsong to come home to.
You don't have to choose what pace of holiday to take — you can have the best of both.
And with English coaching for the whole family woven into each day, you take home English that feels good to use.

Dates:
August 7–14
August 14–21
August 21–28

Curious about bringing your family to Scotland this August? Send me a message and I’ll talk you through how it works.

I'm Ruth. My speciality is no-classroom English coaching holidays in Scotland.I usually design for individual, professio...
29/05/2026

I'm Ruth.
My speciality is no-classroom English coaching holidays in Scotland.

I usually design for individual, professional adult learners, but this August, I’m offering something a bit special:
An Edinburgh Festival family edition.

It's 5 days of nature-based play, crafts, and English learning for you and your family.

With 2 full days at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival by yourselves (I would say 'ditch the teacher', but I'll be dropping you off and picking you up).

Accommodation-wise, you’ll have your own little house.
Transport, activities — I arrange them.

You just need to get here, relax, and get talking.

It's a whole lot of time in nature, and the excitement of the Fringe Festival in Edinburgh.

The best of urban - with a landscape full of woodland paths, pebbly rivers, and birdsong to come home to.

You don't have to choose what pace of holiday to take — you can have the best bits of both, with no middle-ground compromise.

And with English coaching for the whole family woven into each day, you take home English that feels good to use.

Dates:
August 7–14
August 14–21
August 21–28

Curious about bringing your family to Scotland this August? Send me a message and I’ll talk you through how it works.

Do you like your nature peaceful and your cities vibrant?This August, you don't have to choose what pace of holiday to t...
28/05/2026

Do you like your nature peaceful and your cities vibrant?

This August, you don't have to choose what pace of holiday to take — you can have the best of both.

A world-famous arts festival in the stunning city of Edinburgh.
And a landscape full of woodland paths, pebbly rivers, and birdsong to come home to.

I'm Ruth. My speciality is no-classroom English coaching holidays in Scotland, usually designed for individual adult learners. But this August, I’m offering something a bit special:

An Edinburgh Festival family edition.

It's 5 days of nature-based play, crafts, and English learning for you and your family.

With 2 full days at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival by yourselves (I'd say to ditch the teacher, but I'll be dropping you off and picking you up).
Accommodation-wise, you’ll have your own little house.

Transport, activities — I arrange them.

And with English coaching for the whole family woven into every day, you take home English that feels good to use.

You just need to get here, relax, and get talking.
Dates:
August 7–14
August 14–21
August 21–28
Curious about bringing your family to Scotland this August? Send me a message and I’ll talk you through how it works.

This wee house is one of the spaces you'll enjoy during the Edinburgh Festival holiday.The banks of the River Earn are a...
27/05/2026

This wee house is one of the spaces you'll enjoy during the Edinburgh Festival holiday.

The banks of the River Earn are another.

And a swim spot the locals call “The Linn”.

And Edinburgh — because it’s the month the city turns festival.

This August, I’m offering a special family edition of my no-classroom English coaching holidays in Scotland.

It’s 5 days of nature-based play, crafts, and English learning for you and your family and 2 full days at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

You'll stay in this wee house. Transport, activities — I arrange them.

You just need to get here, relax, and start exploring.

Dates:
August 7–14
August 14–21
August 21–28

Thinking about a different kind of family holiday this summer? Send me a message and I’ll happily talk you through the details.

It's a pity you won't get to spend much time here. It's lovely.I mean, you can, if you like.But I have all kinds of acti...
26/05/2026

It's a pity you won't get to spend much time here. It's lovely.

I mean, you can, if you like.

But I have all kinds of activities planned: throwing stones into rivers, bird watching, visiting little harbour towns and collecting shells on the beach, crafts, colouring...

A family day at Blair Drummond Safari Park. Oh, and 2 days at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

In other words, the best of a restful, nature-filled holiday with your kids, with English coaching woven all the way through.

This little dream house is just 'base camp' for the adventures I'll take you on.

This August, I’m offering a special family edition of my no-classroom English coaching holidays in Scotland.

It’s 5 days of nature-based play, crafts, and English learning for you and your family, plus 2 full days at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

You'll stay in this wee house.
Transport, activities — I arrange them.

You just need to get here, relax, and start exploring.

Dates:
August 7–14
August 14–21
August 21–28

Thinking about a different kind of family holiday this summer? Send me a message and I’ll happily talk you through the details.

For most of the year, my job is working out activities which will captivate professionals (possibly with a few hang-ups ...
25/05/2026

For most of the year, my job is working out activities which will captivate professionals (possibly with a few hang-ups around English) and interest them enough to get talking, then bring them to places that inspire truly restful silence, then start again.

With kids, it's sooo easy to captivate them. And I love it.

This August, I’m offering a special 'Ed Fest' family edition of my no-classroom English coaching holidays in Scotland.

It’s 5 days of nature-based play, crafts, and English learning for you and your family, plus 2 full days blowing off steam at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

Transport, accommodation, activities — I arrange them.

You just need to get here, relax, and start exploring.

Dates:
August 7–14
August 14–21
August 21–28

Curious about whether your family would enjoy something like this? Send me a message and I’ll happily talk you through it.

For most of the year, my job is working out activities which will captivate professionals (possibly with a few hang-ups ...
24/05/2026

For most of the year, my job is working out activities which will captivate professionals (possibly with a few hang-ups around English) and interest them enough to get talking, then bring them to places that inspire truly restful silence, then start again.

Then the summer months come, and I open my offer to adults who don't want to choose between improving in English and spending time with their kids.

The truth is, I can do the kid part standing on my head. I love it.

I have almost endless energy for helping other people's kids love speaking English (not quite the same for getting my own to tidy her room).

So this August, alongside my usual adult holidays, I’m offering a special 'Ed Fest' family edition of my no-classroom English coaching holidays in Scotland.

It’s 5 days of nature-based play, crafts, and English learning for you and your family, plus 2 full days blowing off steam at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

Transport, accommodation, activities — I arrange them.
You just need to get here, relax, and start exploring.

Dates:
August 7–14
August 14–21
August 21–28

Curious about whether your family would enjoy something like this? Send me a message and I’ll happily talk you through it.

Address

Crieff

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm
Saturday 9am - 5pm
Sunday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+441764654377

Website

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