Letter from the Chief
Personal Arms of Munro of Foulis
Dear Clansmen & Clanswomen
Well over two years have passed since I last wrote a letter for the website and we have only now just about finished tidying up after the October 2006 storms. The final bit of landscaping consisting of planting a new avenue at the back of the Castle leading up to Foulis Mains reseeding the verges and resurfacing the roadway with tarmacadam was completed in late April and is already beginning to blend in. We chose trees which will be much smaller when mature this time, white barked Himalayan birch (betula jaquemonti) and yellow autumn fruiting rowan or mountain ash (sorbus joseph rock) planted in a double avenue so hopefully future generations will not have the same agony of removing them after a storm in 200 years time. Most of the big hardwoods that fell in the storm ended up being sold for firewood for next to nothing.
The response from Clan members to Sarah’s memorial broadleaf tree planting initiative has been excellent and several hundred trees were planted this Spring, although thanks to the very dry early summer I fear some of these may have to be replanted this autumn. We planted more than 25,000 forest trees, (Scots Pine and Sitka Spruce) this year on Foulis and I estimate at this stage that we will probably have to replace 30%.
Having had our International Gathering in 2007 the Council of CM(A) decided that
to ask Clansfolk to respond in a big way to Visit Scotland’s (the official Scottish
tourist promotion organisation) Homecoming 2009 for which there has been a great
deal of hype and little or no consultation with the Clan organisations was just too
much to ask. For some Clans it fitted in with their regular Gatherings and they were
no doubt there in Edinburgh in force. We were delighted to see Munros both individual
and groups who made the trip and contacted either my mother or I in advance. Otherwise
we had a table in the Clan Tent at the City of Inverness Highland Games on 18-
Although we as an Association did not arrange anything for the main Edinburgh Homecoming
2009 event, Jean Munro and Sir Ian Munro of Foulis-
On the Association front, our excellent and long serving Hon. Treasurer, Mrs Isma Munro decided to retire at the end of 2008 after many years of stalwart service. Having failed earlier in the year to identify a replacement, Isma very kindly agreed to continue for one more year. At the time of writing I am in contact with a Munro living in the neighbourhood who I hope to be able to announce shortly has agreed to take on the task of keeping the Clan Munro (Association) books and helping with the membership records.
Our Hon. Editor Alex Munro-
On the family front we are all in good health. In October 2008 my wife Sarah’s 96 year old mother came to live with us but sadly passed away in March. She had suffered from ill health for several years and it was heart breaking to see her deteriorate but we were glad and privileged to have her with us during her final few months.
Farming continues to be a volatile and unpredictable business. This year’s malting barley prices have plunged by a third compared with 2008, due in part to an increase in World grain stocks, partly to a decrease in demand for world wheat and in part to a global drop in whisky consumption, particularly in the bourgeoning economies of the Far East brought on by the current recession. At the same time one of our main inputs, fertiliser based on wholesale gas prices, more than doubled in cost in less than twelve months and now fuel prices appear to be on the rise once more. At least interest rates are at an all time low! Livestock farmers in this part of the world do seem to be having a better time of it, long overdue it has to be said. But in general if you want to be successful a successful businessman, most people in this profession would agree do not be a farmer.
November 2009
Hector W. Munro of Foulis
