Quick Explainer: DECADES OF INCONSIDERATE PARKING ARE THE ROOT CAUSE OF NECESSARY PARKING UPGRADES

Balbirnie House has now delivered £100,000 of investments into upgrades across the entire span of our parking portfolio. 

As we have moved through the phased introduction, we have delivered a Trilogy of blog articles, introducing the new systems, explaining the further future potentials of additional investment up to £350,000 - as well as an extremely comprehensive summary of the problems we have previously contended with, across decades of inconsiderate parking. Should you wish to read the Trilogy, you can access that via this link. 

This new blog is a very quick explainer. 

Drone image credit: The Kilted Photographer

Balbirnie House sits as a truly stunning 1777 heritage asset for Scotland, as the focal centrepiece of the 400 acre Balbirnie Park. Over the recent decades Balbirnie Park itself has become a popular tourism destination, and from 2023 onwards is set to become even more popular, with destination visiting and stopover status defined on the brand new Fife 191 driving route. Balbirnie Park is destination 18 https://www.fife191.com/map

Our car parks are privately owned by Balbirnie House Hotel Ltd. We need to retain all parking for our hotel guests, and those who are using our ten brand new electric vehicle chargers. 

In 2023 we saw Balbirnie House receiving Haute Grandeur recognition, and very extensive media coverage, Best Wedding Hotel in the world, for the 4th time. 

Balbirnie House is also Scotland's 2024 National Wedding Hotel of the Year. This is the 15th time this award has been received in 17 years. 

In these contexts Balbirnie House is now the most celebrated wedding venue on Planet Earth. As we are sure anyone can agree, we need to retain sufficient parking spaces all year round, for our tens of thousands of arriving wedding guests. As well as all guests who are visiting for dining, overnight stays, celebrations and private and corporate events. 

In all contexts of post-pandemic trading, we are seeing increases not only in the volume of enquiries we have for future special events, but as a generality the numbers of guests physically attending events has gone up as well. 

We only have 100+ parking spaces, within which we need to retain spaces for everyone working here as well. It is therefore absolutely common sense, that in the first instance we need to retain all parking areas for our guests. 

We also highlight that beautiful Balbirnie Park is a vibrant destination for all sorts of recreational activities. The park itself also includes a stunning 18 hole golf course.

With all evolving progress, in 2023 Balbirnie House made significant investments and introduced state-of-the-art technology across the entire span of parking portfolio, primarily to ensure that we retain sufficient and convenient parking spaces for all guests who are visiting our hotel. So as to assist with this, parking charges are applicable. 

With sustainability to the fore, we also introduced a set of ten pre-reservable electric vehicle chargers, which have capability to deliver 8 million miles per year, of clean electric driving.

With our kindest regards, 

Nicholas 

MD Balbirnie House

ARE YOU POPPING THE QUESTION? 2024 Marvellous Midweek £79.95 per wedding guest

Blog update 22.12.2023 

We have just gone live over on our main twitter/ X with the following celebratory offer, it is the first time in history that we are creating scope for five future sets of wedding clients, to take over Balbirnie House in entirety for a 2024 wedding, without our usual £2,500 Exclusive Use fee applicable. This takes Marvellous Midweek, to a totally unprecedented level of value, for midweek dates with a minimum of 70 overnight guests. 

Tweets: 

In celebration of becoming Scotland's 2024 national Wedding Hotel of the Year (for 15th annual time), in 2024 we are going to offer five wedding dates for Marvellous Midweek wedding packages, on an Exclusive Use basis, WITHOUT APPLYING EXCLUSIVE USE CHARGES (normally £2,500)

 

NB All bedrooms occupied on the night of the special day. Exclusive Use is applicable from 12 noon (on the day of the wedding, until checkout 11am the day afterwards) First come first served! To enquire about available dates or indeed to reserve today E: leah@balbirnie.co.uk

Pre wedding dinners and pre wedding accommodation subject to availability.

Romance on another level @BalbirnieHouse If you are thinking of Popping the Question, and wish to provisionally hold a date in the meantime, in anticipation of the answer to the question being a Yes? Of course, we can hold you a date provisionally! E: leah@balbirnie.co.uk

And here is that new package on five dates. Based on 70 adult day guests: 

Original blog: 

The 2022 calendar year was our busiest ever year in history for weddings, on 194 days we had wedding celebrations taking place. One reason it was so incredibly busy, was attributed to the fact that so many couples had previously needed to shift dates, due to the pandemic. Sometimes then shifting, again and again. 

On our blog we've highlighted before, how our wedding planning department managed that challenge, as it was the most amazing hospitality we have ever seen delivered via Balbirnie House, due to the scale of the challenge, the logistics, and all emotions involved. 

Thank goodness we have now reverted back to logistical normality in 2023. 

The moving of wedding dates is not always a straightforward thing to do, especially if a client needs to make reservations for accommodation on nights on either side of the wedding day itself. 

Through 2023 we saw a marginal reduction in wedding dates, taking place on over 170 amazing days, still somewhat busier than we were accustomed to seeing before, in the years before the lockdowns. 

Truly remarkably, we will start 2024 however, with our wedding diary already even busier than in 2023. An accumulating history of Memories are Made of This 💖

There is absolutely no doubt, that we are seeing so many future wedding bookings, because of the globally unprecedented circumstances of seeing Balbirnie House becoming defined as Best Wedding Hotel in the World, for the fourth time in 2023. 

When it published, the breaking news story, went straight to Most Read news story in Scotland: 

Being defined as The Most Celebrated Wedding Venue on Planet Earth is certainly a huge task for our entire hotel to live up to on a daily basis. All we can look to do is keep evolving, keep delivering flawless event planning, and keep approaching everything as one very special day at a time. In a wedding context, if you wish to become a part of this incredible history, then please do contact us to arrange a visit. 

What we are now wondering, is how many additional 2024 midweek dates will now be reserved for weddings in the weeks and months ahead? (We do have a few Sundays available as well.) 

It is always the same every year, in that the romance of the festive season always deliver the most popping of questions. So, who is getting married? 

Because of the sheer scale of festive engagements, January is usually our busiest month of the year, for new wedding enquiries and prospective new client show rounds. 

Some couples are so very obviously so excited about getting married after they have become engaged, that they simply cannot wait to proceed. In the context of Balbirnie House, with most key wedding dates already booked for weddings or otherwise with the hotel already fully booked for accommodation, many couples opt instead to reserve midweek dates, within the next year. Certainly during the summer months, we can see wedding celebrations taking place here 7 days per week.

From experience at Balbirnie House over 3 decades and more, there is something I can certainly highlight. If couples are originally considering weekend dates 'so that wedding guests will be off work anyway', well ... when midweek dates are reserved instead, we have never ever heard of wedding guests (in these circumstances) not choosing to attend the wedding. What actually happens is that the wedding simply proceeds as it would have done on a weekend date, but it brings the added benefit of very significantly better value for money. (Balbirnie House has always offered flexi-pricing depending on time of year, and day of week.)

We underline, to a certain extent flexi-pricing depending on day of week may also be applicable across the span of some of your wedding suppliers as well. 

When our wedding planning team revised and updated annual wedding literature (applicable 1st May 2024 onwards), they have therefore defined scope for 'Marvellous Midweek', with pricing at £79.95 per wedding guest

If I may be so bold as to say so, I personally feel that this particular package, given what is included, represents the absolute best value-for-money that exists across the span of weddings in Scotland. And I say that in the contexts of Balbirnie House now defined for the 15th annual time in 17 years, as Scotland's 2024 National Wedding Hotel of the Year. 

Very specifically as well, we continue our midweek tradition of delivering preferential wedding accommodation pricing, from £120 per double room. We can assure you, that this is a very, Very attractive proposition for all guests who wish to stay. 

Here is the list of what is included within Marvellous Midweek: 

Our wedding literature is downloadable via our website.

To arrange an appointment to visit Balbirnie House, please E: leah@balbirnie.co.uk 

Our history has been created by delivering one very special day at a time. Please do come along and visit, showing prospective new wedding clients around the house is always amongst the most special parts of what we do. Marvellous Midweek! 💖

All best wishes, 

Nicholas 

MD Balbirnie House 

Scottish Hotel Awards 2023 - 'Welcome to The Most Celebrated Wedding Venue on Planet Earth!' 🐐

How time flies in Hospitality! There we were what feels like literally a moment ago, back in 2019 attending our last awards night dinner for The Scottish Hotel Awards. (Following the March 2020 pandemic lockdown, the 2020 awards were presented in an online format.) What a journey we have been on since then, on the Balbirnie rollercoaster. Lockdown, a well documented £1M financial hit, Brexit's profoundly negative implications for hospitality, very significant food and beverage price increases, a tripling of gas and electric energy costs, interest rates through the roof, removal of rates relief (whilst England continued), and vat today back at an extortionate 20%! Against all of this, the never-ending task of re-investing back into the fabric of Balbirnie House continues, as an ongoing necessity. 

Similarly, the ongoing endeavour to always deliver as much value-for-money for all visitors to Balbirnie House. As an example, a summer 2023 pint of in our Millennium Ballroom £5.95 🍺👍 - significantly less than many venues elsewhere.

My very lovely wife Gaynor and I in Balbirnie's front hall, about to head to Glasgow for the 2023 Scottish Hotel awards: 

It's great to see the annual awards re-establish for 2023, and all results are now live on the official website. Without doubt THE night of the year for Scotland's hotel sector. 

Whilst over recent years we have very sadly seen many hotels not being able to afford to continue operating, the night itself this year, in many ways, was a celebration of the very existence of the 2020 - 2023 designated survivors of Scotland's hotel sector. 

Reflecting on history, it has always been a very difficult set of decisions, as regards who within the entire Balbirnie brigade should be attending the awards and representing what we do. Usually very significantly enhanced by official mid year updates, and extremely personalised judge visits and assessments. 

At the most intense in our history, back in 2016 judge David Welch made five visits, and collated an entire ring binder file on all aspects of what we do, some 400 photographs, personal interviews, and a detailed appraisal of our company margins and accounts. That ongoing process led to Balbirnie House becoming Scotland's 2016 National Hotel of the Year, certainly a career-defining accolade for our entire hotel brigade. 

It was previously my tradition that on the bus on the way to each awards night, (and a massive thanks as always to Capercaillie Travel), that I take the opportunity to say a few words to my 11 fellow work colleagues. In my hands as I spoke this year, were strips of golden glitter which I have kept from the 2016 stage cannon! 

There were 3 distinct themes for my chat this year. 

1. The first truly massive award we received for weddings, first decade of this century, The VOWS Industry award, absolute pinnacle for the entire Scotland wedding sector. '500 guests in attendance, you could have heard a pin drop in the seconds before that final stage announcement of the night!'

2. How incredible it was 2 weeks ago, to visit London for The Independent Hotel Show, and to stay for the first time as a hotel guest, and as a returning former member of staff, at the legendary and iconic hotel where I started my career 39 years ago. I am of course talking of Claridge's. 'The tiling in the front hall remains the same today, otherwise over the years every single square foot of the hotel has been re-thought, re-worked, re-interpreted, re-designed. It is a hospitality lesson to us all on the importance of never-ending change, without ever losing sight of where we've come from. 

3. And then. 'We know we are on shortlist for potentially winning for the 15th time this year, for the biggest wedding award for Scotland's hotel sector. If we are indeed successful tonight, and adding to the fact that we have now seen 8 best-in world Hospitality awards from Haute Grandeur global hotel awards, including Best Wedding Hotel in the World for the 4th time in 2023, then I am calling it, every single future prospective new future wedding client can be welcomed upon arrival with the brand new phrase, 'Welcome to the most celebrated wedding venue on Planet Earth!' Nice one Scotland! 🐐

For the record, Haute Grandeur deployed research teams years ago, to establish if there was any other hotel in any other country, which had seen wedding recognition in their own country, in any way whatsoever aligned to what Balbirnie House has seen here in Scotland. They could not find any comparable circumstance, as it does not exist. 

It's always cool to keep things somewhat reserved and under-stated, under-promise and over-deliver always works well, but the incredible accumulation of awards history is certainly what it now is. 

And I remember reading somewhere years ago, that if a youthful Lord 'The Apprentice' Alan Sugar was selling trainers out the back of his van in a London market, his sale sign would state 'TRAINERS FOR SALE!' So, with Balbirnie's awards in comparison, it is what it now is! 

Balbirnie's hotel brigade were the recipient of five awards this year, here goes: 

Drinks upon arrival: 

Bars Manager Sean Van Der Westhuizen DRINKS PASSION AND SERVICE. In 2023 Sean is helping oversee drinks purchasing, continuing to evolve and refine new emerging capabilities for cocktails, as well as looking after all bar systems and bar team. 

Head Chef Sharon Munro received CHEF MEDAILLE D'OR. With a history at Balbirnie House all the way back to 2004, and as at 2021 stepping into the role of Head Chef as the first female to do so in our history, this was a very, very emotional award for all of us to be there to see. So incredibly well deserved and a truly wonderful inspiration for all girls (and boys!) heading into professional kitchens today. 

Executive Chef Kris Currie, REGIONAL WINNER EXECUTIVE CHEF OF THE YEAR. In 2023 Kris is overseeing food purchasing of £550k cost, all aspects of environmental compliance, addressing sustainability for the future, and new focusses in procurement. 

Our professionally-photographed online banqueting compendium was a first for the wedding sector. Kris was the culinary director for 2021 and 2022's 7 course Orangery dinner evolution, and in early 2023 initiated an absolutely wonderful start for The Grill @ The Orangery, which includes our 3 course The Modern Age menu, Scotland as never seen before! 

The Grill @ The Orangery, REGIONAL WINNER SCOTLAND'S HOTEL RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR. The judge assigned to appraise Balbirnie's Orangery this year, was the immensely experienced Consultant Chef Ian McAndrew, who was the youngest ever recipient of a Michelin star way back in 1980! 

When we think about 2023 specifically, we are looking to deliver the many favourites of a wonderful Grill focussed on Scotland's finest Josper oven charcoal-grilled steaks, and The Modern Age menu is a truly great totally standalone compliment for this. The point being, amongst the 2023 cost-of-living crisis, we have blended Grill traditions with practicality and commercial viability, and then brought a totally new innovation with The Modern Age. 

The Modern Age? Very arguably our best dish result thus far, here is the Kris Currie and Head Pastry Chef Neil Dunlop take on a 2023 Deep-Fried Mars Bar: 

Image credit Rachel Gillies of Lifetime Photography

The Modern Age was inspired at outset by the truly epic Chef's Table series on Netflix. 

Balbirnie's 2023 Restaurant award with Head Chef Sharon Munro, and Lewis McNab who is heading up our 2024 front-of-house Orangery team: 

And so, once again on an awards night we then arrive at 2023's wedding hotel awards! Hundreds of hoteliers momentarily go into a hush, and there it is. 

Drum roll please. 🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁 And that's 15 for Balbirnie House!!! 

The appraisal for 2023 Wedding Hotel of the year was from judge Laura Coventry. As well as considering all aspects of what we are working with for weddings in 2023, Laura also visited for an incognito overnight stay (under a different assumed name), part of which included experiencing a personal property show round from our wedding planning team, with a view to holding a (theoretical) future wedding. That appointment was with Leah Kinnes below, who joined our wedding planning team direct from school, at age 16, nine years ago. 

And back to work at Balbirnie House we then go! 

The 2023 calendar year has been tremendously busy for weddings at Balbirnie House, and from our confirmed future diaries, 2024 is already looking even busier. One very special day at a time, onwards and into the future. 

In terms of weddings, October 2023 has been our busiest ever October for the future, with 21 weddings booked. Memories are Made of This!

With our sincere gratitude to everyone involved with re-establishing The Scottish Hotel awards, our brigade past and present, our customers and our suppliers. 

All best wishes in hospitality, 

Nicholas 

MD Balbirnie House 

Balbirnie House 2023 Haute Grandeur awards. Becomes Most Read news story via The National!

It has been absolutely incredible to see such amazing media coverage for the Balbirnie House 2023 Haute Grandeur awards. 

After more than 3 decades at Balbirnie House, I've certainly been having a very good think over recent weeks, about all of this accumulating history. 

It is very clearly the case now, that we can reflect on what has been a truly jaw-dropping history of providing the backdrop for a staggering amount of celebrations over the years. And that prompts the new thought, that actually, Balbirnie simply resonates now with that actual history. If only the walls could talk! Those who are visiting for celebrations today can perhaps sense what has transpired before within these very walls? 

I have actually started mentioning if ever appropriate to do so when I meet prospective future new wedding clients, which is NB always the most special part of my working week, that 'I think it is fair to say that per square foot Balbirnie House has partied harder, and celebrated more, than any other hotel in the land!' I don't think that can be disputed LOL. 

What is also so very true today as well however, that no matter what Balbirnie's brigade past and present has delivered with accumulated award history, we can only ever be judged on what we are delivering today, and every new day ahead. Our endeavors in hospitality continue, one very special day at a time. 

Our sincere thanks to Lauren Dall of Dall communications, for sending out the official 2023 press release. 

First to publish, was The Courier: 

Balbirnie House Hotel named world’s best wedding hotel for fourth time

Then onwards to the red tops, via The Sun! 

ON TOP OF THE WORLD 

Scots hotel voted best wedding hotel in the WORLD

Across Twitter/ X via The Scottish Tourism Alliance: 

And into The National, where the breaking Balbirnie House news went straight to becoming Most Read story!!!

Scottish hotel named best wedding hotel in the world

Onwards via Deadline News Agency. 

Scots hotel wins World's Best Wedding Hotel for fourth time

And then into international release via Yahoo! 

Scottish hotel named world’s best wedding hotel four years in a row

To USA coverage via The Clayton County Register: 

Balbirnie House Hotel Wins Fourth Consecutive Haute Grandeur Award

The 2023 press release focussed with headline perspective on the main wedding award. We were so very honoured and humbled as well, to receive Best Country Hotel in the world as well!!! 

On behalf of my very lovely wife Gaynor and I, Balbirnie House company directors, a very special thanks once again to Rachel Gillies of Lifetime Photography. 

And on behalf of our entire hotel brigade, all best wishes from Balbirnie House. 

All best wishes, 

Nicholas 

Nicholas Russell

MD Balbirnie House

E: nicholas@balbirnie.co.uk 

New menu!!! THE MODERN AGE arrives at Balbirnie House

That's us just finished our first week with new menu The Modern Age, so I thought I'd put pen to paper to tell you a bit more about it. We are absolutely delighted to have had such amazing guest feedback over this first week. 

Two months ago I was drafting some Modern Age introductory chat for the menu, but approaching launch date I thought I'd restrict the wording. But then again, when I saw it actually set out on the menu and formatted, I thought it could stay as is. 

Here we go: 

Chef's Table series on Netflix is a very extensive six Emmy-nominated seasons of documentaries, meeting culinary stars around the world who are redefining food with innovative dishes and tantalizing desserts. I watched every episode whilst indoor cycling on my Wattbike, and I was certainly truly riveted to the screen! 

In so many cases, there were also so many recurring stories of hardship, endurance, and perseverance. People who have resolutely stuck by their own creative beliefs and innovation, in many cases almost to the point of financial challenges necessitating potential give up and closure. Until eventually however, and sometimes after years, there was a sudden circumstance that totally changed the game, perhaps just via one single dish. A surprise visit and recognition from a very influential food writer, for example. And then boom, A Tipping Point creates and delivers something that then becomes in hospitality terms, unstoppable. In multiple cases then going onwards to create recognition within Planet Earth's Top 50 restaurants. 

And then we have those who discover something by accident, or by having arrived at a new point simply by taking a course of evolution. El Bulli's mollecular gastronomy delivering something that looks like an olive, and is filled with olive juice, but is not at olive. Milkshakes infused with the flavour of cereal, who doesn't like that delicious cold milk at the bottom of the Frosties bowl? Or how about Central restaurant in Lima, Peru - which focusses on creating dishes which each originates from the country's massively differing ecosystems, and heights above sea level. 

So amongst all of this, I am thinking about Balbirnie's past, and future. Over my 3 decades + in the hot seat, I've had the honour of working alongside multiple of Scotland's most accomplished Executive Chefs. The most successful of these in terms of continuity (eg each  here for 5 or 6 years), Ian MacDonald, Alan Gibb, Mark Lindsey, they always managed to find many new ways to do things, albeit without losing sight of where we've come from. 

So that then led to the start of conversations with today's Executive Chef Kris Currie. In April 2023 we had finished a multiple season run of Seven by Balbirnie, a regularly changing 7 course set menu. There have very obviously been massive changes across the span of hospitality, coupled with very significant increases in food costs, huge increases in energy costs, all amongst a cost-of-living crisis. Our next evolution took us therefore to The Grill @ The Orangery, and within this we also initiated a great value 3 course multiple choice menu as well. 

So, we then decided to take the 3 course menu, and align it directly to The Modern Age, as a celebration of Scotland's culinary past, present and future - sometimes extending a long time back, reinterpreting, deconstructing, taking Scotland's incredible natural larder of today, and the capabilities that new methods and new equipment have also brought over recent years. This all to be in a regularly changing offer, with the team focussed collectively and creatively on evolving new dishes together. 

All designed for a great night out at Balbirnie House. 

We certainly wished to keep fabulous affordability to the fore, and NB The Modern Age sits alongside our main menu for The Grill at The Orangery, Scotland's finest steaks cooked on the mighty Josper Grill - legend of charcoal gastronomy, with sauces and sides as per this image: 

Here goes then, with the first menu for The Modern Age. And our sincere thanks to Rachel Gillies of Lifetime Photography for these lovely pro images. 

STARTERS

"Partan Bree" (crab brew, originally from the North East of Scotland) Brandied crab bisque, katy Rodgers crème fraiche, shellfish oil, saffron & chive Bannocks

Cock a Leekie Terrine Chargrilled syboes, crispy leeks, prune, peppered chicken Jus

Salt Baked Beetroots apple, pickled celeriac, pecans, beetroot tuille 

 

MAINS

Venison Haggis Pan-fried venison, venison meatball, clapshot, pickled neeps, burnt onion granola, bilberry jus

North Sea Hake Dulse butter, chicken skin, Shetland mussel gratin 

Herb Gnocchi Pumpkin, wild mushroom, nettle pesto, granola, parmesan

DESSERTS

“A not so Hot Toddie” (Hot toddy is a warming drink combining water, whiskey, honey and lemon juice. It is often drank as a nightcap and traditionally taken as a remedy to help ease the symptoms of colds and flu) Condensed milk cake, lemon curd, Glenfiddich & vanilla crowdie, almond, heather honey ice cream 

Ecclefechan Tart Sailor Jerry’s Rum & Maple ice cream

Where did the wording of 'The Modern Age' come from? 

How we were creating and delivering such consistency and innovation previously with Seven. Netflix. Evolution. A recognition of the massive underlying culinary talents of Executive Chef Kris Currie, Head Chef Sharon Munro, together with Neil Dunlop heading up all aspects for pastry and desserts. Then and now. Now and the future. Something slightly edgy, something that says exactly what it is, something that enables us all to say 'here we are celebrating our country, our culture, our origins and traditions', something that is a lot of fun, something that is joyful and happy, something that can accelerate our dining offer chef, straight into .... the here and now, straight into The Modern Age! That's basically how the conversation went. And I think we're onto something we can really evolve and work with, because the chef and I certainly couldn't stop smiling when we were talking about it! 

The Modern Age is available of course, in addition to our Orangery, on Balbirnie's Chef's Table as well. In tribute to Netflix! 

(Reservations and menus via our website. )

All best wishes in hospitality, 

Nicholas 

MD Balbirnie House 

Copenhagen 2023. SIX IRONMAN FINISHES IN THE FIFTIES

Joining our amazing, local friendly and inclusive Glenrothes Triathlon Club a decade ago at age 46 was a life-changing event. Some club members do one or two of the three sports, swim, bike, run. Annual membership is £25 - what are you waiting for? 

Copenhagen is arguably the happiest city in the world, in the world’s happiest country, what a happy place for an Ironman race! Step into the Scandinavian arena!

If you are new to Ironman and reading this blog, it's a 3.8km swim, then a 180km cycle, then a 42.2km marathon, all sections are timed, if you fall behind the cutoff time at any point you are classified as DNF Did Not Finish. In most circumstances for those who participate, the preparations take years.

(The Ironman organisation are having technical issues with releasing 2023 timing summaries for Copenhagen, we were told that 2,900 had registered, and it's seemingly the case that less than 2,000 finished? This would mean DNS Did Not Start and DNF are above 30%, but less than last year's combined DNS/ DNF of 39.5% - I will amend this section of blog when official results publish.)

UPDATE 11.9.2023 - 1556 Male Finishers, 323 Female Finishers results now live. 

Thoughts especially with Messrs Stuvemark and Mochizuki who missed the finish line by 1 second and 3 seconds respectively. 

As we were told over the tannoy at the swim start that there were 2,900 athletes initially registered this year, from 67 countries. With 1,888 finishers before the 14 hour 45 mins deadline, that gives a DNS/ DNF rate of = 34.9% (last year was higher, at 39.5%)

Since finishing the Austria 2023 Ironman two months ago, in the interim my ‘normal preparation and conditioning’ was disrupted so-to-say initially by recovery time from Austria, and then by having a two week holiday in Spain in July. When in Spain, I ran 8 to 10km every morning before sunrise, and was swimming open water in the sea every day. No cycling though. 

Normally I would increase training in the 8 to 4 weeks out from the event, up to say 20 hours per week. This time around I didn’t do that, I just held it at 10 to 12 hours a week, and then had 6 days off before the race. 

Not sure if tourist-walking 30km the day before an Ironman is best advised, but caught up in the magic of Copenhagen that’s what happened. Also managed to get a good roasting of sunburn as well. What a place!

Registering the day before. Every time you do an Ironman they give you an Ironman bag. Including the one I got for the Edinburgh half Ironman, and one extra last year, I now have 8 in total! More Ironman bags than my wife has handbags LOL!

Signing the 2023 competitor wall: 

And so to the day itself. 4.30am wakeup. Breakfast then half an hour in the hotel lobby, breathing, relaxing, visualising. Timing chip on left ankle, so it won’t get caught in the bike’s chain on the right. One switch stop on the urban train and I am at Amager Strandpark beach lagoon for 6.30am. Final check on all kit, and bring the bike tyres to the right pressure. Wouldn’t want to be any later, they lock the bike areas at 7am! Breathe. 

On goes the wet suit. I spray my slimline AquaSphere mask with the magic stuff that keeps it crystal clear in the water, rinse it and put it on. Ear buds to help remove end of swim dizziness. Swim hat goes over the google straps, so the googles don’t come off if I get kicked on the head by other swimmers, which has happened twice before.

Into the water swim warmup zone. Water temp 20.4 degrees. Check the mask tightness is just so. Water now between wetsuit and skin, water warms against the skin. We are now ready. Breathe. 

Into the 7.20 to 7.30am swim start line. I cannot believe how lucky I am to be here, and in this moment once again. The clock ticks. Every 5 seconds the buzzer gives a buzz, and 6 competitors are released into the swim. 

‘I am One with The Force and The Force is With Me!’. Everything is absolutely calm. I very VERY purposefully restrain my heart beat and blood pressure. Relax. 

Buzz. I run into the water, dive in and we are Game On.

The only thing I will now focus on is breathing. Set the swim tempo to the rate of breathing. Relax, let all the training kick in. 

It's quite a technical swim. 6 turns and 4 bridges to swim through, and very regular sighting ahead required. I can say that in the training pool I now have my Total Immersion swim technique working very nicely indeed, but out here in the open water surrounded by so many other swimmers, there's a lot more to think about! 

The next thing I will think of after starting, is only about getting to the first swim bhuoy 300 metres away. When I get there, I will say to myself, ‘Congratulations on getting to this bit, now all we need to do is get to the next marker’. One small stage at a time, because if you contemplate the enormity of the entire 140.6 miles ahead that’s possibly too much! 

The Danish sea water doesn't seem as salty as it is in Spain. Funny that. 

The water is clear enough to see everything below. So I can see how fast I am going. Lots of sea reeds, I rake my hands through them all, no panic. The reeds are all over my face, I roll side to side to shake them off. No worries!

It’s overcast and raining. Hadn’t budgeted for that. My mask is tinted, would have been better vision this morning with a clear lens. *makes a note* 

3.8km swim done in an hour and a half, quick transition and onto the bike. I am now 50 minutes ahead of the cutoff time. We head north on closed slippy wet roads through Copenhagen city centre. The competitor cycling directly in front of me at near 30km per hour, a disastrous lapse in concentration, his front wheel clips a small traffic cone in the middle of the road, and bang down he goes with a sickening crash onto the tarmac. Sair yin. A stark reminder about keeping 100% focus on safety. 

What’s at stake on the fastest cycle sections? Put your swim outfit on, get in your car, drive on the motorway, open the car door and jump out. That, is what is at stake if you get things wrong. 

Smile your way around!

Two cycling loops in stunning rolling countryside north of the city. 112miles (180kms) averaging nearly 30km per hour. I overtook 140 other competitors during the cycle. 

On loop 2, ACDC 'Highway to Hell' blasting out their sound system, and I am up through the supporters funnel a full hour ahead of the designated cutoff time. Good. 

The cycle stage completes in 6 and a quarter hours. Arrive back into Copenhagen centre, 1 hour and 15 mins ahead of cutoff. 

It’s now 3.45pm, on go the running shoes and running cap, and the marathon begins. Not feeling great, I have to say. Beginnings of the feelings of leg cramp. Nausea and hungry at the same time, yet unable to eat. But - Time is now on my side. 

Thousands and thousands of spectators. They can see competitor names on each person’s Bib. Person after person shouting eg ‘C’mon Nicholas, you got this!’ ‘C’mon Nicholas, go Go GO!!!’ I am going as fast as I can! 

Coming into the scenic iconic 17th century waterside legend that is Nyhavn, my very lovely wife Gaynor is there. So I stop and chat. Gaynor has seen me near delirious on these occasions, so I am keen to convey that all things considered I’m doing fine. 

My two youngest daughters Isobel and Ruby are there an hour later. Another stop for a wee chat. A kiss and a cuddle from a sweaty Ironman! By this point, every single competitor who is still in this race has a Triathlon suit that is soaked with visible salt stains. Loss of salt causes cramp, I counter this with an electrolyte pill, one on the bike, two on the run. 

Time is on my side. I back off and settle into turbo walking at 8mins 30secs per kilometre. I cover some sections quicker. But on the clock I don’t now need to cover sections any quicker when my goal, is simply to complete. Enjoy a very, very fast long walk! 

Many of the 140 folk who I overtook on the cycle earlier (if indeed they are still in the event), are no doubt now running past me! Never mind, time is on my side. Keep the energy, keep the focus. 

The marathon consists of four 10km+ city centre loops, each time you loop you get a different colour of wrist band. Photo below, about to collect the final one, which is blue! 

We've now been on the go since dawn, and those of us still on the course are heading into golden hour. What a day, what an occasion. 

I have zero doubt writing today a week later, that I could have covered the 2023 Copenhagen marathon section at least an hour faster, if I had shifted into perpetual running, having done most of my recent training in the 6min 30 to 7 minute intended zone. 

But what I don’t know, is if I would have been able to cross the finish line at all if I had done that. Aye, check yourself before you wreck yourself. Each to their own in this fine balancing act. Look after yourself. Keep moving. This sights, the views, the crowds, what a place. Take those sensory snaps my lad, it’s now a part of you. 

18 kilometres or so out from the finish line I am joined on the ongoing turbo walk by fellow competitor Matt, a music teacher from Southampton. He says, 'You look like you are totally on a timing mission, if that is the case do you mind if I join you, I have £2,000 charity funds at stake for a children's hospital, and I must make the finish line'. We had a great chat for the next two hours. 500 metres to go, 'On you go Matt, go ahead and take your finish!' 

A few seconds later, I am up the Christiansborg Palace Square, red carpet finish line: 

Crossed the finish line in 14 hours 5 mins, with an hour and 40 mins spare. Job done. (Normal Ironman 17 hour cutoff deadline is reduced to 15 hours 45 mins for Copenhagen) 

The 2023 Copenhagen result:

- Ties the Glenrothes Triathlon Club (GTC) record for the number of successful Ironman finishes. The record of 6 finishes has been held by Doug Stewart after Ironman Wales 2022. 

- The first ever GTC Ironman six finishes-in-a-row, for any club member in their fifties. 

- The first time any GTC member has finished Ironman Austria four times, and Copenhagen twice.

- The first time any GTC member has completed three Ironman events in the age group 55 - 59. 

- I'll need to have it verified, but I think Copenhagen 2023 might be the fastest swim split, and fastest bike split for any GTC member in their fifties. All these different age categories, such is the joy of Triathlon. 

- Finish time is a new Personal Record, by 6 minutes.

Thank you for the Memories Copenhagen 2023, the City of Happiness. 

All best wishes, 

Nicholas

Ironman Class of 2023