Visit Loch Ness Blog » Environment

Wanted – Right Wellie and Glove Shop

AndyH — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 13:53:47 +0000

I've got so many right side wellie boots and gloves now, why cant we go in and buy 1 glove or 1 wellie - after all, usually only one or the other wears out and you have to throw both away. I always think what a shame – we have to throw both away. Some time ago I decided to keep the good ones and see if over time it would work out equal and I could make another pair but now I have a heap of right wellies and gloves.

Years ago when a sock wore out you would darn it but can anyone darn these days ?? Gloves the same – darn it ! Wellie repairs are more difficult but plastic bags on feet has worked for me !!

The throw away society has put an end to all that, but perhaps in the present economic climate we could revive some of the old practices like darning, gardening, cooking, dare I say knitting!

One thing though that is constant and unchanging, whatever the economic climate may be - Loch Ness was beautiful yesterday, is today and will be tomorrow. Now, if I find left wellies and gloves littering Loch Ness in the coming months I will know you have ready the Blog! but we all know litter is very BAD but a thought just struck me, we should lobby the council to provide receptacles around the Loch specially for left and right items, then we could all put the good half of our ruined pairs of things into them for the common good!!

Daydream over, funny how your mind wanders, now – back to work… where is Loch Ness?

Litter louts! at Loch Ness

AndyH — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 20:01:39 +0000

The south Loch Ness Tourist Group and many of the South Loch Ness comunity turned out last Sunday to do a 10 mile litter pick up along the lochside. it was a great day for it too.

Now today we went for a lunchtime walk into the Farigaig pass (beautiful) and passed a Turner-Hire truck with a trailer full of lawn mowers on the back parked in the layby in Inverfarigaig. The guys inside were having their lunch and what a lovely spot to choose.

You probably guessed by now the jist of this post! When we walked back passed where they were having lunch they had gone but had left their lunch rubbish, milk bottles as well chucked all over the floor.

So Mr www.Turner-hire.co.uk if you know who these guys are I hope you would black list them as customers or at the very least give them a lecture about their loutish behaviour, its so easy to just take your litter homeand put it in rubbish bin or better stil the bottles in recycle bins. On SouthLoch Ness side your trucks will from now on be closely monitored!!

United Nations’ International Year of Forests

Fran — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 11:02:11 +0000

New initiatives announced as International Year of Forests welcomed

TREES FOR LIFE
News release For immediate release: Tuesday 11th January 2011

Welcoming 2011 as the United Nations’ International Year of Forests, conservation charity Trees for Life today announced a series of new initiatives in its award-winning work to restore Scotland’s Caledonian Forest, and called on people to take advantage of the year to reconnect with Britain’s forests and woodlands.

Alan Watson Featherstone, Executive Director of Trees for Life, said:
“Forests are very special and important places, for people as well as wildlife. They are often refuges for endangered animals and plants, they help to tackle climate change by soaking up carbon dioxide, and they are inspiring places to visit.

“2011 is an ideal opportunity for people to enjoy visiting forests and woodlands whether for simple walks, wildlife spotting, or just enjoying the peace and quiet. With 2011 also being the European Year of Volunteering, it’s a great time to take practical action through on-the-ground projects such as our Conservation Holiday programme.”

To help people enjoy visits to the Caledonian Forest, in May Trees for Life will open new visitor facilities at its Dundreggan Estate in Glen Moriston near Loch Ness, Inverness-shire. The recent discovery of many rare, endangered and presumed extinct species at Dundreggan has established its reputation as a ‘lost world’ for the Highlands.

Trees for Life hopes that its work in 2011 to expand native woodland on the estate will help to attract red squirrels (Sciurus vulgaris) to Dundreggan. The species has not been recorded on the estate, but is present elsewhere in Glen Moriston, in Forestry Commission Scotland’s Inverwick Forest across the River Moriston, and to the east at Bhlaraidh.

Other plans for Dundreggan include experimental work to establish a population of twinflower (Linnea borealis), a rare flowering plant associated with the Caledonian Forest and a priority for conservation.

Trees for Life has also made a commitment to planting 100,000 trees during 2011, as part of an ongoing pledge to the United Nations Environment Programme’s Billion Tree Campaign. Major milestones this year will include the 20th anniversary of Trees for Life’s first tree planting in April 1991, and also the planting of the charity’s one-millionth tree.

“If every person in Britain were to plant just one tree in 2011, we’d have the equivalent of a large new forest of 60 million trees by year end – that’s the difference we can make in the International Year of Forests. A rewarding way to take part is to come and volunteer with Trees for Life, and plant hundreds of trees yourself,” said Alan Watson Featherstone.

More volunteers will be able to support this work than in any previous year through a programme of 47 Conservation Holiday Weeks, which allow people from all backgrounds and ages to help restore Scotland’s natural heritage at various outstanding locations in the Highlands, alongside a new programme of local volunteer day trips called ‘Green Days Out’.

Today the UK is one of Europe’s least wooded countries, with only four per cent of native woodland cover. In the Highlands, the Caledonian Forest covers just one per cent of its former maximum area.

Through Trees for Life, people can mark the International Year of Forests and their own special occasions by funding dedicated trees and groves. See www.treesforlife.org.uk or call 0845 458 3505. For information on the International Year of Forests see www.un.org/en/events/iyof2011.

/ Ends

Notes to editors
1.   Trees for Life aims to restore the Caledonian Forest to an area of
1,500 square kilometres in the Scottish Highlands west of Inverness.
2.   Since planting its first trees in 1991 in Glen Affric, Trees for Life
has planted over 924,000 trees. Its awards include 1991 UK Conservation Project of the Year, the Millennium Marque in 2000 and Top 10 Conservation Holidays worldwide in 2009.
3.   Trees for Life’s £1.65 million purchase of Dundreggan in 2008 saw the
site become one of the largest areas of land in the UK bought for forest restoration. Subsequent surveys have revealed that the estate is home to over 50 species that are priorities for conservation in the UK’s Biodiversity Action Plan, thereby underlining its importance for conservation.

What is a Loch Ness tree worth?

AndyH — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 00:18:49 +0000

The south Devonshire seaside town of Torbay is to become the first local authority in the UK to put an economic value on every one of its 28,000 trees. Using software developed by the US forest service, the town has surveyed its tree cover and calculated the benefit it brings in terms of pollution being removed from the air and energy saved due to summer shade and slower heat loss in the winter. A similar survey, in New York found that every $1 spent on tree planting brought benefits worth $5.6.

Several years ago, American researchers identified the value of woodlands in flood prevention and water purification. I’ve often wondered what role the woodlands around Loch Ness play in helping to reduce the chance of flooding when heavy rain falls on the surrounding hills. Woodlands can help slow the speed at which rain landing in the surrounding area, flows into the Loch. They can act as a natural flood defence.

Will this continue to change the way we think about the tress and forests around Loch Ness? While many trees were planted with the aim of producing timber, the Loch’s woodlands are providing a natural habitat for wildlife, a first class recreational resource, they are helping to absorb and store carbon and they could be helping to reduce flooding and provide shelter. Loch Ness trees it would seem are quite a valuable resource. One member of destination Loch Ness converted a 90 acre livestock farm into native woodlands which would more than offset their Loch Ness self catering business carbon emissions for many years.

Archie Prentice

www.practically-green.co.uk

Is food waste really waste?

AndyH — Sun, 12 Dec 2010 15:23:42 +0000

As one of the team involved in setting up our local community recycling facility near Loch Ness, I am constantly amazed by the volumes of waste we as a society are producing.

Over 2 million tonnes of food waste is produced every year in Scotland. If just half of this food waste was captured and treated through anaerobic digestion, the electricity generated could power a city the size of Dundee for six months, provide heat for local homes and businesses, and produce enough fertiliser for ten percent of Scotland’s arable crop needs. A hotel in Glasgow recently announced it has become the first city centre hotel to partner a recycling business to recycle food waste into electricity and fertiliser.

While it can be harder for more rural businesses to engage with this new technology, pioneering Loch Ness businesses like the Lovat Hotel at Fort Augustus are already grappling with the issue of food waste. Caroline, who manages the hotel, recently installed a food composting system known as the “The Rocket”, the first one in the Highlands. This turns food waste into compost and avoids it going to land fill where it degrades, producing green house gasses.

As of 2015, not too long away, all food waste will be banned from landfill in Scotland, so expect to see many more waste solutions emerging from innovative accommodation businesses around the Loch.

(note from A) Wouldn’t it be wonderful though if we all stopped being so wasteful with our food, it hurts me to see so much going in the bin.

Archie

www.practically-green.co.uk

And now for the weather

AndyH — Sun, 05 Dec 2010 22:18:44 +0000

A recent article I was reading suggested weather forecasts should have updates on water availability, in a similar way to current updates on pollen levels or air quality. The Wildfowl and Wetlands charity believes this would help improve understanding of water use. People would reduce their water use as they saw river or reservoir levels are running low, rather than waiting for a hosepipe ban for example to be introduced. The reason for this concern is that some parts of England receive less rain than places like Jerusalem, Beirut and Rome. And as populations increase, so the pressure on scarce water supplies will grow.

As I read the article, I was thinking about the water resource we have in Loch Ness. The Loch contains more freshwater than all the lakes in England and Wales and is deeper in places than the North Sea. Not only does the Loch provide an ideal home for its large residents, it is an important leisure resource for boat cruisers and fishermen. It was also home to the UK’s first pumped storage hydro-electric scheme a well as the newest at Glen Doe which when it works at full capacity, will provide power for a quarter of a million homes. What a resource on our doorstep. More about Loch Ness…

Archie
http://www.practically-green.co.uk/

New Power in the Glens

AndyH — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 21:56:14 +0000

Loch Ness was at the forefront of renewable energy production in the late 1800s with the Foyers development being the first large scale hydro development in the UK. During the mid 1900’s some of the rivers feeding into Loch Ness were dammed to help contribute to Scotland’s hydro power resource. Now, at the start of the 21st century, solar, biomass and heat pumps are among the new green technologies being used to heat and power tourist accommodation and attractions around the Loch.

Consumer Focus, the independent consumer champion for Scotland today launched its latest report – Power at Home – Improving consumer access to the benefits of microgeneration. The report highlights the challenges and opportunities for homes and small businesses to engage with microgeneration; generating heat and power at household level using renewable energy sources. Reduced energy bills and green house gas emissions are some of the positive impacts arising from this new technology. Access to impartial information and guidance on suitable technologies and uncertainty about financing the installation of microgeneration equipment are seen as some of the obstacles.

Scotland now has the most ambitious Climate Change Legislation in the world which will lead to more diverse energy production. As energy prices are only going one way – up, with microgeneration, there has never been a better opportunity for the Loch Ness area to be at the forefront of the 21st century energy revolution.

On a local level many businesses and householders are benefiting from Community Trusts grants which are focused on helping properties around Loch Ness become more environmentally friendly, hence the proliferation of Green business around the loch with a high concentration of Green business on South Loch Ness. Visitors can rest assured that tourism business is doing its utmost to create a sustainable tourism industry in this part of the Scottish Highlands.

Author Archie Prentice

www.practically-green.co.uk

Helping the little monsters of Loch Ness

AndyH — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 14:08:37 +0000

The river Moriston flowing through the Glenmoriston Estate on the shore of Loch Ness has an unenviable position as one of the finest spring salmon fishing rivers in the Scotland. These spring salmon tend to be the monsters of the salmon world. They’ve left the river they grew up, negotiated the loch and river Ness and spent several years at sea growing up and putting on weight. These fish can be large and in the past, fish weighing thirty or more pounds would be a regular catch on Scotland’s larger rivers. However the numbers of these giant salmon has been dropping in recent years. Anglers, fishery managers, land mangers and scientists will all have their views why this is so.
The owner of Glenmoriston Estate, Bo Olesen is a keen conservationist and is at the forefront of trying to improve the future prospects for these legendary and important salmon stocks. Over the next 5 years the estate will require anglers to practice what is known as catch and release. This allows anglers to catch fish and record the weight, sex and any important features. The fish are then released to carry on their journey upstream to spawn in the rivers where they had been born. This helps to build up an accurate record of the number and size of fish returning to the river where they spent the first few years of their lives. And as our understanding of climate change and its impact on the salmon nursery streams improves, we will be able to tailor land management to help the survival of Loch Ness’s smaller monsters.
There is some wonderful fishing in the Loch Ness area, whether on the Loch itself or the surrounding hill lochs and rivers. For more information contact one of the local tackle shops, for example Grahams of Inverness or visit the numerous web sites on fishing in Scotland. Of course if yo uare looking for somewhere to stay during your fishing trip where better to look than Visit Loch Ness Accommodation section

Author – Archie www.practically-green.co.uk

Why visitors are helping Loch Ness Environment

AndyH — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 22:37:04 +0000

It is not possible, of course, but I would like to personally thank all the people who, over the last few months, have been so generous in donating to the Destination Loch Ness – Voluntary Payback Scheme, VPS.

The scheme is aimed at raising funds to carry out environmental projects around Loch Ness. It seems to be going down well with visitors and around 50% of them are happy to pay a pound on their hotel bill or, in my case, at Highland Club Scotland a customer, booking accommodation, has an option to donate a pound or five pounds, which is added to their total accommodation charge. About half of all bookers to date have opted to donate – amazing generosity, thank you – every penny will go to worthwhile projects around Loch Ness.

More Visitors than Businesses are Participating in VPS

What I have to say about this though, is that as so many visitors are willing to support this scheme, come on all you, so called, Green Businesses around Loch Ness – get off your backsides and start participating in it too!

We have a whole lot of businesses in our organisation who are members of the Green Business Tourism Scheme, GTBS, In fact we have the highest concentration of GTBS graded businesses than anywhere else in Scotland, but only a few of them are actually participating in the VPS and, on the other hand, some who are not in the GTB scheme are participating! Crazy. To me this suggests that many businesses are in the GTBS just as a marketing tool and not out of any real concern for their environment? Some, like ourselves at the Highland Club, cannot join the GTBS because we are not member of Visit Scotland or the AA! Crazy. This is, or has been, simply because Visit Scotland sponsors the GTBS. We are now told that this may change – not before time.

How does Being Green equate to quality?

There are many, many, many layers of bureaucracy and miles and miles and miles of red tape in our industry but we can cut through all that by just making sure the businesses around Loch Ness and Inverness are all behind us in making our area environmentally sustainable for tourism, just like many of our customers and visitors that come here seem to be so willing to give to, in order to achieve it.

Give business a nudge or a wide berth

Perhaps I should appeal to our visitors to give any business around the loch a nudge – ask the question “Why are you not in the VPS ?” Either that, or give preference to those who are in the scheme, because they are the ones who care enough about our future to at least try to help in a small way.

Visitor Feedback Restore the Loch Ness piers and Jetties

AndyH — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 20:47:26 +0000

As the Destination Management Organisation at Loch Ness we regularly get feedback from visitors like the one I received recently from John.

John is a regular visitor and user of Loch Ness and just wanted to say how delighted he was to see the reinstatement of the Aldourie pier by the owners of Aldourie Castle. He also said how good it would be to see the other redundant piers around the loch improved. Could not agree more John – improving of the piers and jetties around Loch Ness has long been an aspiration of Destination Loch Ness and we are trying, improved piers would be great for visitors, great for tourism and great for the communities. Unfortunately it is an issue fraught with difficulties such as ownership and not least, the costs involved. Piers such as Inverfarigaig and Foyers require a huge amount of work if they are to be restored to their former glory and in some instances it’s not entirely clear who actually owns the pier

Personally I would be happy if we even got one restored – the Inverfarigaig pier. Inverfarigaig pier was built in the early 19th century by Thomas Telford one of Britain’s greatest civil engineers. It is one of the best places to stop and view the vast expanse of Loch Ness.

However Visit Loch Ness is doing great work raising funds to repair and restore our beauty spots and historic treasures around Loch Ness. We have a scheme in its infancy, they call it the Voluntary Payback Scheme, I call it the “keep Loch Ness beautiful” scheme as we do lots of work like annual litter pick ups, lay-by regeneration, path clearing and creation and lots of other work that helps the local environment. So when you plan a visit you may see on your booking form a request to donate a £ to the voluntary payback scheme, please say YES. You might just help to restore another Loch Ness gem.