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.

To answer another question from a golfing visitor.
How do I ship my golf clubs to Scotland?
It seems this is a question frequently asked by golfers and one which I have never given any thought to, especially as I don’t play golf! But yes, I guess most keen golfers get attached to their clubs and just like fishermen and other outdoor sports enthusiasts want to take their own fishing rods, golf clubs etc. with them on holiday. Now I think about it, golfers must feel daunted by the prospect of getting through airports with a golf bag in tow!
Luckily I was talking to a Loch Ness local who, as an ex-cabin crew member and ex-LHR ground staff and ex-wife of a PGA golf caddie, offered the following advice which may be of help!

Golf clubs are usually checked in at the check-in desk. They are specially labelled and the baggage handlers take them separately. For the flight they get put in the ‘forward hold’ (which is a smaller hold) to avoid damage. A good quality bag does go a long way to keep them from damage. They come out on the carousel at your destination, unless told otherwise. The BA Cargo Centre will accept them and tell you all the procedures for unaccompanied baggage, if they are sent in advance. They can be
found via the BA website and are situated on the perimeter road at Heathrow. Other airports will all have similar procedures.  This information on shipping golf clubs was given to me by Fiona from www.inverness4×4adventure.co.uk/  an outdoor activity centre at Loch Ness

I hope this is helpful to some of the hundreds of golfers who come to Scotland and Loch Ness in particular, to enjoy some of the many great golf courses in the Highlands.

TELL US WHAT YOU THINK!

DOVE Visitor feedback project – Loch Ness

DOVE: Delivering an Outstanding Visitor Experience.

We welcome feed back of your experience in the Loch Ness area.

Please take a few moments to complete the short online questionnaire to help us learn how we can do better by listening more effectively to YOU our customers.

Visit www.highlandfeedback.com to access the survey.

Thanks!