The two trails depicted on the map, although being long distance, are easy to start at any point and just have a day walk or even a short walk, so if for example you are like me and don’t want to walk the boring bits (there are no boring bits!) you could have a whole week here just doing the exciting sections each day. That sounds like a cue for a new Blog titled “Walking the exciting sections of the South Loch Ness and Trail of the 7 Lochs” – I digress, sorry.

This map is virtually indestructible! Half the weight of ordinary paper maps, totally waterproof, and easy on the pocket, being only £5.95 and you can buy them online from us  at – Visitlochness.com  or from any of the Harvey nationwide network of outlets.
As you can see from the picture I didn’t worry about my map getting wet in Loch Ness because its WATERPROOF!  now my next blog is coming on.

Top alternative uses for the South Loch Ness Trail Map 
1 – put over your head to keep the rain off.
2 – use it for picnics on wet grass.
3  – use it as a sail if you are canoeing on Loch Ness.
4  – use it as a rucksack cover.
5 – wrap your sandwiches in it to keep them fresh.

So go buy your survival blanket map online Here…

Find out more about the South Loch Ness Trail Here…

A tenner for the best ideas for alternative uses for the indestructible South Loch Ness Trail Map sent in before July!

On the trail with map in hand.

Stay in a beautiful converted farm steading at Gask House Farm Cottages and use it as a base from which to explore the Clava Cairns a series of ceremonial and burial monuments dating from around 2000BC, roughly centred on Inverness and spreading up the river valleys in an area of about 30-40 miles radius.

We recommend exploring four sites – the Clava Cairns, Corrimony, Tordarroch and Gask.

Start your tour at the Clava Cairns. These remarkable series of cairns are situated a few miles east of Inverness and are one of the finest prehistoric monuments in the Highlands. Why not tie in a visit to Culloden Battlefield which is close by.

Then move onto Corrimony found between Drumnadrochit and Cannich (NH 38300 30300). Coming back around the south side of Loch Ness stop at Tordarroch cairn found just off the Dunlichity road south west of Inverness. Here you can all explore the churchyard at Dunlichity church and its rich connections with the clans who fought at Culloden. See if you can find the marks where the Jacobites sharpened their knives before the battle. Finally just a stone’s throw from Tordarroch is the Gask Chambered Cairn & Circle. One of the largest surviving Clava type cairns with its magnificent standing stone – a landmark for generations. (NH6794435860)

Stay at any of the high quality self catering cottages at Gask House Farm Cottages and simply stroll up to the Gask cairn and standing stone whilst your there. Forget Stonehenge – this is a great place to celebrate the midsummer solstice! And this is a stunning area to base yourself for a Heritage or wildlife holiday, and probably one of the only places in Britain where you can discover undisturbed historic sites.

I guess most folks visiting for the first time will at some point during their stay, do a trip around the loch calling in at the obvious tourist hot spots along the way, but for adrenaline junkies, artists, nature lovers, whisky tasters, hill runners, in fact all of you who like to do something a bit different when on holiday need to check out our Year of Natural pages. For those with more specialised interests it’s easy to miss out if you don’t ask around. Events are easy, there is a good calendar full of stuff for all months  of the year on Visit Loch Ness Event Calendar

Our Loch Ness Year of Natural promotion highlights on the website some of those more unusual or specialist activities offered by our member businesses to anyone interested, and common theme this year is environment and nature.

Browse our Year of Natural page and click on a theme or themes that interests you, whether it be rock climbing or wilderness painting, have a browse and do some advance planning for your holiday especially if you are visiting in summer or bank holidays. There’s nothing worse than seeing the disappointment on kids faces when you can’t get on that trip or activity because it is fully booked. We are adding new member offers weekly so add the page to favourites so you can check back regularly for updates, and if there is something you would like to do and its not showing on the site do contact us, we are happy to help whenever we can.

The event is a unique opportunity for athletes and equestrians to compete over a 26km course against a spectacular backdrop of stunning Highland scenery.

Starting from the Whitebridge Hotel the runners will be piped out at 11.00am and the horses will set off in staggered starts. The race follows a linear route which covers sections of the Trail of the Seven Lochs and the South Loch Ness Trail.

Competitors will climb up the challenging ‘Corkscrew’ beside the stunning crag of Dun Deardail before tackling the ‘Fair Haired Lad’s Pass’, which will lead them on a dramatic descent to Loch Ness.

The race will finish at the home of the hosts, Loch Ness Riding, at Drummond Farm in Dores. Horses will be vetted to make sure they are in good shape at the finish and runners as well as riders will be restored with tea and cakes!

This will be followed by the prize giving where the Jacobite Warrior perpetual trophy will be presented to the fastest overall competitor. The winners in each class will receive a keepsake quaich and medals and rosettes will be presented to all runners and riders.

The event will be run under the auspices of the South Loch Ness Access Group which is affiliated to the British Horse Society’s Bridleways Group. Organiser Candy Cameron of Loch Ness Riding explained: “Last year’s event was really successful, and we were delighted at the encouragement we received to organise another this year.

“There’s no reason why a human can’t win the race this year. A horse is definitely faster on the flat but the route has plenty of steep hills and the horses will slow down over these stages.

“The event is a unique opportunity for people to discover the lesser known side of Loch Ness as the route takes in a variety of terrain and scenery including farm tracks, forestry roads, open moorland and hill trails, so it’s exceptionally scenic … and, moreover, it has the iconic Loch Ness as a backdrop.”

The race will be run under rules similar to those of endurance riding, with riders needing to submit their horses to veterinary examinations. Horses must be shod or booted for the duration of the event.

Places for runners and riders are limited to 50 and 30 respectively and will be allocated on a first come first served basis.

The entry fee for both runners and riders is £10 at the time of placing an entry plus a minimum of £20 in sponsorship to be paid on the day of the event.

50% of all profits (including sponsorship) will be donated to the Teenage Cancer Trust as the event’s chosen charity this year, and the other 50% will go to the South Loch Ness Access Group to help continue its work in the area.

Entry forms for runners and riders wishing to take part in the Man Vs Horse event can be found at http://www.visitlochness.com/uploads/files/ManvHorse-entry-2013.pdf   or the Facebook page for Man v Horse where photos of last years event can also be viewed.

Loch Ness has more Green Business members than any other place of its size in the whole of Scotland, unless anyone knows better!  Whatever the glossy magazines and colourful brochures show you about places in Scotland, take it from me we have all the natural attractions here at Loch Ness to become the Year of Natural Scotland 2013’s “Top Area”, having a near perfect quality score for every theme of the campaign.

Despite always having displayed a Loch Ness Natural theme right across our very popular website, we have in support of the Visit Scotland campaign set up our own Year of Natural section on the visitlochness.com just for this year,  in which our member businesses will be showing you some of the more unusual and “off the beaten track” ideas of things to do and see during your 2013 visit to Loch Ness.

We always welcome feedback from our visitors, especially your pictures and reviews, but this year to let us know just how much our “Year of Natural Ness” campaign has worked for you,  we will be regularly updating our Facebook and Twitter pages with your feedback and new theme ideas from our business members, for example:  shooting the river Moriston rapids on little more than a surfboard and stone-age cookery in the woods, just for starters. The campaign will start in earnest around Easter so adrenaline junkies and naturalists alike, keep checking for updates.

1. Choose Your Destination
Before you can start buying airfare and reserving a hotel, you need to decide where you want to go. If you can spare some extra time away from work, consider visiting a faraway place that you’ve always dreamed of seeing. For those with limited free time, you can plan a short trip to a city near you. If you can’t come up with any ideas, talk to your friends and family members for suggestions.

2. Create Your Budget
After you’ve picked a destination, you need to create a budget for your travel plans. This budget should include more than just the cost of your travel and hotel accommodations. You’ll want to set aside a portion of your money for food and souvenirs as well. If you can, put aside some extra money to help with any unexpected emergencies during your trip.
Don’t forget to include the cost of travel insurance as you plan your travel budget. You can buy travel insurance to last for the duration of your trip. This insurance will help you deal with unexpected circumstances during your vacation, including medical emergencies and trip cancellations.

3. Create an Itinerary
Once you’ve planned your general travel outline, you will need to start working on the details. By consulting the Internet and travel books, you can get a few ideas of some places you might like to visit on your trip. If you want to have a smooth trip, research important details about the attractions you plan to see, including the price of the tickets and business hours. Proper preparation will ensure that you’re not stuck waiting in line to see your favorite painting or castle.
However, if you prefer to be spontaneous on your vacations, don’t worry about making a detailed itinerary. Focus your planning on the major attractions that you really want to visit, and fill the rest of your time with unexpected adventures at your destination.

4. Pack Carefully
If you’re planning to fly to your destination, you’ll need to pack your luggage carefully due to strict airport security procedures. Your destination choice will also impact the items that you can bring with you on your trip. For example, if you’re taking electronics to a foreign country, you’ll need to have the right adapter to charge your devices. Try to leave some space in your luggage so that you can easily take home your newly acquired souvenirs.

5. Take Care of Your Home
Before you leave for your trip, you should take a few precautions to help protect your home while you’re away. If you subscribe to the newspaper, ask a neighbor to pick up the paper while you’re gone. If you let your newspapers stack up during your trip, passing thieves may realize that no one is home. Make sure all of your door and window locks are working properly. Finally, ensure that your home insurance policy is current and will protect you in case of a disaster at your home.

This article was written by Denise McKendry, who is the primary writer for the Insurance Rates and Education site, ired.com, which focuses on homeowners insurance, insurance rates and personal safety information.

My partner and I didn’t stick with the bike hire business but for some years we stuck with our mountain bikes, even as keen walkers we used the bikes to get us to the start of some of the more remote places to start our walk, it is probably the best way to get around quickly through some of the miles of forest and backwater roads.

We did circuits and half circuits of Loch Ness,( by crossing the loch in a boat) trips down Glen Affric to the start of a remote Munro climb and sunset rides of just about every back road and trail in South Loch Ness, fabulous! You might have gathered I am eager to tell you all this because it is something everyone who comes here would enjoy. It might not have even occurred to you as being something you could enjoy if you haven’t been used to biking but it is an absolutely fantastic way to spend a day or two of your holiday especially for families, the kids will adore bike riding around Loch Ness. If you are now thinking, no, it all sounds a bit too strenuous and that you would be embarrassed sitting on a bike for the first time in 20 years, get over it! once you get your leg over! (the crossbar) you will start to feel like a kid with a new toy, and if you think Scotland is all BIG hills I can tell you emphatically that there are miles of level trails around Loch Ness, the whole length of the Caledonian Canal for example is absolutely level easy riding. So no excuses, in fact the chances are that once tried a day or two in the saddle you will go home and buy yourself a shiny new bike.