Riot of Colour

August 15th, 2011

It’s really sad to see images on the news of the burnt out shells of peoples houses and shops in England. Riots, rare as hens teeth in Britain sprung out of nowhere so suddenly last week. Greed and self interest I supose is uppermost on many peoples minds these days and to hell with everyone else, i’m alright Jack attitude is not an attitude that I have ever practiced or condoned.  

Our sympathy is with all those people that have been injured killed or robbed during the riots.  It’s difficult to imgine the trauma of all that went on in London and other cities in England from a Glen where the only sounds are of water lapping at the rocky shores, the occasional faint sound of a passing vehicle accross the loch on the opposite bank, twittering flocks of birds foraging in the Birch woods and the whisper of the breeze in the branches.

The only riots to be seen in this Glen are the riotsof colour from the blueblells under the woodland canopy and the golden yellow bursts of gorse blooms which border our roads and fields. 

Take a break, visit our tranquil Glen - Visit Loch Ness   

A riot of colour fills the senses in the Highlands at Loch Ness

Across the glen a riot of colour and the feeling of calm dominates

       

New South Loch Ness Trail Launched

August 11th, 2011
South Loch Ness Trail

the South Loch Ness Trail is 30 miles from Fort Augustus to Inverness

Today is the launch of the brand new South Loch Ness Trail a new trail which covers the entire length of Loch Ness. Running for nearly 30 miles through wild country and infinately variable terrain from open moors and craggy hills to forests and villages - it will prove to be a hit with all types of walkers, horse riders and bikers (not motorised).

You can read The trail story  and  trail info  on Destination Loch Ness website which comes with a series of downloadable maps for the entire route.  Perhaps the most exciting significance of this new trail is that now it is almost possible to circumnavigate Loch Ness entirely on dedicated paths by using the Great Glen Way down the North side and this new south Loch Ness Trail on the quieter south side.  The two trails are not yet linked but but for experienced walkers this should be a minor detail! which should not deter anyone from planning a full Loch Ness circuit, but it is a long term objective to link the two routes.

The new trail starts just up the hill from Fort Augustus! a very long uphill trudge on tarmac but once you get to the start it is a glorious 30 mile route with little in the way of shops or habitation for most of the way. The only shop on route is at Foyers so anyone planning to have a go at this route should carry some supplies with them and be prepared for overnight camping along the route. There is accommodation though and with careful planning you could do the walk without camping if that is not your bag! a good website to look for  accommodation on the South Loch Ness Trail is www.lochnesswelcome.co.uk  it is the official tourism website for South Loch Ness, other places to find accommodation on the trail is Visit Loch Ness    

Happy hiking!

Dog is RNLI’s new best friend

July 20th, 2011

Dog and four holiday makers from Leicestershire rescued on Loch Ness.

Drumnadrochit based RNLI volunteers launched to assist a group of four holidaymakers and their pet dog after their cruiser runs aground near Foyers. RNLI Loch Ness lifeboat crew, Neil Stebbings, Joy Cameron and Martin Douglas took the Atlantic 75 lifeboat, B707 Mercurius, to the scene at the mouth of the River foyers. Tourist vessel, Ness Express, skippered by Rory Brown had been keeping a watch on the cruiser until the arrival of the RNLI lifeboat.

RNLI crew member Neil Stebbings boarded the cruiser to check on the well being of the holidaymakers and to confirm that the vessel was still watertight. All was well and the cruiser was towed free and into open water before being escorted to the pier at Foyers.

Loch Ness RNLI Volunteer, Neil Stebbings says: 'The cruiser had struck a shingle bank that was covered due to the loch surface having been raised by recent heavy rainfall.'
He added: 'The holidaymakers and even the dog had life jackets on and vital reassurance was given by having Rory in Ness Express on scene until we arrived, our thanks, once again, go to the team at Cruise Loch Ness in Fort Augustus.'

Aberdeen Coastguard team directed the rescue and coordinated resources whilst keeping the holidaymakers informed of proceedings

A video of the rescue can be viewed here