Spring clean.

Certain members of our South Loch Ness Tourist Group kindly gave up some of their time on Saturday to clear Inverfarigaig Pier of all the vegetation. Over the years the gorse has really taken hold making it difficult to fight your way through without getting lacerated in order to enjoy the panoramic view of Loch Ness. It is now a lovely place for a sit down and a picnic. We always mention to folk we see there that they can use our nearby wheelie bin for any rubbish. The group has also paid for clearing some of the trees and shrubs lochside especially the picnic areas by parking bays. There is now a much better view of the loch which is good for photo shoots and encourages people to stop and take in the vista. In late March we will team up to help clear the litter thrown out of cars along the loch by walking in shifts from Whitebridge to Dores collecting litter along the way. It is quite surprising how much we collect.
The RNLI are working with SEPA to collect the litter along the shore line of Loch Ness.
Some Spring clean !

Beaufort Castle.

We were promised temperatures in double figures today so we chose a walk along the north bank of the River Beauly which would take us along quite flat and pleasant paths. Drove through Inverness to the Lovat Bridge and turned off left towards the small village of Kiltarlity. Crossed over the River Beauly and parked in the little car park beyond. The walk was easy to follow and we strolled through oak and birch woods along the side of the river listening to the birdsong. A hawk sped across our path. The river was flowing very fast and the weir was very powerful and noisy. In the season the salmon would be seen leaping up the river and many anglers would be trying to outwit them. There are enticing salmon pools and quite a few lodges and wooden fishing chalets by the side of the river.Walked past Beaufort Castle - the ancestral home of the Frasers of Lovat but sold in 1994 to Ann Gloag the director of Stagecoach transport. Unfortunately we forgot that all the recent snow would melt and make the rivers overflow and we came to a sudden stop as the river had flooded our path. We had to turn round and walk back to our waiting picnic. It was lovely to get out in the mild fresh air and stretch the old legs.

Chill out in the Highlands.

The snow has been laying for a week now and because of the overnight frost and cold temperatures it has been really icing up. Today we went up to the holiday cottage and cleared the lane down to the cottage and the path to the back steps with 6 bags of rocksalt and a lot of sweat. Also topped up the nut feeders for the squirrels and birds......although we do not have guests staying at the moment these creatures still rely on us for food in this very cold weather. Unlike the grey squirrels, the reds do not hibernate and can be seen all year round. Had a slight flurry of snow earlier on today and the temperatures have been well below freezing all day. Last night we experienced an amazing pink sunset followed by a night full of stars. We have seen some dramatic sky scenes recently and living here is always beautiful whatever the weather...although the coal fire and whisky are always welcome in these chilly temperatures.