Loch Ness Blog

Pheasant chicks.

2009-06-30T13:20:00.002+01:00

Mother pheasant has been a regular visitor proudly showing off her chicks as they eat under the bird table and run around the ornaments. There were originally 11 of them but at the last count this morning there were still 8 left alive and very frisky. Mother is very watchful of them and clucks quietly to round them all up while they give off high pitched squeaks. Needless to say father is nowhere in sight and one of two of them are real independent little souls and she has to patiently go after them.

Beautiful sunset on Loch Ness.

2009-06-26T21:51:00.001+01:00

Glorious weather all week plus a beautiful sunset....say no more !

Where have all the sunflowers gone ?

2009-06-22T07:24:00.001+01:00

Every morning lately we are greeted with the high pitched squeaking noise of a swarm of siskin finches waiting for the sunflower heart feeders to be topped up. They wait noisily in the nearby trees until I replenish the feeders and then they attach themselves for dear life to the roundabout nearly biting my hand off in the process. The rather scraggy speckled youngsters make the highest pitched noise. We've had to buy another feeder as our regular popular visitor is Cyril the squirrel who scares the birds away by his sheer size and acrobatic skills. We have a stream of squirrels visit during the day but they all go by the name of Cyril. As you can see the red squirrels shed their lovely long ear tufts once a year in early Summer. In late Autumn they grow a thicker darker Winter coat and grow their characteristic long ear tufts to help keep the warmth in. The squirrels are very impatient and will try the nut feeders as well as the bird table for anything else to eat until the catering service is open for business.
Fascinating red squirrel facts

Great spotted woodpecker.

2009-06-17T08:15:00.001+01:00

The male Great spotted woodpecker has been a frequent visitor to the nut feeders cramming its beak full of food before taking it back to the nest somewhere nearby in Farigaig Forest. Only realised just how large it is compared to the smaller female siskin feeding nearby.

Bullfinch.

2009-06-14T12:20:00.002+01:00

On Saturday as we were working at the cottage we suddenly saw the unmistakable brilliant flash of a male bullfinch by the car port. He was soon joined by a rather dull coloured female and was very protective of his partner, even fiercely chasing off another admirer before returning to her side and watching over her. We watched fascinated as they collected the soft remains from the dandelion flowers for their nest.

'Contrast' Restaurant.

2009-06-07T12:04:00.003+01:00

Enjoyed a second visit to the 'Contrast' restaurant situated on Ness Bank on the south side of the River Ness in Inverness.Weather not so good today so nobody at the outside tables although last time we visited it was quite busy. This restaurant serves a very good lunch and is part of the Glenmoriston House Hotel which also encompasses the 'Abstract' restaurant adjacent-evening meals only. It has large windows looking onto the River Ness ensuring a light and airy atmosphere. The service is friendly and the choice of dishes is very tempting. We both chose the Highland Red Deer Fillet and it was absolutely delicious. As it is opposite the Eden Court Theatre they also do a pre-theatre meal from 5-6.30.

Strathconon

2009-05-31T12:20:00.002+01:00

As the weather was quite fair we decided to take a leisurely drive along Strathconon, one of the lesser known straths which we had only visited once before many years ago. We drove from Inverness over the Kessock Bridge to the Torr roundabout and then took the first left to Muir of Ord. Carried on to Marybank village where there is a signpost on the left to Strathconon. Alternatively this can be reached via the Beauly Firth route.The entire strath is about 17 miles long and ends abruptly at a large parking area beside Loch Beannachan where we enjoyed a picnic in the sun and the breeze. On our journey along the peaceful strath we were surprised to see so many properties, comprising of magnificent large lodges, workers cottages and new builds. We passed stately Scatwell Estate, two kirks and a primary school, all completely in the middle of nowhere. The highlight of the day was watching the herds of deer roaming freely around in the valley. By the looks some of them gave us we felt that we were intruding. They stared real menacingly, sniffed the air with a look of disgust and stamped their hooves. Turn your sound up to hear the cuckoos in the background."

Wood mice.

2009-05-25T17:16:00.003+01:00

It took us a while the other evening to recognise what exactly was moving on the nut feeders located half way up the tree trunk. It was too late in the evening for a bird and getting quite dark so all birds should be safely tucked up for the night. Suddenly a little head popped out and then another and we realised we were now feeding wood mice as well as all the other wildlife of the forest. They are also known as 'long-tailed field mice' and, as we can verify, they are very agile climbers. They make their nests underground in complicated burrows or in holes in trees. It was quite amusing watching them chase each other round the feeder and then fall off into the bushes below.
Wood mice are one of the most common European mammals.
Luckily the cats were asleep.

If you go down to the woods today......

2009-05-18T15:22:00.003+01:00

May is the classic month when the blue haze of flowering bluebells carpet the woodland floors and surround the tree trunks. They are also known as 'wild hyacinths'. We were lucky enough to spot this magnificent brown hare soaking up the morning sun as we drove by local woodland. It stayed very still for some time posing for this photo before lopping off deeper into the woods. They can reach speeds of 45mph if they have to. The brown hare is larger than the other species of hare in Britain, the mountain hare, and is recognisable by its very long black-tipped ears.

May sunshine.

2009-05-15T15:57:00.001+01:00

We have experienced a beautiful week weather wise with clear blue skies all day. It has been a bit chilly first thing in the morning but temperatures have climbed to about 18C by the afternoon. Made the most of the sunshine and enjoyed walks, scenic drives and a picnic by the side of a nearby glistening loch surrounded by gorse which is now in full flower. Long may it last.

Sunshine and showers.

2009-05-08T16:02:00.002+01:00

The week started off with warm pleasant sunshine which encouraged the wildlife to show. The male pheasant has been proudly escorting his two females about although neither seem exactly excited at his presence and preferred eating. Flocks of siskins on all the feeders and neighbours reported sighting of a pair of redpolls in their garden. These colourful birds, with a bright red forehead and black chin, often flock with siskins and inhabit coniferous woodland. Will have to keep a look out for them.
The red squirrels appear on the feeders throughout the day and we enjoy watching their antics. Unfortunately all this tempting bird life attracts the predatory fast-flying sparrowhawk. This hawk relies on a surprise attack although its prey, usually finches, often manages to escape to live another day. The male is now hunting on its own while the female is on the nest.
The weather changed towards the end of the week and we experienced overcast skies followed by very gusty westerly winds accompanied by lashing rain. It was quite chilly during the day and in the morning we woke to see snow on the mountain peaks opposite. A beautiful rainbow shone over the loch this morning and the snowy peaks can be seen just to the left of the colourful arc. The good news is that temperatures will rise next week and the sun will shine again.The rain no doubt has been welcomed by all the plants as it has been very dry lately. The wild primroses are still blooming along the grass verges and on the forest floor and now a carpet of wild bluebells are beginning to appear.

I lost my heart.....

2009-05-04T11:31:00.012+01:00

This cheeky red squirrel is not content with all the peanuts we put out for him and has now found the sunflower hearts roundabout feeder. We had great fun watching him when he first tried to get across to the feeder and we weren't sure if it would take his weight, but it did. He now leaps easily across from the tree trunk and sits confidently eating for Scotland. His coat is a bit tatty as he is shedding his winter coat for a thinner summer one. In late summer they moult again and grow a thicker winter coat. Enjoy his antics.

The siskin roundabout.

2009-04-25T08:00:00.000+01:00

This month has seen the arrival of swarms of colourful siskins, one of the smaller members of the finch family. The male is a bright yellow-green with a black crown and the females are more streaked and less yellow in colour. In the breeding season they build their nests in coniferous woodland. At one time the species was confined to the pine forests of the Scottish Highlands but the 20th century practice of pine planting in Britain has greatly benefited the siskin and they are now seen more commonly throughout the country. They feed on the seeds of pine and spruce trees in Spring and early Summer although the crowd in our garden have taken a great fancy to the sunflower hearts in the feeder. We designed the tray underneath it to catch any food and stop it falling down onto the ground as we do not want to feed all the mice in the forest as well. The tray tends to act like a roundabout and increases in speed with the volume of birds on it...great fun to watch.

Wild Primroses everywhere.

2009-04-21T14:39:00.002+01:00

The warmth of the sun and the odd showers of rain have really helped the wild primroses to burst into flower. The bright yellow blooms are along the roadside verges, on the forest floor under shady trees and down grassy banks leading down to the shore of Loch Ness. Always a welcome sight to see in April and we feel like Spring has sprung at last here on South Loch Ness Side.

RNLI busy on Loch Ness

2009-04-13T12:02:00.004+01:00

As much as we enjoy seeing the boats out on Loch Ness now there are some people in charge of boating craft who really ought to be more careful. In the past few days the Loch Ness Lifeboat has been called out to assist people who have got into difficulty. We are emailed any rescues on the loch and they read as follows.....

April 9th.....For the third time in 24 hours, Loch Ness RNLI volunteers were tasked this evening to search for two adults and a child reported out of a canoe and on the shoreline of Loch Ness.
An RNLI team from Loch Ness were on the water training when a call came in from Aberdeen MRCC to search for the family group who had made contact by mobile phone to say they were exhausted and unable to continue on the water but stranded on a narrow shore below a sheer rock face. The eight year old girl and her parents were paddling the length of the Caledonian Canal but had been caught out by the sudden and severe change in conditions. The family were very well kitted out and had hoped to be able to camp on the shoreline, approx. 1 mile north of Urquhart Bay. Weather conditions changed rapidly and they made for safety before calling Aberdeen Coastguard, a number that they had stored on their mobile phone. As the RNLI team approached, the family used head torches to signal the crew and guide them to their location. The family were recovered by the crew, Ross Edwards, Sandra Delday and Joy Cameron, and recovered to the Loch Ness RNLI Lifeboat station and given tea and biscuits. One of the RNLI crew has provided the family with accommodation for the night and will help them on their way in the morning.

April 9th.....Lone sailor rescued from driving winds on Loch Ness.
A six metre, vintage sailing yacht with a lone sailor on board, was rescued when his vessel suffered engine failure with winds driving him onto the shore at Lochend, Loch Ness.Pagers alerted the Loch Ness RNLI volunteer crew at 15:29 to the plight of the sailor making his way from Lossiemouth to the West Coast of Ireland. Heading into the wind and a 1.5 metre swell, the engine failure meant the single male occupant was perilously close to being driven onto the rocky shoreline. Loch Ness crew Ross Edwards, Vivian Bailey and Martin Douglas were tasked by Aberdeen Coastguard to assess and assist the "Rona". The yacht was stabilised by the crew using the Atlantic 75 Lifeboat "Mercurius" and taken under tow, in very challenging conditions, to Urquhart Harbour, Drumnadrochit, where the skipper of the yacht was given a fresh brew and some advice. The yacht and it's skipper will continue the journey when conditions improve.

April 11th......Hypothermic canoeists rescued after capsizing on Loch Ness.

RNLI Loch Ness volunteer lifeboat crew members helped with the rescue of two canoeists earlier this evening in challenging conditions.The severe weather conditions on Loch Ness again impacted on leisure craft as two canoeists were thrown into the water. Their plight was noticed by a passing motorist who was able to alert the emergency services and guide in help.Loch Ness RNLI volunteers were launched at 2pm this afternoon to a report of people in the water alongside an upturned canoe. An RNLI lifeboat on passage to Oban was in the area and rapidly responded to the emergency call from Aberdeen MRCC. The Oban lifeboat crew located one of the casualties and were able to remove him from the water and take him to Fort Augustus to meet an ambulance.The Loch Ness RNLI team located a casualty on the shoreline who was suffering from hypothermia and in need of medical attention. A crew member from Loch Ness was put ashore and he assisted the individual, along with a member of the Fort Augustus Coastguard team. The location required a difficult lift of the casualty to meet the ambulance on the roadside above.Loch Ness RNLI lifeboat was then tasked to locate a second canoe which had lost contact with the first. En route to this casualty, the crew found the upturned canoe and personal belongings from the individuals recovered earlier. The second group were found nearby after they too had a person washed overboard, but were able to take themselves to safety, although in an isolated place. They were informed of their friend s situation and advised not to proceed on the water in the current conditions. Joy Cameron, Loch Ness RNLI crew member says ...We encountered extremely difficult conditions with 2 metre waves and force 5-6 winds. The crew and lifeboat took quite a pounding so conditions in the open canoes must have been terrifying. We would like to remind all users of the loch and sea areas to keep a close eye on weather conditions, prepare and plan thoroughly and have up to date equipment with good means of communication.

April 12th......Second "Shout" to same vessel on Loch Ness.

Loch Ness RNLI lifeboat team were called to assist a yacht aground in Urquhart Bay this morning, Sunday 12th April at 0930. This was the second time in three days that the skipper of the yacht "Rona" needed the help of the RNLI volunteer team on the loch.After resting and taking stock in Urquhart Harbour for the last two days, the sailor "PJ" attempted to leave the harbour in his vintage sailing vessel but ran aground approx 50 metres beyond the harbour entrance and within sight of the lifeboat crew who were training with the relief lifeboat.The skipper was towed into open water and given firm advice about the weather conditions and suitability of the yacht for the planned journey, but the skipper immediately headed out into the loch proper. He is currently in open water but making extremely slow headway.

Loch Ness RNLI lifeboat station has been operating since April 2008.

Loch Ness is Scotland's only RNLI Inland Lifeboat.

To learn more about the lifeboat station go to Loch Ness RNLI website

Boating life on Loch Ness.

2009-04-09T15:34:00.004+01:00

The first few days of April began with a lovely clear blue sky and temperatures well into double figures and we really enjoyed sitting outside in the fresh air. All changed this past week with overcast skies and good south westerly breeze producing lots of white water on the loch although it did remain dry. It is good to see so many boats out on Loch Ness even though at times they were bouncing up and down and crashing into the oncoming waves. Great fun to watch.

Squirrels and snow..

2009-03-30T13:02:00.002+01:00

Over the weekend we experienced a real mixture of weather patterns - hopefully signalling the end of the mad March days. We were enjoying a glass of wine outside on the bench in the spring sunshine watching the squirrels on the nut feeders. The sun was quite bright so on came the sun glasses. A few minutes later we had a snow shower which began to seriously dilute the wine so we had to dash back inside pretty quick.
The squirrel disappeared up the tree.

Ospreys return.

2009-03-27T16:05:00.003Z

Ospreys have been returning to their Highland nests earlier this year. At Loch Garten on Speyside a regular female known as EJ was reported on Wednesday evening sitting in a tree eating a trout and then giving her old nest a clean and rebuilding with new sticks. Observers at the site are waiting to see if her 17 year old mate called VS will return to mate with her or will a new rival fly in to challenge him.
Keep up to date with the Loch Garten Blog.
We will be keeping a look out for Ollie, our own Loch Ness osprey who has been a regular visitor since we have lived here. He has a huge 6 feet wingspan and a gleaming whitish/cream underbelly and usually hovers overhead while looking down for the family lunch. We have been lucky enough to see him dive into the loch and emerge with a fish in his talons... a magnificent sight.

Snowdrops.

2009-03-16T15:53:00.003Z

The wild snowdrops, the first flowers of Spring, are appearing in the hedgerows with their pristine white flowers hanging down like miniature candle lights.
In April the wild primroses will bloom in great profusion followed in May by the carpets of bluebells.
Spring is a really beautiful time of the year with lots of colour to look forward to.

International Space Station.

2009-03-12T10:53:00.001Z

On Tuesday we experienced a rather chilly day with a clear blue sky which enhanced the snow topped mountains opposite. Enjoyed a lunch out at The Dores Inn and very nice it was too but just too cold for a walk along the beach. The Inn was very busy and we had to wait for a table.In the evening the setting sun lit up the isolated clouds as it disappeared westwards for the night. During our usual evening stroll around the outside of the house with the cats following in case we needed their assistance we noticed a very bright light in the blue night sky - top left in photo.
We had heard recently that the International Space Station can now be seen with the naked eye on a clear evening and on further research on the internet we are sure that is what we saw in the sky. Apparently it is only second in brightness to the planet Venus.
Read simplified information on the space station or more detailed information by Nasa.

Greenfinch.

2009-03-08T12:34:00.002Z

Just when we thought that Spring was around the corner the weather this week has been alternating between rain and snow. At the moment you cannot see across to the other side of Loch Ness as the blizzard is almost horizontal with the strong winds. It is about 3C but the good news is that double figures are forecast for Wednesday so we might be able to escape for a day out then. We had a pre-arranged appointment with a person from VisitScotland last week and after a lengthy look everywhere in the cottage we were told that we merited a top 4 star award. We also had a visit from a greenfinch on the nut feeders which was a bit more exciting and much more relaxing. The chaffinch seemed a little bit intimidated by him and that menacing powerful beak. In this weather the birds and squirrels need feeding more than ever as their natural food source has not hatched yet. Purchased a 25kg sack of peanuts which should keep the wildlife going for a while.

Spring clean.

2009-02-24T17:11:00.003Z

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.

2009-02-19T13:13:00.001Z

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.

2009-02-11T15:19:00.001Z

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.

Lunch out with award winners..

2009-01-29T17:07:00.003Z

The young stag often appears behind the house in Farigaig Forest to have a good munch of the undergrowth and a good long stare at us. It was very windy this morning and as we stood looking at all the wildlife in the garden the stag was suddenly spooked by a terrific gust of wind and took off at great speed up towards Aspenwood Cottage. The birds flew off and the goldcrest was nearly blown over like a leaf. However it was quite mild today, about 7C although snow is forecast for Sunday night with temperatures of minus 1C. Went to the local Dores Inn for a very enjoyable lunch with friends from the Pottery House B&B in Dores to celebrate their new "Travellers Choice Award 2009" from Trip Advisor for "Best Inns and B&B's in Europe"... out of the best ten they are number 5 in the whole of Europe ! Well worth a celebration.