Keep watching !!
Monday, February 26, 2007
Sunday, February 25, 2007
Haar mist rolling in from the sea...
Woke up this morning to a strange but beautiful haar mist rolling in from the west coast travelling all the way up The Great Glen. Even though it was very misty there was a reflection in Loch Ness which added to this weird but wonderful picture.
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Visit to the Cairngorms
Decided to escape and have an awayday so we drove down to Aviemore on the A9, a pleasant journey of about 50 miles. Not alot of traffic and when the sun came out it was glorious. Had a saunter along Aviemore's bustling main high street collecting various bits of shopping along the way. Drove through the village and stopped for a picnic at Loch Morlich enveloped by the snow capped Cairngorms. It was very relaxing watching and listening to the ducks go about their business. Drove up to the funicular railway station which takes you to the top of the mountains but it was so unbelievably busy for this time of year that we decided to leave this trip for another day. Stopped off to go in the Cairngorm Reindeer Centre but we had just missed the organised visit to the reindeer herd. Obviously we were not organised enough so we will just have to come back another day - any excuse!!Friday, February 16, 2007
River Farigaig
The rainwater and melted snow of the past few months is flowing down from the mountains and into the rivers. The water in River Farigaig is swirling round the huge rocks in its path and finally gushing out into Loch Ness. Last month the river was so high that the boulders were being pushed along by the sheer force of the water and the water level rose quite drastically. Visited a neighbour in Inverfarigaig whose property borders on to the river and the noise of the water was amazing.
Monday, February 12, 2007
Horse and gorse.
On the way to Dores we always enjoy looking out for the horses and smaller ponies out in the fields beside Loch Ness. Today they seem to be enjoying the frost free grass and temperatures on the plus side. The lanes are lined with flowering gorse bushes which are in bloom a couple of months earlier than usual. The seasons do seem to have become unreliable and we wonder what Spring will be like. 
Thursday, February 08, 2007
Trawler passing through.
We do not see many boating craft on Loch Ness during the winter months and pleasure boats are out of the question mainly due to the short daylight hours as well as being a bit chilly out on the water. However several working trawlers use this short cut instead of going round the top via the Pentland Firth which can be rather turbulent. It is always good to watch them go on their way and we realise we miss seeing boats of all shapes and sizes travelling along the loch. The snow here has disappeared except for the mountain tops opposite. There is a sharp frost in the mornings with a clear blue sky after a night full of stars.
Tuesday, February 06, 2007
A new season at Aspenwood Cottage.
We welcomed February in with a few snow showers and bright chilly days followed by frosty nights. Aspenwood is now ready for business once more and we look forward to welcoming our first guests of the new season who are returning to the cottage this Saturday. We have enjoyed making changes and updating the cottage and are sure that guests will appreciate all the additional home comforts.
Friday, February 02, 2007
New additions to the lounge.
A major new addition to the lounge is the latest Panasonic 37 inch flat screen digital T.V. along with a DVD player/recorder and HDD unit. There is an extensive catalogued library of DVD films for guests to enjoy so although we cannot guarantee the weather, we can ensure some very pleasurable home entertainment. 
The spacious lounge in the cottage enjoys a nine foot wide picture window offering superb panoramic views over Loch Ness from the comfort of your armchair or sofa. You can also watch the birds at the nut feeders attached to the fence just outside the window. It is a very relaxing room now enriched with new Balmoral Stewart camel tartan curtains on the large window and also on the door to the private decking. My sewing machine has been doing overtime lately. Other additions to follow!