NEW WEBSITE TO HELP SCOTLAND WEST COAST VISITORS

When you are recovering after an operation, there are only so many Property Ladders you want to see, and laugh at. Unbelievable prats went into this housing game, thinking they could give up their day jobs by doing no research, little planning, getting professionals to help only when they are exhausted and taking no advice from the presenter and total expert, Sarah Beeny.Well, the last people you need in an economic cisis are energetic idiots - as these people were. Sorry.
So I prepared a new Scottish West Coast website for fun while I had my leg up. We can add it to our existing host for very little extra cost.

It is designed to help people find good hotels and bed and breakfasts in the area. It is broken down into different areas from Oban to Fort William including Appin, Glencoe and Ardnamurchan. Because we promote our own cottage on every page, then it helps our own business as well. More people search for "holiday accommodation" than search for "self catering"

In doing it, I discovered some novel and good ways of finding owners cottage holiday websites, thanks to Google maps. Have a look at the site and you'll see
John

NEW WEB SITE COVERING WEST OF SCOTLAND
New website to help find holiday accommodation in the West Coast, Oban and Fort William areas
TO HELP YOU FIND WONDERFUL SCOTTISH COTTAGES FOR CHRISTMAS AND THE NEW YEAR
To help you find last minute cottage owners' websites
The Xmas and New Year properties pages
Christmas and New Year availability in Scottish properties
HERE ARE SOME OTHER LINKS TO INTERESTING PAGES

Tourist and visitor information, this is the biggest Glencoe information site, hotel and cottage accommodation

Events in Glencoe Appin Lochaber Oban and Ballachulish
Last minute, short breaks, in Scotland, owners sites direct

Find the best Scottish holiday cottages on the internet

Cut the costs of your holidays

Cheap travel in scotland

Scotlands weather misconceptions

Rain in scotland
Summer weather in Scotland
Autumn weather in Scotland
Winter weather in Scotland
Spring weather in Scotland
Facts about self catering holidays
Advice on driving in Scotland

We have early December available for a short break in Glencoe

Most e-mails we get are lovely, none are nasty, but some are exceptionally kind. Thanks, Phil, we did appreciate it.
For December, click on the heading to this blog and you will go through to the web site.
John

John/Gillian
What can I say but thanks? Sounds a little understated for having had such a fabulous week.
Cottage was lovely, everything you could ask for and in such a beautiful setting.
Weather was good, dry in the main, warm on occasions, odd shower and only one grey miserable day, but hey, when you are up there it really doesn't matter.

Found the Holly Tree to be lovely - good food, good atmosphere, friendly staff. Cafe at Stalker castle, just shaded it for the coffee and carrot cake in my book.

Week went so quick, needed anyother two at least to do what we wanted to do and we did plenty as it is. Had no problems all week, it really was superb By all means you can use the comments. I could have gone on for pages about it.

From as far back as I can recall, whilst I love holidays and travelling abroad, it is always nice to get back home. On this occasion, it felt like we were leaving a home. We've never felt so relaxed, comfortable and happy anywhere.

Perhaps it's released the deep hidden scottish/irish genes within me!!

Take care. Hope you are both okay

Many thanks and best wishes and you may not have heard the last of us......

Phil

Here are some useful links for you.
New website to help find holiday accommodation in the West Coast, Oban and Fort William areas

Last minute, short breaks, in Scotland, owners sites direct

Tourist and visitor information, this is the biggest Glencoe information site, hotel and cottage accommodation


Events in Glencoe Appin Lochaber Oban and Ballachulish

Find the best Scottish holiday cottages on the internet


Cut the costs of your holidays


Cheap travel in scotland


Scotlands weather misconceptions


Rain in scotland

Summer weather in Scotland

Autumn weather in Scotland

Winter weather in Scotland

Spring weather in Scotland

Facts about self catering holidays

Advice on driving in Scotland

Lochside cottage near Glencoe offers low cost short breaks in early November

Our little Glencoe cottage sleeps four people and is very very cosy. It looks out over Kentallen Bay and Loch Linnhe beyond. It is really sweet and peaceful here. We offer it for holidays throughout the year.

In November we start to offer the lowest rates of the year and we will do short breaks, during midweek and at weekends. In the summer period we just do week long holidays in the lochside cottage. But all that changes when November arrives.

We have already got some bookings in November, but at the start of the month we can offer three short periods for self catering.

From November 3rd a four day midweek break is available at £195 from the Monday to Friday.

Then on November 7th a three day weekend break is available from Friday to the next Monday also at £195.

Then on the Monday, the 10th, another four day midweek break is available until the Friday (14th). From this date onwards the cottage is booked, sorry.

If you would like to enquire then look at the cottage website and e-mail us please?

John

The little lochside cottage near Glencoe sleeps 4 people and is very pretty and very cosy

These are the pages on our website which need links from another site such as this to help them with Google.
Cottages in Scotland still available for Christmas and New year
Lochside cottage for self catering in near Glencoe
Availability for the lochside cottage near Glencoe always up to date
Autumn Breaks October November December Glencoe< Winter breaks January February March in Glencoe
Spring breaks, March April May Glencoe
Tourist information glencoe and ballachulish
Facilities for visitors to glencoe, appin and lochaber
Prices in the cottage including low season rates
How to lower your holiday costs
Events and entertainment in Glencoe and Appin
The best way to find your holiday cottage on the internet
News and stories of Glencoe, Appin and Lochaber
Travellers Tales of the Highlands of Scotland blog site
Short holiday breaks in 12 top properties, special last minute deals, self catering Scotland
Special self catering offers in Scotland blog site
Misconceptions about Scottish weather
Wonderful walks in the Glencoe area
Helpful guide for holiday home owners with their web sites blog site

The Vikings are back in the North of Scotland

A huge number of vessels from Sweden,Norway, the Baltic States and the old Viking area have been spotted North of Fort William.

It has been 735 years, almost to the month since the last Vikings raided Scotland in anger.

Then they were driven off Scotland for ever, with the help of a massive storm breaking up their ships. This was a huge change in Scotland's fortunes, after all the Vikings had dominated the West and East coasts for the previous 400 years. They raided, they killed, they took slaves, and later they settled, married the local women and raised local families, often defending their adopted hosts against other Viking raiders.

Their DNA can be found in the Scottish highland families even to-day. Viking DNA dominates in Orkney people.

But to-days Vikings come in peace. Norwegian, and Swedish ships account for most of the extra third in shipping in to-days Caledonian Canal. The huge geological fault called the Great Glen was formed over 400 million years ago to divide North-west and North-east Scotland. The lochs which were formed were joined up by canals around the 1800's by Thomas Telford.

Loch Ness itself is the deepest and longest loch in Scotland. The canal means that a big distance in very bad waters is taken out of the East coast to West coast shipping route. The cliffs in the far North of Scotland and the islands there are very dangerous. Scapa Flow divides the Orkneys from the mainland and there are hundreds of wrecks buried there from the 2nd world war. The canal starts just a bit North of Fort William, overlooked by the North ridge of Ben Nevis, cuts out all these hazards.

The canal is getting more popular. 20 tall ships came down the canal this year to Liverpool before returning through the canal to Norway. There has been a concerted marketing effort to get more of the Nordic countries shipping through the canal and it seems to have been paying off.

Let us hope we can see more big shipping moving up and down Loch Linnhe, outside Kentallen bay.

John

Here are some historical pages, covering this region.


Glencoe, one of the official Wonders of Scotland
Walk up and down Ben Nevis in a day
Touring around the Highlands
Local history in the West coast
Ancient trackways of the Highlands still in use to-day
The real truth about the Massacre of Glencoe
Appin is the land of the Stewart Kings
The Vikings in Glencoe, was there a big battle?
The Scottish highlands millions of years ago
Robert the Bruce and the Ardchattan priory parliament
The Knights Templar in Argyll
The battle of Bannockburn and the role of the MacDonalds and Campbells
Help for holidaymakers finding good cottage properties
Self catering properties available for Christmas and the New Year
Scottish tourist board - all Scotland's information in just one page
Scottish Weather misconceptions
Rain in Scotland - the truth

Glencoe cottage offered at half price for the week of October 18

Cuil Bay, near the cottage.

This is a sunset from Ballachulish bridge. These views are staggeringly beautiful at this time of year. We had a lovely e-mail from Sheelagh when they stayed recently.

Dear John, Just a quick note to let you know we had a wonderful time, you are right about Cuil bay being the most romantic place on earth. Your book of information was truly amazing I have never seen anything so comprehensive. My husband thinks the Scottish Tourist Board should employ you as you are so enthusiastic about the area. "

"Thank you" says he with appropriate blushes. When Gillian and I go to the cottage, we go to Cuil Bay first, just to look South down Loch Linnhe.

We have just one week left available in the cottage before the short breaks season starts in November. Week Commencing October the 18th - this is offered at rates which are half the normal rate, £295. If you'd like it then just e-mail us at lochsidecottage@yahoo.co.uk

Here are links to other web pages which may interest you. First, if you are looking for self catering cottage properties in Scotland you can do no better than look at these ten or so

Short holiday breaks, special last minute deals, self catering Scotland

These describe the Glencoe cottage area
Availability for the lochside cottage near Glencoe always up to date
Take a break in the Autumn at the lochside cottage
There are 20 brilliant walks around the cottage area
The details of the cottage near Glencoe, in Appin
Prices in the cottage including low season rates
How to walk and navigate the Glencoe mountains
The local history of the area
Weather and temperatures in Scotland
All in one page, the best ways of tracing your Scottish ancestors
Over 20 totally different walks in this area
Winter skiing in Glencoe and at Fort William Glen Nevis
Scottish mountain navigation Winter and Summer
Tourist information glencoe and ballachulish
Facilities for visitors to glencoe, appin and lochaber
Easy munro hill walks
Most people can just walk up Ben Nevis
This guide helps you to find your ideal Scottish holiday cottage + 26 properties

If you are touring Scotland by car look at these pages:
Driving and touring around Scotland
The wrong way to tour Scotland, don't do it like this
How to drive the single track roads of the Scottish highlands

That's enough. You must be exhausted.

John

Had a very happy honeymoon here in the cottage

Gillian and I have been in the cottage for this last week. It has been adorable, the weather in the early part of the week was brilliant. Too hot. We've had warm rain to-day.
I took this picture at Loch Arkaig last Tuesday. It is a remote and beautiful place. Apparently, somewhere about, there is buried a trunk full of French gold to support the rebel army of Bonnie Prince Charlie in the Rebellion of 1745. Of course I believe it.

We found this lovely message in our Guest Book from the previous visitors to the cottage.

"Love the views of the loch, the waterfall and the sheepy visitors that drop by every evening. Found the cottage guidebook really helpful and informative, and the os maps came in handy.

Weather was very mixed - don't do a Loch Sheil cruise or drive all the way to Skye in horizontal rain! But we had some fantastic days out and even got sunburnt on Mull.

The Great Western railway had spectacular scenery and we saw a sea eagle driving down the Ardnamurchan peninsular. The highlight of the trip was a cruise around staff and the Treshish islands - sitting next to puffins and seeing so many guillemots, razorbills and cormorants, was very special. To top it off we saw seals and a basking shark on the return to Mull.

Thanks, and for a fab meal definitely go to the Holly Tree Restaurant - the sticky toffee pud was scrumptious."

Availability for the lochside cottage near Glencoe always up to date
Take a break in the Autumn at the lochside cottage
There are 20 brilliant walks around the cottage area
The details of the cottage near Glencoe, in Appin
Prices in the cottage including low season rates
How to walk and navigate the Glencoe mountains
The local history of the area
Weather and temperatures in Scotland
All in one page, the best ways of tracing your Scottish ancestors
Over 20 totally different walks in this area
Winter skiing in Glencoe and at Fort William Glen Nevis
Scottish mountain navigation Winter and Summer
Tourist information glencoe and ballachulish
Facilities for visitors to glencoe, appin and lochaber
Easy munro hill walks
Most people can just walk up Ben Nevis
This guide helps you to find your ideal Scottish holiday cottage + 26 properties

Trace your Scotland family ancestors with our new website page

If your family name is Bruce, well you should be hailed as a descendant of Scotland's great Hero, who won the War of Independance from England at the famous Batttle of Bannockburn. You might find your ancestors statue, near Stirling.

If your family name is Forbes then for some reason your name is searched far more frequently than any other in Google, I mean 15 times more than the next popular Scottish name.

We've put up a new page in our website to help people find their ancestors.

We have surveyed the biggest family tree websites in some depth and reported on the best ones, all summarised in one page.

All in one page, the best ways of tracing your Scottish ancestors

Here are some other historical pages and the best pages for Tourists.

The Viking battle in Glencoe
The true story of the Glencoe massacre
mystery of king robert the bruce and ardchattan priory
the knights templar in argyll
the battle of bannockburn
Over 20 totally different walks in this area
Winter skiing in Glencoe and at Fort William Glen Nevis
Scottish mountain navigation Winter and Summer
Tourist information glencoe and ballachulish
Facilities for visitors to glencoe, appin and lochaber
Easy munro hill walks
Most people can just walk up Ben Nevis
This guide helps you to find your ideal Scottish holiday cottage + 26 properties

Serious shortage of rainfall on the West coast of Scotland

Rain in Scotland is unbelievable. It is so often horizontal for the tourists yet there is not enough of it for new housing; you need flood prevention measures near Fort William, yet there is so little rain these days that the sand eels are dying out.
You might not think that to be important, but if you were a Puffin or a Gannet it would drive you into exile. No feed, you see. As a result the Puffin colonies are dying out.
This year Lochaber, including our area of Glencoe has had its driest May ever.
The Small Isles of Muck, Canna, Eigg, Rhum, Tiree and Coll are in fairly desperate straits. These Islands get 40% less rainfall than the mainland anyway.
There is to be an Annual Opening Day on Eigg on Sunday and the locals are filling up toilets by hand and not flushing them where possible - let alone not watering their gardens.
You can't get new buildings built in the Western Highlands, despite huge demand, because Scottish Water find it to be too expensive to supply drainage and sewerage systems.
The fact is that no one is going to put in the necessary money to the area because they cannot get a return on it. The population is too small, the economy is unbalanced with a huge population in the Summer and no one around in the Winter.
So when you see the weather map clouds lying thick over Scotland, have a think about the Small Isles - and our little micro climate in Kentallen. We might be fine and sunny there, with no one noticing. On the other hand we might be drowning in rain.

John
I thought you might like to see some of the more helpful pages on our website, relating to Information about Glencoe and about Walking in the area.
Over 20 totally different walks in this area
Winter skiing in Glencoe and at Fort William Glen Nevis
Scottish mountain navigation Winter and Summer
Tourist information glencoe and ballachulish
Facilities for visitors to glencoe, appin and lochaber
Easy munro hill walks
Most people can just walk up Ben Nevis
This guide helps you to find your ideal Scottish holiday cottage + 26 properties

School holiday dates on the website

We thought it would be a nice idea to add School holiday dates, and Bank holiday dates, England and Scotland, to our website.

Here is the link to the new page. Here also is a link to a revised page about the MacDonald clan.

John
English and Scottish school holiday dates
How did the MacDonalds win Glencoe?

There is one truly notable man in Glencoe - Hamish McInnes

Hamish McInnes with French mountaineer Yvon Chouinard

He is a world-renowned climber, innovator and inventor of mountaineering equipment, leading search and rescuer, author and adviser. Now Gencoe's Hamish MacInnes, 77, is honoured for his dedication to mountaineering with a new award.

Mr MacInnes, is the first to receive the Scottish Award for Excellence in Mountain Culture.

He is known for scaling the world's most dangerous peaks and his invention the MacInnes stretcher is used internationally.

Born in Dumfries and Galloway in 1930 and known as the 'Fox of Glencoe' in reference to his cunning as a mountaineer, he is recognised widely as the father of modern mountain rescue in Scotland. He designed the first all-metal ice axe, founded the Search and Rescue Dog Association and set up the Scottish Avalanche Information service.

All rock climbers know the name of Hamish Mc Innes. He has done just about everything - Himalayas, Alps, Scottish mountains, leading the Glencoe rescue teams on the hairiest rescues. He has saved literally saved hundreds of lives and developed unique equipment. His mountain books are very readable indeed. You've probably seen him on television.

We had a group of climbers in the cottage for a short weekend break in December. When I told them that Hamish could be spotted in Crafts and Things most mornings, just talking quietly and modestly with the locals here is the short glimpse they offered of him.

("Cubby" is David Cutherbertson, the local guide and rock climber. He was the body double for the fall in the famous Mountaineering film of a couple of years ago, "Into the Void" )

"Have bumped into Cubby a couple of times but never the god that is McInnes! Quite the character I understand, amazing to think he invented the modern ice axes we use today. Have heard some great stories about him, the best one being him tunnelling out of a huge cornice in the Cairnorms. Apparently, just as he broke through the ice a group of young scouts walked past. They stopped in amazement as this frosty figure appeared from out of the snow. He stood up, wiped the snow from his beard, pointed at one of the young fellows saying ‘’You Boy – what year is this!’’

That's Hamish, one of the nicest most modest men you can find.

John

ps We have just put up a new page in our website about the MacDonalds.

How did the MacDonalds become the Lords of the Isles?

Here are some other links:

Lochside cottage near Glencoe in the Highlands of Scotland

Autumn Breaks October November December Glencoe

Winter breaks January February March in Glencoe

Spring breaks, March April May Glencoe

The Vikings in Scotland, the Terror, the Battles, Vikings in Glencoe

Scotland How to find your ideal holiday property

Last minute, self catering holiday breaks scotland

Excellent Scottish holiday properties offering short breaks and special prices

Sun every day with no rain!! 8ins of snow

Dear John and Gillian

Had a great time. The weather after the first couple of days was fantastic. Sun every day with no rain!! Took your advice though and never left without a brollie. The landscape was amazing. The highlight was getting lost on one of the mountains. The snow covered the foot path and we trod through 8 inches of snow. A little scary at times, but we made it back safe. Cottage was lovely. Very clean. Well situated. Slept very well, not sure if it was the fresh air, the exercise or the comfortable bed !! Hope to do it all again may be later in the year or next year.

Thanks Ruth and Andy

The short e-mails from guests can give you the greatest pleaseure sometimes

John
Award winning photo by GW Clark posted on Flickr Thank you fer permission. Rannoch Moor, obviously.

The Campbells are back in Glencoe to-day. USA ones

Lochside cottage, in Appin, just around the corner from glorious Glencoe. Just one week availabile now, week commencing June 28th.

Last minute, late availability Glencoe, self catering cottage

Our lovely visitors from the USA are still with us Pokey and Kent.

The murky Campbell family history continues again and will shortly take us down to Loch Melfort chasing Covenanters flip flopping sides and financing early New Jersey.

I was hoping Kent (husband) was connected to the kinder gentler Campbells but evidence is now turning the other way and a possible connection to the very crafty Black Duncan of the Cowl is emerging. To be fair, Black Duncan was a big fan of trees and possibly an early enviromental champion. He had some other less desirable qualities however.

Must mention, we had a lovely hike from Duror this week. After years of digging around looking for Appin Murder clues under rocks and bushes, they have put up little signposts with blue tops and yellow crosses to mark the Clansman Trail - places significant to the Appin Murder and other events related to the history of the clans after Culloden. Great for Robert Louis Stevenson fans. We went up the forestry track in Duror to the signposted Birthplace of James of the Glen. Beautiful walk and great place to sit and have a packed lunch.

If you remember to bring one and you aren't running down the trail just ahead of another wall of water....
Pokey and Kent (of the Cowl...)

Gillian and I are still campaigning for an upgrade for the A82 road. This is the new blog post
John

The latest A82 victim is a fort William cycling hero.
The A82 upgrade campaign, please contact your Msp

We have revamped some of the Cottage website pages and added new ones. Please have a look if any interest you.
mystery of king robert the bruce and ardchattan priory
the knights templar in argyll
the battle of bannockburn
tourist information glencoe and ballachulish
how to lower your holiday costs
events and entertainment in glencoe and appin
facilities for visitors to glencoe, appin and lochaber
the best way to find your holiday cottage on the internet
news and stories of glencoe, appin and lochaber
how to avoid getting speeding fines
the viking battle in glencoe
the true story of the glencoe massacre

The pic is of Morar sands. Why? No reason. I just liked it from the file. Why not? Its my blog. Sorry, dear, our blog.

We have a lovely couple from the USA staying in the cottage. He is a Campbell and goes back to the days of Angus Og, and his lovely wife calls herself Pokey Sue always sends us e-mails of what they are up to. This is part of her latest e-mail. They are staying for a month.

They already know the area well, used to live in Benderloch.

Hi, John, we are just attempting the low level walks due to the snow level (and if truth be told, our rather substandard level of fitness at the moment!). If it gets bad, it's certainly easy enough to simply turn back and return to the coziness of the cottage.

The central location is great. We have been in Glencoe for small, medium and longer hikes (once up the Devils Staircase) weather permitting. This morning we were back in Glencoe Valley with friends who have a six year old, and simply drove the valley to see the view - after last night's storm it was spectacular - and then went over to the Visitor's Centre and took a low level hike out the back door and up the forestry road with especially clear views of the Pap of Glencoe. By lunchtime we were grabbing a couple of pizzas (great for fitness!) at the Co-op in Ballachulish and back at the cottage to eat and watch the latest storm flying across Kentallen Bay.

Late in the day I decided to explore the disused railway track which we had been observing while driving the road to and from the cottage. A considerable amount of work is going into making this a bike and walking path. At least we hope its for walkers too! I set out in the sunshine and only about a quarter of a mile down the road was met by a wild squall of a hail, sleet and windstorm that blew me into the Holly Tree Hotel dripping wet and wondering why my Maine gloves didn't seem to be working.

Reception was very welcoming and I proceeded into the non-resident bar where another friendly person fixed me a very large pot of tea. I drank this overlooking the amazing view of Loch Linnhe from their huge windows. The storm blew over and I walked back along the track to the cottage with glorious views and sunshine. As it turned out, I barely made it back. Within minutes after turning the key, another wall of freezing water appeared and obliterated everything.

Pokey Sue.

I'll post more later... meanwhile we are interested in getting the A82 road upgraded....

The A82 upgrade campaign website
The A82 tragedies, and accidents. This is our new blog site about it.

Lots more pages in the website

Glencoe is absolutely wonderful at the moment. The sun is shining on the snow, the sheets of rain then pass over, the sun is out again, the wind is gusting to force 9 at sea level, then there is a calm, and once more a wall of water appears in the distance but before that the sun is shining on the snow.

What a place!

Just had this e-mail from our guest last week.

Just to let you know John, we had a great time. We needed to come home today for family reasons, but our 4 days were spent doing some great walking. We managed one Munroe on Saturday, but it was difficult because of very icy conditions, so we kept to lower walks for the following 3 days. Quite spectacular walks in Glencoe, and a fair amount of snow above around 600m. Weather very kind.
We aim to return to the area to tackle the mountains without the ice some time in the future - they certainly deserve a return visit.

We've been busy adding new pages and revising old ones to our cottage website. If we post the links here, then this helps Google to "see" the new pages.
mystery of king robert the bruce and ardchattan priory
the knights templar in argyll
the battle of bannockburn
tourist information glencoe and ballachulish
how to lower your holiday costs
events and entertainment in glencoe and appin
facilities for visitors to glencoe, appin and lochaber
the best way to find your holiday cottage on the internet
news and stories of glencoe, appin and lochaber
how to avoid getting speeding fines
the viking battle in glencoe
the true story of the glencoe massacre

This little post is just to get us listed with Teknorati

If I put this bit of code into the blog then the ranking service Teknorati will list us.
Not very interesting I agree.

Technorati Profile

A few other links to recent new pages in other sites. Will get back to Scotland's Travellers News soon.
John

No Smoking self catering holiday properties Scotland

Smoking allowed in these self catering Scottish holiday properties

Pets Welcome in these Self Catering Scottish holiday properties

Pets not allowed in these self catering Scottish Holiday properties

All the facts you need about Self Catering Scotland

The facts about Scottish rain

How to find your ideal self catering property on the internet

Painting Glencoe's Three Sisters mountains sounds good to us

One of the most famous spots in the world where climbers meet. The Climbers bar at the Clachaig Inn, best bar meals in the area.

Many folks go to the cottage for rest and relaxation at any time of the year. You can do your own thing and meet up at Crafts and Things..... here is a lovely e-mail from Moyna...

Hi John,
Sorry for not getting back to you earlier but we got back home and had to galvanize ourselves straight into work which is always more difficult after a holiday! However, I have been meaning to email you to say that we had a really wonderful time.....might even be the best holiday my husband and I have had so far.

The cottage is absolutely marvellous and the young Filipino man who does your maintenance told us that you and your wife have hardly had a chance to enjoy it yourselves this year because its been so busy! I can easily see why that is so....your efforts to provide comfort and information surpasses any other place we have been to as I have also mentioned in the visitor's book.

Your notes and the books and maps etc are all so useful for a stay in that area......my husband loved your little Scottish library. I found the kitchen wonderfully well equipped (this was my first experience of a self-catering.....we've always stayed in B&B places before) so it was easy to organize our meals and we didn't eat out as much as we had thought we would.....it was so much nicer to come 'home' and relax over a home-made meal.

However, we did check out the Clachaig Inn more than once because we liked the atmosphere there. We also liked the little Crafts & Things place which was much better value for money than the Craft Cafe overlooking Stalker Castle.....although I ended up buying a hugely expensive cashmere cloak at C&T because I couldn't resist it but will now have to scrimp and save to recover from that!!

We did several of your walks but the one Gareth did on his own seems to have been the highlight of his holiday....he did the walk to the 'Lost Valley' while I sat in the car in the car park and painted the Three Sisters. I had a bypass last year so I could only do the flat walks....so I did the Lochans one several times because I liked the colours there too.

We just love the Glencoe area and I have to go back and do some more painting of the mountains. I come from India and usually there is nothing that can compare with the Himalayas but the Glencoe mountains are just as forbidding and awe inspiring even if not as high.....I just love the formations and shapes and at this time of course, the autumn colours are unbelievable. We will definitely go back there soon.

All in all it was a lovely stay, thank you........we've had a great time and we would definitely recommend 3 Bayview to our friends and relatives. Gareth's sister's family live near Teessside and visit Scotland often so they would be interested for sure....

Will be in touch soon when we want to go again....you're really lucky to have that place!

Warm regards to you and Gillian...Cheers and many thanks again. Moyna

Thank you Moyna, you were lovely.

I've just been putting up some new pages on a self catering website I run as a hobby. It is called last minutecottageholiday.co.uk and I share it with a few good friends. These links to the pages help Google to understand the site.

John

No Smoking self catering holiday properties Scotland

Smoking allowed in these self catering Scottish holiday properties

Pets Welcome in these Self Catering Scottish holiday properties

Pets not allowed in these self catering Scottish Holiday properties

All the facts you need about Self Catering Scotland

The facts about Scottish rain

How to find your ideal self catering property on the internet

The Vikings in Scotland, the Terror, the Battles, Vikings in Glencoe

Sorry only one short holiday break left in Glencoe

March 17th until 21st is the only time we can offer for a short Winter break. Don't know what has happened this year. We have been indundated with early bookings - even into October.

Not complaining, it is rather exciting. Thank you everyone.

I want to put in a link to the viking page we've just done on the web site. This is purely for Google to find it more easily.

The Vikings in Glencoe, the Terror, the Glencoe Battle

Here is the page showing our availability for the rest of the year.

Glencoe cottage availability, self catering cottage

John

Don't leave your car keys on the top of the Pap of Glencoe

This is the view from the top of the Pap of Glencoe at Midnight in the Summer. Our good friends and neighbours Chris and Fiona Hall climbed up to the top of it the other day. This is their story.

Hi, John
We're just packing up to go home now.The weather here was glorious yesterday so Fiona and I did the Pap of Glencoe (2500ft). As we got down near the bottom I discovered I'd lost my jacket - with the car keys in it. So I had to go all the way to the top again! There cannot be many people who have climbed the Pap twice in one afternoon!!

How long was the round trip Chris?

From the gate at the road to the top took us 1h40. The descent was a little under an hour.
The complete double trip took exacty 5 hours, invloved 4300ft of climbing (and descent) and was just over 6 miles in distance. I've got a Garmin GPS so know all the facts and figures!
However, on the second trip I was really motoring and virtually ran (jogged) most of the way down as it was gettting near sunset.
I think a comfortable time for average walkers would be around 3 hours for a normal round trip.
By all means relate the story in your blog. The lesson to be learned is to keep the car keys safely in a rucksack or trouser pocket! I would have happily left my jacket on the top - but the car-keys were another matter. :)
Cheers

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Maine gives in. Sue says she was only joking

I don't care how cold it is. It looks stunning. This is how Ben Nevis looked to-day from the other side of Loch Linnhe.

Pokey Sue says Canada can have cold, truly. Wise girl. And funny.

Well of course you must realize that Maine's claim to being cold is simply a myth designed to keep people from moving up here in droves. If anyone found out it's really only below zero (F) two or three times a year, I mean, we'd be besieged. Every once in a while a palm tree starts up, stomped on immediately. We wear our plaid woollen shirts well into July and best of all, we all like to go to Scotland where it's certainly much warmer and you can watch the sideways rain whilst whipping up mai tais in the blender. Not for everyone, but well, it reminds me, does the cottage have a blender?

Pokey from Maine (where its snowing its brains out tonight...) Quite warm though. Should think that Nova Scotians should check in soon with their comments. Newfies? Fort Kent? Madawaska?

(Madasawho? Editor)

We've got a Monday to Friday break open next week in half term amazingly, and just one more short break open from March 17th Monday to Friday. So why can't I advertise my own cottage in the midst of the Cold War. That's a fine huckster tradition.

John

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This is officially the coldest place in the North

I've never had e-mails like it. This one from Justin, came in about three hours after Sue's e-mail about cold weather. I don't know him, but apparently he travels in Russia and would not like to spend time in a Gulag. Personally, I'm still going to give my vote for the hardiest person to Craig, who has to lecture to the Inuit in mid winter. There is not a lot of joy in that.

Ps, it is about time we had a cold photo. This was taken on the top of Ben Nevis on Castle Ridge by Cassio Cassio. See his photos on Flickr.com How cold was it? Very, very. John

Neither of you are even warm yet, when it comes to coldest.

Oymyakon, in Eastern Siberia, has an average winter temperature of -96F The little village is home to 900 permanent residents, who endure winter for nine months out of the year, and considered −30 F "balmy"

This area is in the East Siberian taiga (northern coniferous forest) and is so cold because it is located near the eastern end of the world's largest land mass and blocked by mountain ranges from moderating oceanic influences.

Even in the middle of winter, places right around the ocean, even though they are much farther north, don't grow as cold as those farther from the ocean.

The Russian Vostok Station in Antarctica holds the record for the coldest official temperature on Earth, -129 F, recorded on July 21, 1983. The average low for August there is -103 F. This station is on the Antarctic Plateau, where the South Pole is located, but even farther from an ocean than the Pole.

2,000 years ago Scotland was almost tropical. It was still pretty warm when the Vikings were invading the North West Coast.

John

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Can't resist another Spring picture. It is not even Valentine's day yet.

No sooner had I posted Craig's e-mail about the frozen North of Canada than we had our other pal back on the e-mail - Pokey Sue - from Maine. This is what she has written this morning.

Now, now boys and girls. (Its only fun.. I think the last time there was a serious outbreak of violence between the two was in 1812. We were involved then, too. Take care Craig, she is married to a Campbell)

Hi there, John, happened to check your blog to see what's new. Those Canadians are always trying to prove it's lots colder in Canada than Maine.

I wouldn't believe a word of it, all written under the influence of Labatts or Moosehead. Though, come to think of it, the only place I've ever seen beer freeze in a bottle while trying to drink it was in Canada. Now that you mention it, maybe I'm blocking out a bad memory - was it in Canada that my gloves wouldn't work and I needed 3 coats on top of my long underwear??? Well, if they are coming to your cottage after us, I will leave them a wee pair of warm booties in case they are unused to the chill.

Now, now.

John
No, could be a good idea
I've got to get in the link to our new page on the Vikings, because Google has indexed it but not high up on the pages. So every little link in helps. Actually, I'll have to change some of the wording to make it more friendly to Lady Google. She can be a tough dame at times.

The Vikings in Scotland, the Terror, the Battles, Vikings in Glencoe

SO YOU THINK THE SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS ARE COLD?

Not everything is snow covered. Here is our Camellia, on February 1st. Spring is not far away.

So you think its been cold? Don’t go there boys and girls – we don’t know how lucky we are with our weather even in Winter. I’ve made pals by e-mail with Craig Bowman who is coming to stay with his wife at the cottage for a week later in the year. They are from Canada.

Some of the temperatures he talks about are also experienced within a mile of our cottage. If you climb up 3,000 feet to the peak above us, Beinn a Bheithir, in mid-winter in a howling gale, you will not survive long with the wind chill temperatures easily below -20. But his experience of these temperatures at sea level is awesome.

Here is his latest e-mail.

I'm writing you from La Ronge SK today, about 5 hours' drive north of Saskatoon. It is currently -41 C with windchills below -50, and only 7 of the 20 or so people who were supposed to come to my talk came today. I blame the weather. My hotel here has some rooms that face the outdoors (not mine thank goodness) and two teenage girls were frozen (by that I mean the door wouldn't open) inside this morning. The hotel guy had to get a space heater on the door, then took a ladder to get inside from the window, and then pushed his way out from the inside. Many hijinks ensued.

-30 is truly bad but unfortunately common at this time of year. At the extreme, we get down to about -45 once or twice per winter, and the wind can feel like it's taking an extra -20 off. When it gets like that, you avoid going outside, but life goes on, so we have some coping strategies. First, you need to have an electric block heater in the car, and preferably a remote-control starter as well so you can take the edge off before venturing out.

At those temperatures, exposed skin can freeze in less than a minute, so the key is layering & coverage - you know those facemasks you see thieves wearing on TV? People here wear them while walking the dog. Underneath a hat and scarf. And the dog wears little
socks.

Your tears are a saline solution, so the eyeballs do not freeze up unless you're already dying of hypothermia, which happens a few times a year to drunk people walking home from the pub or stranded motorists going for help. The eyes aren't the big problem - it's fingers, toes & ears, which can freeze through and then develop gangrene. It all sounds worse than it is; the great majority of people prepare before the go out and are ready for it. Fortunately, the deep freeze in Canada really only lasts from late November to late March, and it the worst never lasts too long - tomorrow is getting up to -7!

Craig

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New page about the Viking terror around the Highlands

Lots of interesting stories about the Vikings in West Scotland - from 790 odd until 1263.

Where can you see Vikings to-day? - well, try all the clansmen originating in the Isles and on the West Coast. They are mostly Vikings according to their DNA . On the Islands probably more Viking than Scots.

Inland, not so much.

Initially they were just money grubbing thieving pirates. Aiming at the churches - particularly Iona, but also the Bishpric in Lismore near us, they were after the jewels and valuables. They sold them on in markets around the world.

If there was no church, then they hit the settlements aiming for women and young men to hold as slaves. They sold the slaves initially in the Orkneys and from there they traded them to the East and Middle East. Slaves meant good money. Slaves were traded in the same way as animals, in markets.

Around the 9th century they had another trick. The Scots had stopped building churches, and certainly kept no valuables in them. Vikings had a lot of internal battles in their homelands, and saw the land of the Scots as offering a better living better. A bit like our own people emigrating to Canada, the USA, South Africa, the Vikings thought why don't we offer the locals a deal?

We'll offer to protect the settlements from these terrible invaders so long as they give us land in exchange and some financial help. Sounds like a good deal. And if the locals don't agree? Well, we'll kill them anyway and behead the chiefs and burn the houses to make the next lot agree.

I believe that Glencoe, and Loch Leven started to feature in their plans around the 10th century. There had been many raids on Lismore. Mull, Morven and Sktye were colonised already.

There are Viking signs in Glencoe, no signs of settlements, just graves and legends about a huge battle in Glencoe, plus a Saga story about a Viking Prince. But no Viking place names, meaning no long term settlements.

That's it then. They were probably defeated in Glencoe, around the 12th century and their decline began.

How? Well, you'll have to read the web site to find out. It is a good story. Not really told properly, in context, before.

The Vikings in Scotland, the Terror, the Battles, Vikings in Glencoe

John
ps We have availability for short breaks from January to the end of March but no dates in April are left. Our availability tables on the website are always kept up to date, by the way.

pps. If you want a jazz band to play at your daughter's wedding, just click on the site below. Oh what the hell, in this life if you don't ask you don't get. So its a long shot.

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Some other sites I run for folks interested in playing jazz.

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