Great! The latch is fixed. A plonkers guide to getting things done.

"What's that noise? Someone is banging about downstairs. Go and see"
"No, I'm in bed."
"So am I, get downstairs, you baby."

If Ewen wasn't a man I could have kissed him. He was doing the latch on our back door. It has taken six months to fix, I can't do it, being a plonker at DIY and repairs. Better with the chat, me.

All joiners, decorators, handymen, electricians, gardeners, builders in the Glencoe area have a unique marketing style. What Starbucks are to Carpet bomb marketing, they are to Stealth marketing. "Keep your head down lads, and maybe the customer will go away"

Here is how you find a joiner. You drive up and down, and spot one working on the house opposite Catherine's place at Fern Villa. You grab him by the arm, and sell him on the idea of maybe coming to see your job. His name is Ewen, and he does it!

Here is how you find a Glencoe decorator. You ask enough people at the stores, you'll get a name. "Oh, but he is working at the hotel for the next 50 years," they'll tell you. So you now have a name and a location. You've got to con your way past Reception, so look a bit wet, take a notebook in your hand with a pencil in your ear and march up the hotel stairs confidently like a maintenance man. Ask around up there and you'll find him.

Here is how you find a Glencoe electrician. You march into the coffee shop his wife runs, and sooner or later he'll turn up wanting a hamburger. Then you go into your sales pitch again.

Gardener? Ring, go to his place of work three times, text him, ring his home, email him, and seven days later he'll call you in his friendliest manner. From Benderloch, of course.

Thank Heavens for our housekeeper Michelle. Without her, we'd be lost. She is in love with a horse at the moment.

These folks, when you get them, are very very good at their jobs. Really expert. We can't get better ones in the South. We'd be hard pressed to find ones anywhere near as good.

All of this is true. We go to the cottage every winter to catch up with things. Hamish the lovely decorator, tells us why we usually find so little needs to be done. "If you keep your place in good order, well maintained, as you do, then the guests will look after it for you."

You know what? He's right. Thanks guests. You've never let us down yet.

John
ps I suppose I ought to try and sell you something. How about the week starting April 16th? No one booked in then. No, why should we give anyone a special price, we'll let it anyway before then? Oh go on, then, if you write in the subject line of your email "10% off", then we'll give it to you. Only 'cos we like you.

Useful links.
Lochside cottage near Glencoe in the Highlands of Scotland
Last minute, late availability Glencoe, self catering cottage
Spring breaks, March April May Glencoe
Weather in the mountains of Glencoe
Weather month by month in the area
Scotlands weather misconceptions
The Viking battle in Glencoe
The true story of the Glencoe massacre
Honeymoon cottages in Scotland
Find the best Scottish holiday cottages on the internet
Cut the costs of your holidays
Cheap travel in scotland
The Clachaig Inn - great atmosphere in this world famous climbers pub
The Glencoe and Loch Leven Association with 40 B&Bs
Email 14 properties with one click
The Friends of Glencoe network site
The new Glencoe Skiing centre information website

Fabulous February weather in Glencoe. Oh yes, entirely possible. Cottage offer

Cottage breaks in February. Short break £199, one week £295, sleeps 4 all mod cons
These are the normal rates, but we will cut them in half for you for some dates.

Click here for availability Feb/Mar/Apl

Feb 1st Fri short break, and Feb 12 Mon short break at half price. Only to readers of this blog.
Email us and put "Half Price Offer" in the Subject line, then we'll know. kentalleninfo@ yahoo.co.uk

Better than January, less wet than November and December, less rain, more daylight, this is the weather in Glencoe in February. The weather in Kentallen is considerably better even than this. Wet gets dumped in the Glen but usually it must come over the mountains behind the cottage from the South-west. When the weather is bad in our bay, we go west to Ardnamuchan. Doesn't always work but more often than not it does.

When it is sunny in February, it takes your breath away. It is such a joy to be alive.

Feb 1955. Imagine a lad of 20, just out of National Service. Motor bike broken down, - there used to be a garage by the Ballachulish hotel. They order up a part from Norton in Birmingham- remember Norton? - it comes via AA road patrols within 24 hours. Wow!


Meanwhile, said young chap decides to pop up the Aonach Eagach ridge. Not the cleverest thing to do solo, maybe, but on the other hand he's climbed for four years, done the Alps, the Cuillins, North Wales, left a note of where he was going, the usual stuff. Health and Safety would have something to say to-day, so would other busybodies. ("Yes, it is all very well, John, but you put the lives of others at risk, too") Yeah right. You've got one life to live in this world. So have they. I'd be grateful but it is their decision too. ("Yes, John but what about the cost of patching you up, broken limbs, brain damage?") Ok if you want to win that much, you win, I give in.
The weather was totally stunning. Blue sky all round, slight wind. Stretch out you arms and you touch the Three Sisters, to the South East is the Blackmount, Ben Cruachan a bit to the South in the distance, Schiehallion a long way away but looking very proud to the East, to the North, the Mamores nearby, then Ben Nevis and the Aonachs, to the West the lovely area of Morven. It is an image that remained in the young man's mind for the next 54 years. You know what, these scenes are recalled from memory, and I've probably got it wrong a bit, but the image was so powerful.

(Anyway, he didn't do all of the ridge, because he was not a total idiot, up to the top and down again. Don't solo the whole ridge in Winter. You'll terrify yourself and probably die. Unless you are really good, that is. The Ice Factor people could do it)
Sunshine in Scotland in February is no less than 28 hours more than in January, virtually double. Not this year perhaps, because January has been brilliant against the average. Only an average of 14 days of rain as well in February. There is over 10% more daylight as well.
The problem is the cold particularly up high. It gets colder by 2 c degrees for every 1,000 feet you climb. The top of Bidean is 8 c degrees colder than sea level. The annual average air temperature there is –0.3 c degrees. The coldest months are January and February, once the snow falls then it stays widely on the tops until April. But the lowest temperatures in Scotland are inland and not on the West Coast.
The real trouble with height is the wind chill. As the wind rises over the hills it increases in power. In January you have 7 hours of daylight. It takes 7 hours to get to the top of Ben Nevis and back down, and you need to allow at least a spare hour in case of trouble. So start before dawn. Ugh! The temperature at the top, with a strong wind can be -20 or worse. Bidean at 1150m is slightly lower than Ben Nevis at 1344m but not all that much.
Try high level walking. It is wonderful. Otherwise crash out at the Clachaig, swap mountain stories with others, and hope it is going to clear.
John

ps Oh, and you can get a weekend break, or a midweek break in our lovely little lochside cottage about 4 miles from Glencoe. The weather is often less wild there at Kentallen.

Skiing Glencoe and Nevis range, cottage is midway between the two


Lochside cottage near Glencoe in the Highlands of Scotland

Last minute, late availability Glencoe, self catering cottage

Spring breaks, March April May Glencoe

Winter breaks in the cottage

Weather in the mountains of Glencoe

The Viking battle in Glencoe

The true story of the Glencoe massacre

Weather month by month in the area

Glencoe is absolutely enchanting at the moment - when the sun shines.

Glencoe is absolutely brilliant at the moment. This is the new Glencoe skiing centre, about 20 minutes from the cottage. The skiing there is stunning, let's hope it lasts through until April.

We had a lovely couple stay at the cottage last week. She bought the break for him as a present, and he went on a photography course run by Dmitri. I think there is a touch of true love involved there, don't you? How many wives would be happy to stick around alone on holiday while their husbands slope off up to their knees in mud alongside the River Etive, and then moon about in the Moor of Rannoch photographing stuff?

Thank you Jackie and Martin.

"
Hi, John and Gillian,
Just got back from a lovely relaxing weekend at your delightful cottage. We had a great time discovering how beautiful it is up there! Martin enjoyed the photography course despite the rain! We flew Bristol to Inverness and the drive down and back was so beautiful along Loch Ness. It was also great to see Ben Nevis today - even though the top was covered in cloud. We went to the Climbers Bar in Glencoe on Saturday - was a fantastic evening - especially enjoyed the Veggie Haggis!    "
 
One third off Glencoe Winter Walking and Skiing breaks in February.
We are offering one-third off the price of our short breaks in February, but only to the visitors to this blog site. So you need to email us, and put "one third off" in the subject line and then we know you qualify. Go to this page and email us from there. You can see prices and availability there.
 
http://www.bayviewkentallen.co.uk/shortbreaksavailability.html
 
John

Skiing Glencoe and Nevis range, cottage is midway between the two
Lochside cottage near Glencoe in the Highlands of Scotland
Last minute, late availability Glencoe, self catering cottage
Spring breaks, March April May Glencoe
Winter breaks in the cottage
Weather in the mountains of Glencoe
The Viking battle in Glencoe
The true story of the Glencoe massacre
Weather month by month in the area