It is Glencoe really not Rannoch. Beauty and a little fun with pipes

The piper often busks at the roadside parking overlooking the Hidden Valley. The chap who made the film call it Rannoch. But he comes from the US. 

John

Scottish castles in the West Highlands New page in our site about driving on snow and ice Masses of information about the area in our Site map This is about Fort William Appin is beautiful Bed and breakfast and hotels from Oban to Fort William Walks around our cottage Autumn short breaks in Glencoe Ben Nevis walking is a slog, but worth it Cottage holidays Scotland in the Autumn, Winter, Spring The highlands of Scotland Find holiday cottages anywhere Gorgeous photographs of Glencoe Hill walks in Glencoe Munroes in Glencoe Port Appin Barcaldine Accommodation in Lochaber Kentallen Ballachulish Onich How to find cottage owners self catering websites

Ian sees an eagle and a sea eagle all in one trip

This is a lovely February sunset picture taken by Ian near Strontian. He calls it "De-populated" - I like the way he got the ducks to swim in front of him at the right time. We can't get this shot in the Summer because the ferry has already finished before sunset! February can be a lovely month for doing not much at all. 
Hi John,

Weather was only really against us for short bursts and so managed low level walks on both Saturday and Sunday, Ardsheal peninsula and Steall waterfall respectively, both of which much enjoyed. Also enjoyed a fine drive over to Morvern/Ardnamurchan - saw Sea Eagle and Golden Eagle - with a wee stop in Strontian (see 'depopulated' photo) before back to Kentallen for an evening meal at the Holly Tree.

Weekend break was pretty much what we were looking for so, in short, that was probably the best bit!

Ian
The story they don't tell you about the Glencoe Massacre
History around the cottage in Appin
Did the Vikings stage a battle in Glencoe?
The Pictish broch in Lismore
West of Scotland millions of years ago
Robert the Bruce and the Ardchattan parliament
Robert the Bruce and the Knights Templar
The story of the MacDonalds of Glencoe
Ancient roads of the Highlands
Glencoe, the 4th Wonder of Scotland
Castles in the Glencoe area
GLENCOE OUTDOORS
The best walks in Glencoe
Ben Nevis, go climb it
Munros are over 3,000 feet
Some Munros are easy
Glencoe rock climbing
Skiing in Glencoe is excellent again
New cycle tracks around Glencoe
There are lovely beaches and bays around Glencoe
Accommodation Fort William
Golf on the West coast
Tour the Highlands
You can cruise the West coast
Driving around glencoe on snow and ice - Tips

This huge spiritual pull of the highlands. We know what you mean Richard

This is a lovely picture of Betsy and Richard Skinner, who got married then came to our cottage. Here is their story.

Hi John and Gill,
I’m delighted to say we had a wonderful holiday. Not only was the weather excellent, but all your information and suggestions (and jokes) were totally appreciated and enormously helpful. We found the accommodation wonderful and are very happy all round... oh,and did you know that we had got married just before we came to Scotland! So another reason to celebrate....

We did a fair amount of walking (we're not Munro baggers, though) as well as chilling out. Excellent meal one evening at the...er, whatever it's called just up the road (Holly Tree hotel, ed) ; and Betsy made use of their pool on several occasions - she had been swimming in Loch Lomond, on the banks of which we stayed for a couple of nights en route, but though she went in once when we visited Lismore Island she found it too cold.

We chose to come to the Glencoe region because years ago, when I was a nipper, we had a family holiday on the banks of Loch Lomond and visited Glencoe. The story of the Glencoe massacre grabbed my imagination then far more than the scenery, but on subsequent visits to Scotland I passed through Glencoe en route to Skye and every time my spirit soared - so I wanted to return properly, and Betsy was up for it. Being able to spend several days there felt somehow like keeping a decades-old vow to myself - and indeed a vow to the region too. I'm a Londoner by birth and upbringing, and a Devonian by choice, but the Highlands of Scotland have a huge spiritual pull for me, and Betsy (who had not been there before) was captivated too. To misquote Arnie Schwarzeneger (or however he spells his name), we'll be back...

Many thanks,  John and Gill.
Thank you very much Richard and Betsy for your email. We loved your enthusiasm for everything.

20 brilliant walks around our cottage area
Easy hill walks in Glencoe
Why not walk up Ben Nevis one day?
Easier Munroe walks in Glencoe
Rock and Ice climbing in Glencoe
Cycling and fishing Glencoe
Spectacular wild life around our cottage
Golf in the Highlands, Dragons tooth golf course, Glencoe
Cruising the islands, using Glencoe as a base
Safe, beautiful beaches and bays in Glencoe area
Touring the Highlands by car from Glencoe,
Spring breaks, March April May Glencoe
Winter breaks, Jan Feb March in the cottage
Autumn breaks November December in the cottage
Our new Appin 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