Highland communities and publicity. You win some, you lose some.

Small communities which are dependant upon tourism have a love/hate relationship with publicity. They love it when it is good, and hate it when it is bad. Quite understandable, especially when their living depends upon it.

Let me tell you what happens inside a publication or television station when they get reaction from the public to a story they put out. At one time in a misbegotten past, I ran a sports radio programme for the BBC and was the Marketing correspondent for The Times.

The publisher always loves praise and thanks, and they remember it because they don't get much of it. Anyone who writes in to a journalist or editor and compliments them on a story is warmly regarded and if they do it often enough is remembered. All journalists, without exception all around the world, keep a little book of contacts. These are the people they always telephone first for quotes when a story breaks. It is very useful for someone in a community to get on to that list, very useful indeed. This is why some people's names are always in the paper. They are in the book. Don't take the journalist for granted, take him out to lunch.

The publisher ignores any adverse reaction to a bad story if they can. But if the criticism is effective or widespread, or organised, then boy, do they remember it. Anyone who organises a really effective attack on them is immediately taken out of any little books, and is marked down for further treatment in the future.

Oh yes, I can remember taking out a sailing club from my list, when a mildly critical piece about a race being run during high winds was objected to. They did not get on the radio again during my time there, no matter how many open meetings they ran. They never knew. Easy peasey.

So when a community gets publicity it does not like it is best to ignore it. Keep your head down. It will go away quickly. It is usually a one week wonder. However if a community objects, then it gives the story legs, as they say. The television people might follow it up with more critical pieces, run a feature on it, do an in-depth piece. Readers and listeners might start commenting on forums, and the story never goes away.

There are often stories about communities which they do not like. The Oban rail crash was not too popular with the residents of that metropolis. The Loch Awe fishing tragedy was not taken well with the residents of Kilchrenan I'm sure, but their publicity was good when when they organised a new safety system for the loch. They'll be in journalists books. Ardchatten community on the other hand did themselves no favours when they objected after the rail crash to the traffic being re-routed through Appin. Really silly. They'll be out of the books.

We are very lucky because we get a lot of mountain accidents, which no one likes but happily the rescue team is warmly regarded and is in every journalists book.

There is definitely a time to bite your lip.
John
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

Archery lets fly at Kinlochleven

Arrows
Originally uploaded by Gary Danton

What a lovely idea for a rainy Tuesday - youngsters on a Monday. In less than three months since it started, local archery enthusiasts have flocked to join the club new club at Kinlochleven. Folks travel regularly from Glencoe and Ballachulish. Ring up Kirsteen Hine, the secretary, for details for visitors who want to try it out. She is at 01855 831119 . Great idea - what with this and archery lessons on the Glencoe Mountain resort, our Viking heritage is as strong as ever.
The Vikings used the strongbow, and their archers were situated behind the Shield Wall. Yes, they could have used it in a battle in Glencoe. We are mentioned in the Viking Sagas.

John
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

Oban Rail Crash on Facebook group

This pic is from Stv

Someone has opened a Facebook Group about the Oban Rail Crash. It is called "Its time to Replace the Oban Train". Already within a week it has 436 people signed up to it.

Honestly, lads and lasses, we are in the Highlands of Scotland - it is one of the most sparsley populated areas of the country. The train had 60 people on it. The accident was caused by boulders sliding down the hill.

The boulders are always sliding down the hills. A couple of years back the A82 from Crianlarich to Callendar was totally blocked for days with a massive landslide after heavy rains. Why don't we just tie some scrim around the foot of all the hillsides along the roads and the railway tracks going up to the tops? The type of train had nothing to do with it. In this day and age, if you make a fuss about this issue you'll get another Beeching review which will shut the line altogether.

They can't even afford to make a few extra passing bays on the A82 or the A85. They've got to re-build the Forth road Bridge first.

John
20 enchanting walks around our cottage
Hill walks nearby in Glencoe
Going to do Ben Nevis one day?
Easier Munroes around Glencoe
Rock climbing in Glencoe, the best
Cycling and fishing in the Glencoe area
Wonderful wild life around our cottage
Golf at the Dragons tooth golf course, Ballachulish
Cruising the islands, using Glencoe as a base
Beautiful beaches and bays in the Appin and West highlands area
Touring by car from Glencoe
Spring breaks at the cottage
Winter breaks, Jan Feb March in the lochside cottage
Autumn breaks November December 3 days/4days
The new Appin blog site

Glencoe mountain walks - start with the cafe, then get the chair lift. Saves climbing

Over 350,000 people went skiing in our area last year. That makes it the best skiing season for 15 years. Glencoe has been totaly re-vitalised under its new owners - I hope they are into profit soon. Gillian and I enjoy going to the cafe there which is open from 9.00 until 5.00

Both the Glencoe Mountain and Nevis Range resorts have been helped by downhill cycle tracks and the craze for mountain biking. Well, to be truthful, the Glencoe resort is just starting out on this, but these things make the difference between and profit and loss. That is vitally important for the future. Glencoe had an amazing entry of 300 downhill bikers in May for the Championships - they're all nuts, have you seen them?

If you go to Glencoe Mountain, it will be fairly quiet during the week. Most people take the £10 chair lift, walk around a bit and take photographs, then go back down to the cafe. Some people take the chair lift up high and walk down - the walks are superb in nice weather.

The biking tracks are still being made, there is only one downhill at the moment. You can hire bikes there for about £25 including your helmet and a certificate to say you are of sound mind. A few people do it, but it will become more popular as the news spreads. It is easy to reach the resort from Glasgow so it will become popular for weekend nutters from there.

You can always try your hand at Archery. The Viking settlers were the last to shoot arrows for real in the Highlands. Bows were made from Scottish Ash. A 14th century law made it compulsory for all adults above 10 years old to practise archery every Sunday. You could get off a murder charge if you killed someone during archery practice. Mind you, the clansmen made up their own laws. You could get off a murder charge if you killed a man from a different clan probably.

All the walks around our cottage, there are dozens of them in the area

John
Links to useful pages.

Lochside cottage near Glencoe in the Highlands of Scotland

Short Breaks Glencoe

Winter breaks hill walking in Glencoe

Travellers Tales from the Highlands of Scotland

self catering short breaks, special offers, low season, Scotland

visitors information about Glencoe in Scotland

edinburgh, scotland, information for visitors

glasgow, scotland, information for visitors

the Highlands of Scotland, for short break holidays

scotlands all year weather information for visitors

scotlands weather in the summer months, july, august, september

scotlands weather in the autumn months, october, november, december

scotlands weather in the winter months, january, february and march

scotlands weather in the spring, april may and june months

how to find your ideal holiday home in scotland, advice for visitors

Rail crash near Oban diverts all the traffic from Glasgow via Glencoe and Appin

This photo comes from STV, click on the headline for a link to the full story.

Luckily no one was injured, but a nasty sounding rail crash and fire near Dalmally could have been a true disaster.

STV reported earlier to-day the derailment of a train at Cruachan Power station. This is about 10 miles from Oban just past Dalmally. The train was travelling from Glasgow to Oban when it hit a boulder on the line last night. no one knows yet how the boulder came to be on the line.
Those onboard had a lucky escape after it burst into flames near the Falls of Cruachan Power Station, by Loch Awe in Argyll just before 9pm.
The train came to rest balancing over the A85 – the main road between Glasgow and Oban – and both road and rail routes are likely to be closed for up to three days.
It will mean a 60 miles detour for cars and lorries, via Glencoe, then near our cottage in Kentallen, through Duror, near Port Appin, then Benderloch. That is 90 minutes on the normal journey by my reckoning.

John
Here are our cottage link for tourists.
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

What shall we do to-day, Mum? Let's try Glenfinnan and the Harry Potter train

This pic comes from Loch Sheil Cruises, Glenfinnan. There are sea eagles on the loch. It is about 40 minutes from the cottage. 

By the way we've got a new blog site, called Achingly Beautiful Appin, all about the little villages in the area. Have a look.  

Our new Appin villages blog site

Lovely email from Janet.

Hi John

Yes - just back home from work - not great.

Had a great time down there - weather stayed nice - visited Glencoe (a few times), Inverary, Glenfinnan and Mallaig, Ben Cruachan and of course Oban.

Cottage was fine even with us four large adults - were only really in in the evenings so no problem. Have never seen so much local information - what a job that must be keeping up to date but it was great and has great ideas and descriptions for things to do. FYI - MacTavishes is now just McTs in Oban - an upmarket burger restaurant but they still have the Scottish music and ceilidhs in the upstairs although it's now someone else - can't remember name (starts with an S) but it's a Ceilidh Club and the The Carnoch restaurant in Glencoe Village is now the Glencoe cafe and closes at five. That said we ate at the Climbers Inn - great, the Glencoe Hotel which was also very good and The George Hotel in Inverary which was really good as well.

Anyway we had a great time and the cottage was great even for we four big lumps.

Cheers

Janet
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

Martha, please come one day and see where Dad worked

A few weeks ago, in the snow and ice, we had a group stay with us at the cottage. They were climbers, led by Huw Gilbert. He runs climbing courses all over the place, but particularly from his North Wales centre. A couple of weeks after he got back to Wales his wife, Jo, gave birth to a lovely daughter, Martha. We asked him for a pic, and Gillian and I, and our daughters have been oohing and aahing ever since. Lucky Tomos has a new baby sister to look after, and occasionally annoy. And she, him.

Here is Huw's report.
4 days leading Intro to Scottish Winter Climbing course. We used the cottage as a very welcome and comfortable base. Climbed Twisting Gully (111) on Stob Coire nan Lochan, Curved Ridge (11/111) on the Buchaille, Left Twin (111 hard) at Anoch Mor and Arch Gully at Stob Coire nan Beith on Bidean all followed by day's skiing at Nevis Range. Fantastic Snow and Ice conditions.

Huw's website for his climbing school

This is our new blog about Appin. I can't get Google to list it properly, yet. But she will, in time.
Our new Appin blog site

John
Here are our website information links
20 of the loveliest walks around our cottage area
Hill walks around Glencoe
Walk up Ben Nevis one day?
Easier Munroes to walk in Glencoe
Rock and Ice climbing in the Glencoe area
Cycling and fishing near Glencoe cottage
Wonderful wild life around our cottage
Golf at the Dragons tooth golf course, Ballachulish
Cruising the lochs using Glencoe as a base
The best beaches and bays in the Glencoe area
Touring the Highlands from Glencoe as a centre,
Spring holidays, March April May Glencoe
Winter holidays, Jan Feb March in the cottage
Autumn holidays November December in the cottage

Mull Wild life tours, from Glencoe and Appin

This is one of Richard Atkinson's pics - I stole it, hope you don't mind Richard. I'll give it back if you do.

Mull Wild Life tours. link below.

We had this lovely email from a client recently

Hello John. Thought I'd let you know about our stay in your cottage. First off thanks so much for all the info. It was so so helpful. We had great fun finding some of the walks and getting in a muddle. Lots of coffee in Crafts & Things. We had brill weather unlike down south which got completely rain clobbered.


We went on the wildlife safari on Mull which was very very good. Managed to watch golden eagles cruising around then resting up by their nest.Watched two sea eagles over the loch and one swooped down and had a battle taking a duck off the water. Bit worrying as the the eagle looked as though it was getting into trouble and obviously very worrying for the duck. Bad news for the duck as the eagle managed to lift off and go up into the trees.

Also had a great view of a couple of otters playing around as they ate some eels. Watched them for quite a while. I managed to get a finger slammed in the van door while we were over there and it was a mad dash for the first aid kit to strap me up. I was very brave though and didn't make to much fuss.

Actually I was worried about the sheep everywhere. Not only because the drivers didn't seem to make allowances for the babies right by the side of the road and also because it was just so craggy and scary and anything to do with babies and animals is a biggy for me. Had to avert my eyes a couple of times. We saw lots of different birds on Mull and our man Richard picked up on everything.

The name has been left off to protect the innocent.
Here is Richard Atkinson's website address. Wonderful tours, everyone says the same. He will pick you up at Fishnish ferry terminal, so you can leave your car this side and go as foot passengers. Calmac hate it, but we love it because it saves a lot of money. Don't go to Oban to catch the ferry, go across the little Corran ferry near us then drive down to Lochaline  - beautiful run. Ferries are frequent from there.
Mull Wild life Tours

John
Our own links:
Brilliant wild life around our cottage
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
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

Cuil Bay to watch the Geese feeding and flying.

Corran Ferry, route to Ardnamurchan - lovely, lonely roads

We loved Cuil Bay and went most nights to watch the geese feeding and fly away. Loved Lismore, we walked all the way to the Museum and back to the Appin ferry. We really loved the Ardnamurchan peninsula across the Corran Ferry - went there twice and just reflected.

We had a lovely meal at the Creagan Inn, drove down the RTGN (roads that go nowhere), loved Glen Nevis and Glen Etive. WE had a long day to Skye, up to Portree and back via Plockton.
Best of all, no midges, weather great. Glencoe Museum, the girl was great in there.

Karen
ps Left sandals and flip flops, could you post them please? (Yes, of course we will. You two are real romantics we reckon, John)
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

Sunburnt in Glencoe

The restaurant at the Holly Tree, wonderful location, is just 400 yards up the road from the cottage

We had this nice email from Jo.

We've just returned from a glorious week in Kentallen. sunburnt noses and a bag full of useless waterproofs - a happy situation to be in. we really enjoyed your cottage and it suited us very well. tried out a few of the walks, food suggestions etc - inc rather too much time drinking beer in the Holly Tree - we are a contented bunch.

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