Walk along Loch Linnhe, on a dry road without traffic. Or cycle if you prefer.

The old Ballachulish Quarries. Some of us can remember when they were being worked. Now the blue slate is rare, and very expensive.

If I want to tell someone local where our cottage is, I'll say, "Do you know Jessie?" They always do. We tell them our cottage is more or less next door. She is famous in the area, a wonderful lady and Gillian and I are privileged to have her as a friend.

In the old days, before 1955, a famous railway line ran past the back of her garden, and ours. It ran from the Ballachulish Quarries to Oban. It carried slate to the markets in the South, plus a few passengers. It was renowned as one of the most beautiful railway lines in the world - the equal of the Jacobite train to-day which runs from Fort William to Mallaig and is packed with tourists. After the slate quarries closed, the railway closed.

You'll not believe this, but I promise it is true. With one of Jessie's lads on board after school, the train driver would slow down as it passed her house, the lad would throw off his satchel, and jump down. Can you imagine that happening to-day? Health and Safety would die of shock. Good.

You can see this line again to-day, you can walk along it and cycle along it because the track has been hard laid between Glencoe and Kentallen Bay.

On the way, you'll be beside the most beautiful sea-loch, watch the cormorants on the rock, pass beneath the infamous spot where Campbell of Glen Lyon was shot, the incident on which Robert Louis Stevenson based his famous book Kidnapped. You'll pass by the rock on which the alleged killer was wrongfully hanged and his skeleton left as a warning to the Stewarts. You'll see the herons by Ballachullish hotel and in Kentallen Bay, go past five ancient piers which were in use 100 years ago, and have coffee by the water in the Holly Tree hotel. Bliss.

One day, in the distant future, they will have this cycle and walking track stretching from John O' Groats to Campbelltown at the foot of the country. Bits of it in our area have been done already between us and Oban.

There are a few holds up before completion down to Oban. These are mostly around the old railway stations which have been sold for houses a long time ago. The Holly Tree Hotel has converted the old Kentallen station and was built right over the top of it. Despite pleas from tourists, few of the owners are keen to have cyclists charging through through their living rooms. Honestly, what has happened to the spirit of Highland hospitality? I mean if you can board and lodge a couple of hundred soldiers in your village crofts who have come to massacre you in Glen Coe then surely a few cyclists would not matter? Perhaps we are not in 1692 any longer.

They'll have to by pass these houses, giving a few up and down moments for cyclists. But it will be wonderful when it is completed.

John
Lochside cottage near Glencoe in the Highlands of Scotland
Last minute, late availability Glencoe, self catering cottage
20 brilliant walks around our cottage area
Spectacular wild life around our cottage
Golf in the Scottish highlands, Dragons tooth golf course, 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
Spring breaks, March April May Glencoe
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 new Glencoe Skiing centre information website
Essential information for holidaymakers in Scotland, in one page
Video. Skiing on Glencoe mountain

VS usually shoots itself in the foot. Will it do so again with this new idea?

Visit Scotland is going to tie itself more to Trip Advisor and customer reviews for their grading systems.
Is this going to cause big trouble for them or is this going to cause very big trouble?

We are not in membership of VisitScotland and we are so pleased not to be, so we have no axe to grind. VS membership is expensive and it is bureaucratic. A survey of self catering guests shows that only 30% know of VisitScotland and their grading system, but very few people use it for their self catering accommodation.  Those who do, use it as a small part of their decision process.

I am the first to acknowledge that VS in its early days set quality standards for accommodation and hospitality which are exemplary, the envy of the English and Welsh Tourist Boards. We have very high tourism standards in Scotland, and this is due in no small part to the work done by the early organisation, and its management not by the present lot. VS has seen its best days.

Yes, there are visitors who are devotees of the Grades, mostly they are Hotel and B+B guests, and some people will not book anywhere without a 4 star grade. But owners of 3 star properties are leaving VS, in droves.

OUTGOING CHAIRMAN WHINGES ABOUT THE INDUSTRY WHINGEING.
Here is their recently departed part-time Chairman on the subject of accommodation providers (having just received. £150,000 in bonuses on a basic salary of £24,000)

He wrote, "I have been frustrated by sections of the industry not taking a lead and taking things forward themselves. It still feels like a large part of the tourism industry is living in a dependency culture. In fact, it is one of the most supported ­industries in Scotland at national and local level, and yet ­Government ­agencies can never do enough to please. Isn’t it time ­businesses asked themselves if they deserve support? Why should they get help when the butcher down the road does not? Are they doing their bit to support growth in tourism by investing in quality, and ensuring they understand and meet their customers’ needs?

Whole regions of Scotland are resigning from VS Mr. ex-Chairman and taking matters into their own hands. Was Glencoe whingeing, when it set about revising its local infomation website - to be published later this month - at a cost of £thousands and with help from many people, plus subscriptions and special payments from all members? The industry whinges, Mr. ex-Chairman, when your web site does not produce enquiries as promised and when your inspectors seem to have their own private agendas for grades. It costs a forune to join you and the benefits are iffy. Yes, it is ok for 4 star and above, but worth little for the majority of owners.

The VS problems are two-fold - the failed booking system - everyone moans because they do not get enough VS enquiries; together with the cumbersome and picky quality control system. "You can't get 4 stars, you haven't got all wool carpets in every room" "You have not been putting parsley on the scrambled eggs" "Your walls are not perpendicular" "No we cannot make allowance for your wonderful view, and your architect designed house" "It does not matter if it is in the slum area of Arbroath. If it meets the standards it can get 4 stars" All of these are true examples.


VS PUBLISHES ITS VIEWS ABOUT TRIP ADVISOR.
The Trip Advisor idea link up idea started in England.
“In response to overwhelming demand from both the industry and the consumer, VistEngland will combine the best of the existing star rating schemes with the best of user review generated content to provide the visitor with a better and more comprehensive picture of what’s on offer.”

The VS study had a 2,000 strong samples of providers and guests. Neither a breakdown of the sample, nor an indication which company carried out the research are provided. These are basic requirements. It was probably Taylor Nelson, so that would be ok. I suspect that the best slant has been put upon the results, and a lot of negatives left out. Behind all of this is a drive to slash costs.

80% of the industry want a combined system (of Star gradings and Trip Advisor)
75% of the industry believe user reviews improve their business. (Yeah right, as long as the reviews are good.)
40% of consumers are sceptical of user reviews.
Half still look at user reviews and Trip Advisor is by far the most popular. (Look, even I look at Trip Advisor when we go away but only casually and only because Google maps always include it).
Put another way, when reminded about review sites, nearly half of customers would never use one anyway.

The VS study is a sales document. It is full of stuff from providers about how their bookings improved with the use of Trip Advisor. Many of the questions are of the "What if..." variety, being virtually useless as a guide to actual behaviour, as anyone in the market research profession will tell you.

HOW TO GET FAVOURBLE REVIEWS IN TRIP ADVISOR

Vs are going to slash the costs of grading, of that there is no doubt. The Trip Advisor idea is an attempt to boost the apparent quality of the scheme. But the potential flaws are massive.

It is going to use Trip Advisor, with or without a sharply modified quality grading system. Trip Advisor? I've just looked up "hotels in Glencoe Scottish Highlands". We know every hotel very well. First of all the Trip Advisor search facility does not show any at all. None.Zilch.

But if you put the hotel name into the search then they come up with reviews. The reviews are all over the place - for every hotel. Louisa Legg at the Glencoe hotel has the habit of replying to every single Trip Advisor review and I think this will become standard practice. What a bore, though.

When people have a moan they can be truly viscious, but people who are happy tend not to put in comments. With 1,000 bednights a week, one big hotel will not be able to make every guest totally happy. It cannot be done.

The biggest problem is that small properties can load favourable reviews into the Trip Advisor comments, through using friends and family. It is standard practice in small businesses if they can be bothered. We can't, by the way, be bothered, that is.

But for big properties, a big danger comes from deadly rivals, sticking in horrible write ups deliberately to downgrade the competitor's hotel. What hotels have to do then, if they can be bothered, is to "cover" the write up with favourable ones from their friends, so the bad review goes down the list.  You can also influence results by asking your guests deliberately to write a review once you've seen what they write in your guest book.

Well, good luck to Dr. Michael Cantlay, convenor of the Loch Lomond national park. Deputy chairman of VS, he has stepped up into the top job now.

What he should concentrate on is the Advertising and PR campaign to get visitors to Scotland. It is excellent and should not be cut. It needs the money from the government for this, because the results are gained by all. However it is wrongly slanted. He can forget about the market in the USA. The biggest market by far is in England, 90% of it then we get down to about 10% of visitors from overseas, the strongest contingent being from Germany. Don't ask me, I don't know.

John
Lochside cottage near Glencoe in the Highlands of Scotland
Last minute, late availability Glencoe, self catering cottage
20 brilliant walks around our cottage area
Spectacular wild life around our cottage

LOCAL REFERRAL SITES.
Top professional photographs of Glencoe and the area
The Clachaig Inn
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
News of the local area
Golf in the Scottish highlands, Dragons tooth golf course, 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
Spring breaks, March April May Glencoe
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 new Glencoe Skiing centre information website
Essential information for holidaymakers in Scotland, in one page
Video. Skiing on Glencoe mountain

How the McDonalds won Glencoe about 700 years ago

Inverlochy Castle, given to the Campbells by Robert the Bruce around 1314

It started with a knife fight in a Church

Around 700 years ago the Chief of the Clan Donald, Angus Og, was awarded the "lands of Durro' and Glenco" by the King of Scotland.

On 10th February in 1306, before the altar of a monastery in Dumfries, one of the two most powerful nobles in Scotland, John Comyn, was killed after a knife fight between him and his rival Robert the Bruce, later King of Scotland. The motive for the fight was clear - Comyn had reported the Bruce's "treason" to Edward 1st of England meaning a certain, and horrible death for the Bruce if caught. Bruce' friends finished off the Red Comyn in the church, a dreadful crime in what was a very religious country. Excommunication followed for all of them.
What is not clear is why Comyn was there at all, he would have known the danger he faced. What is also not clear is why the Comyn had no friends with him, when his deadly rival for the Scottish Crown had his family seat just 5 miles up the road at Lochmaben Castle. Why was the Comyn alone in his enemy's territory?
For some years, Scotland had been on the edge of civil war between these two great families, each claiming the throne. Of the two, the claim by the Comyns, backed by their many friends including the McDougalls of Lorne was the slightly stronger. In those days, civil war was very violent. No prisoners were taken except nobles for their ransom value. This is how winners of battles were paid out.
The knife fight, and Comyns death, settled the issue. Bruce had no option but to go directly for the Scottish Crown. Six weeks later it was placed upon Bruce's head on the famous Stone of Scone.
Instantly he was a renegade and went into hiding from the powerful and brutal Edward 1st. Half of Scotland's noble families were against the Bruce and most of the other half kept switching sides. But two families remained loyal to Bruce, the Campbells of Argyll, and the Clan Donald who reigned over the Western Isles from their base in Islay.
Why these two families? Well, Bruce was half a Highland man, a Gael, from his mother's side. The other half was from a Norman family brought over to England by William 1st in 1066. Bruce spoke Gaelic, while the clansmen could barely understand the language of the other Scottish noblemen. But they understood the Bruce. He was almost one of them, and these clans reigned totally over their lands and the subordinate families on their lands. They could raise armies which were expert in guerilla fighting and raiding, and they did. It was their way of life.
Angus Og hid the Bruce, while Edward's forces were looking for him. Some say this was at Castle Tioram, on Ardnamurchan a remote hideout almost impossible for Edwards galleys to raid even if they could find it. The Castle belonged to cousins of Clan Donald, also descendants of Somerled, the MacRuarie. A romantic tale has the Bruce and Christina MacRuarie as lovers.
Their problem was the opposition to Bruce by the McDougalls, a big powerful family based upon Dunstaffnage Castle near Oban. They were just as warlike as the Clan Donald their distant cousins, descended as they both were, from a common ancestor the great warlord Somerled, himself half a Viking.
The decisive battle between the three clans probably in 1308, was the famous one fought at the Pass of Brander, by Cruachan at the head of Loch Awe. This is the narrow gorge along the river, where the road past the power station runs to-day. A clever and skilful movement on the hillside above by the Bruce supporters led the MacDougalls into a trap. Their leader, John, escaped while his father gave up Dunstaffnage Castle to the Bruce after a short siege in 1309.
The Comyn Castle at Inverlochy by Fort William was given to the Campbells by the King, as was Dunstaffnage Castle. The Clan Donald were more sea-going clansmen and Glencoe and Ardnamurchan were closest to their Island home. Both of the castles are well worth a visit, as is Castle Tioram. The three ruins are kept in good order. You'll have to find Tioram first. The exact dates of all these gifts is uncertain, but the period of 1310 to 1314 would cover it.
Later, the two clans fought beside The Bruce at the famous Battle of Bannockburn in June 1314. The Scots won, despite being outnumbered by possibly 5 to 1.

The Battle has reverberated in Scottish history ever since. I cut my teeth on the story at Glasgow High School in 1944.

John
Some data you might find interesting relating to this story.

The MacDonalds, one of Scotlan'd greatest clans
Was there a "Scottish parliament" at Ardchattan Priory, by Loch Etive?
Did Knights Templar help Robert the Bruce at Bannockburn?
Appin, Land of the Stewart Kings
plus links below to the Glencoe Massacre, the Viking story;
Lochside cottage near Glencoe in the Highlands of Scotland
Last minute, late availability Glencoe, self catering cottage
20 brilliant walks around our cottage area
Spectacular wild life around our cottage
Golf in the Scottish highlands, Dragons tooth golf course, 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
Spring breaks, March April May Glencoe
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 new Glencoe Skiing centre information website
Essential information for holidaymakers in Scotland, in one page
Video. Skiing on Glencoe mountain

Borrow our cottage clubs, use the voucher for Dragons Tooth Golf Club, Glencoe

Isn't this a totally delightful Golf Course? It is under new management and it is doing well. It is a very dry course so that is good news. Not difficult - well, it is for me, but not for a proper golfer. It sits beside the entrance to Loch Leven and is a couple of miles from our cottage. We keep some LH and RH clubs at the cottage in case guess want to use them, and we recommend it. Good meals there, as well, not expensive and visitors are welcome. Margaret, at the course, has kindly given us some vouchers so that guests can play at reduced fees. Try it. You'll enjoy it.

John

ps we have a week avalable in April still. Just go to our availability and price link and email us from there. The traditional cottage sleeps 4 and has been fully updated and modernised. Very pretty, by the lochside.

Lochside cottage near Glencoe in the Highlands of Scotland
Last minute, late availability Glencoe, self catering cottage
20 brilliant walks around our cottage area
Spectacular wild life around our cottage
Golf in the Scottish highlands, Dragons tooth golf course, 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
Spring breaks, March April May Glencoe
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 new Glencoe Skiing centre information website
Essential information for holidaymakers in Scotland, in one page
Video. Skiing on Glencoe mountain

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

For our Scottish friends and their friends - we'll pay half the cost of the holiday

You, or any friends of yours could be walking around here, in this magificent spot, in magnificent weather for a weekend break, or a midweek break in our cottage, and we will pay half the cost. You don't have to ski in Glencoe, you can take the ski-lifts and walk around. Glencoe skiing is having a marvellous run, for its new owners. They are all trying very hard and succeeding. The Glencoe ski centre, now called Glencoe Mountain, is the oldest ski centre in Scotland.

You don't want to miss Glencoe this winter of all wonderful winters.

Since we started letting the cottage, we have had 18 guests from Scotland.

From Friday 12th March, next week until Monday 15th we have no guests booked in. Also from Monday 15th March until Friday 19th we have no guests.

We thought it would be nice to see if it might be attractive for our past guests from Scotland - or their families or friends, if we made a big reduction in the price. Normally, for these breaks the price would be £295, but if you or your friends or family decide to snatch a quick break then we will pay for half of it.

This would make the price for each break just £147.50, Good Grief, I can't work it out in pennies so we'll make it a round £145. Heating at cost and linen £10, will add a tiny bit.

Fancy the idea? A lot of people are booking late these days, just had one in yesterday for later this month.

But it is nice to do something for old friends. If you, or your friends want to come, just put the price of £145 and the date you want in your subject line then we will know it comes from you. No good looking in the website, only the full prices are quoted there.

Email us at lochsidecottage@yahoo.co.uk

You can if you wish, send me the email addresses of friends, or neighbours of yours who might be interested and I'll mail them directly.

All of Glencoe is absolutely glorious at the moment for walking. The cottage has been upgraded since you were here last, new kitchen, bathroom. Still sleeps 4, still by the lochside, still made of 40 million year old Kentallenite, still has the Ballachulish slate on the roof, still with our friend Jessie as a neighbour. It is lovely.

Here is our other blog site with the skiing report for to-day added. http://glencoefortwilliamoban.blogspot.com/

John

http://www.bayviewkentallen.co.uk/

Huge amount of snow in Glencoe. It is wonderful

Here is the report I've just received from Andy Meldrum at the Glencoe Mountain Ski resort. What a time for a new business to take over a ski range, huh? (We've still for a weekend break available in the cottage from next Friday, and a week available from the following Friday after that, the 12th. See the previous blog for details)

John
---------------------

It's been snowing!!! (says Andy)
If you've not already heard it's been snowing at Glencoe over the last 48hrs........
.......not just a few inches but feet at the bottom of the hill and metres at the top.
Unfortunately we don't have any pictures as everyone has been too busy digging.

The report from the hill tonight is:-

Lots and lots of fresh snow. Not only have the team spent the day digging out lifts, they intend working through the night to ensure that all runs and tow tracks are in the best shape possible for tomorrow. All runs are expected to open with the exception of the flypaper (big avalanche risk). It is possible to ski to the carpark on deep soft snow.

It looks like being an awesome weekends skiing with moderate NE winds and an 80% chance of cloud free munros according to the mountain weather information service.

I look forward to seeing you on the hill.
Andy

--------------
RANNOCH MOOR ROAD, was closed but it should open quite quickly.

If you get stuck before crossing the Moor, then continue in the Oban direction until you get to Connel. Turn North there over the Etive bridge, and go up the Appin coast, the scenery will take your breath away, go past our cottage and then you'll get to Ballachulish, Glencoe asnd Fort William. The Rannoch road is rarely closed but it has been to-day, and they clear it quickly.

The road in front of our cottage rarely gets very deep in snow. Being right on the coast helps, we have a little micro climate there. More sunshine, a bit less rain, than in the Glen.

AVALANCHE ON THE BUCHAILLE.

It is always so tragic that in the midst of all this splendour and beauty the real rish of extreme danger still lurks. New snow on top of old does the damage. It is an objective danger and there is little you can do about it apart from being very wary in the obviously dangerous gullies and steep hillsides. Terribly sad. We've had a lot this year in Scotland.

John
The Glencoe skiing new web site, looks lovely

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

LOCAL GLENCOE SITES.
The Clachaig Inn
The Glencoe and Loch Leven Association with 40 B&Bs
Email 14 properties with one click
The Friends of Glencoe network site

HALF PRICE GLENCOE COTTAGE FOR OUR PAST GUESTS AND THEIR FRIENDS

Winter breaks in Glencoe have been brilliant this year so far. The new ski range is open and doing very very well. It is only a 90 minute drive from Glasgow, a bit further from Edinburgh. They send us a daily snow forecast which is very useful because we can tell our guests what it is like
Do you want to have a look at the conditions now? Click on webcam in their website.  Glencoe skiing  - their new web site, looks lovely

Last of our off-season availability.
This is only for our previous guests or their friends. They are the only ones reading this blog anyway. We have a few days spare in early March which we can offer at half price as a short break cottage holiday.
Weekend 5th Fri - 8th Mon (£245 normal price) we'll do it for you at £122.50 if you are the first one to use the magic words "half price" in your subject line email to us. If you look at the website, it will show the normal price.

The thing is that these days people are often booking very late - sometimes just the week before. This is our other availability in March, but at normal prices:
Full Week at £295 from the 12th Fri, to the 19th Fri, or this can be broken into 2 short breaks Fri to Mon or Mon to Fri each £245.

In April
one full week is still available from April 16th to 23rd Fri to Fri at £295 or this can be divided into 2 short breaks, Fri - Mon or Mon to Fri at £245.
We also we have a short break from April 26th available at £245, Mon to Fri.

Send us an email at kentalleninfo(at)yahoo.co.uk  You need to put the little (at) sign in as usual. We do this to avoid spam. Or you can email us direct from the bayview website below the "lochside cottage..." link

SUMMER BOOKINGS
We've never had such advance bookings before. Just a couple of weeks are still free in June and in August. We are really sorry if you were thinking of coming to us.

John

Here are some sites which may be useful.
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
OTHER LOCAL LINKS
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
Die Website der kleinen Hütte in Schottland
 
OTHER SITES
Scotlands weather misconceptions
Facts about self catering holidays
Short holiday breaks, special last minute deals, self catering Scotland
Special self catering offers in Scotland
Advice on driving in Scotland

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