Loch Ness Newsletter - May 2012

Hello Everyone

How many of you have heard the phrase "ne're cast a clout till May be out?  It simply means "never discard your (warm winter) clothing until the month of May is ended and is so apt at the moment. We have been fortunate to have missed all the heavy rain which has fallen in the south of the UK over the last week or so. Last week, Loch Ness looked fabulous. Although cool for the time of year we had five straight days of blue skies and sunshine. However, today it is really chilly again and I just hope that all the plants that I put into the tubs in front of Evergreen over the weekend are going to be OK.

Talking about plants - We had a very successful day's planting at Hazelgrove a few weeks ago but we did delay this by a week as in early April we were warned that there would be frost. We left the plants in the porch at Hazelgrove and pleased to say that they have all taken very well and have really added some colour to the front garden.The guests who arrived this week were very complimentary about the progress we are making in Hazelgrove garden so I hope that other return visitors will also be able to see the difference.

I mentioned a few months ago that one of the events to be held this year on the south side of Loch Ness was the Man V Horse competition. This took place last weekend and both runners and riders have agreed that it was a fabulous event. And who won?.... Well, it was a horse, but apparantly this is in no way always a certainty. The horses can obviously move much faster on the flat but unless they are very fit and used to endurance distances, some of the uphill sections can be just as dificult for them as it is for runners. Where the runners really make up groud is coming down steep sections, especially if the ground is quite stony as the horses have to tread really carefully. As you might expect with most inaugural events, it was quite a small affair with 8 riders and 8 runners taking part. The runners in particular were very positive and complimentary about those sections of the south loch ness trail which were included in the route.With the positive feedback it will hopefully become an annual event.

Another inaugural event this month is Happyness. This is an exciting new comedy festival which will be held in Inverness where there will be something for everyone. There will be comedy of all kinds from slapstick to stand up and the festival will feature some well known comedy stars, including Bill Bailey and Ardal O'Hanlon as well as newcomers, break-through acts, local and Gaelic talent. There will also be a photo exhibition and a number of special events, one of which is a football match between Inverness Caledonian Thistle and the Happyness comedians. Should be a fun time over the five days the festival runs - 23rd to 27th May.

Graeme has just finished reading a superb book of stories and recollections of highland life. The book is called The Dark Mile by Iain Mackay, published in 2010.  Unfortunately it is a limited edition but if you are interested in reading about life in the Highlands 100-150 years ago, it is well worth searching out (Graeme bought it in the bookshop attached to the Ceilidh Place in Ullapool). Graeme is of the opinion that the saddest and most powerful stories in the book are not, for once, of the people, but of the wholesale slaughter of all wildlife on Highland estates in the 19th century, to satisfy the sporting desires of the aristocracy. It was on a truly huge scale and while much of the wildlife in the Highlands today are we think numerous, it is nothing compared to how it once was. In one story a poacher talks of killing over a six month period, 15 hawks, 230 Grouse, 120 hares, 8 weasels, 3 wildcats, 4 polecats, 1 pinemarten, 28 deer, 86 Hoodie Crows, 150 wildfowl, 3 otters, 2 seals, 3 foxes. Tragic.  

Finally, on a cheerier note - thank you to all Hazelgrove visitors who have recently been kind enough to post a review of their stay on Flipkey/Trip Advisor. We now have 37 reviews and these really do help potential guests decide if they want to come and stay. And if you are already thinking about a return visit next year we are pleased to let you know that we have just set our prices for 2013 and that we have kept them at the same rate as 2012.

Till next month

Fiona and Graeme