What fantastic weather we have been having here recently! It's times like this as I look out the kitchen window and over Loch Ness shimmering in the sun, that I'm convinced there is no better place to live and work (not than I'm biased!) . Yes, it's a hard life when the glare of the sun on my laptop makes working outside just a bit awkward.
Now where did I put the suntan lotion ......

The wildlife around Evergreen never ceases to amaze us. This morning looking out the kitchen window we were bemused to see one very large red squirrel pecking the bird feeder - nothing unusual so far... but then he proceeded to extract one nut at a time, move to a comfortable perch and munch at it rather leisurely before returning for another and another. Who said squirrels didn't take time over their food!
No sooner had the squirrel finished and it was the turn of two large woodpeckers who clearly had more things on their minds that just eating....

May be its down to the warm weather we have been having....

I read with interest today in the Inverness Courier (http://www.inverness-courier.co.uk/) that the Queen is to officially open the Glendoe Hydro Electric Scheme. It's been a massive development, indeed the largest hydro development in Scotland since the 1950's and it is only right that the monarch should declare 'it open' . It is 2000ft high above Loch Ness on a very barren plateau in the Monadhliath Mountains. Fiona and I were fortunate to visit the site during it's development in March last year. At that time the winter snow had only just melted enough to allow full work to resume after a 6 week stoppage! It's a wild wild place but one I hope they allow public access to via the 11km steep and winding access road.

The photo shows the site camp in the middle of the area now covered by the reservoir.

The Highlands of Scotland as we all know, are of outstanding natural beauty and over the years I have experienced the Highlands from many different perspectives and in all types of weather but this past weekend was new even to me..
Every year there is a 95 mile ultra race the length of the West Highland Way from Milngavie in Glasgow to Fort Willilam in the Highlands. This year my brother and his wife from Canada took part. It did not all go to plan and as a result, to cut a long story short, I ended up walking 45 miles in 16 hours overnight from Bridge of Orchy to Fort William! Now this was quite an experience physically to say the least, but worth it all for the new perspective on the scenery en route.... walking up over the Devil's Staircase in Glencoe at 1am in the morning with a very pale light still in the sky is really something quite special. Add in the views east to the Blackwater Reservoir ( the first hydro scheme in the UK built back in 1905-1906), west across to Ben Nevis and behind us the grey mass of Buachaille Etive Mor - awesome......

It's all happening at Loch Ness this weekend with the now annual Rockness music festival. Approximately 35,000 people have descended on the village of Dores at the end of the loch for the three day event. Can't say the music is to my taste ( sure sign that I'm getting old!) but it's great for the area. Depending on where you live around the loch you can the music from a considerable distance away, infact some residents of Inverfarigaig have said they can hear it...but here at Evergreen, no chance.. our strapline 'Listen to the Silence 'is as true this weekend as at any other time of the year!

Now if only the bands playing were....

Delighted yesterday to be down in London to accept another award for Evergreen! In autumn 2008 we undertook Hospitality Assured , ’The Standard for Service and Business Excellence’ in hospitality. It is the only standard within the Hospitality Industry that focuses on the customer experience.

We were duly assessed and achieved ‘the highest scoring newcomer’ in the UK, to Hospitality Asuured in 2008. The award, presented by the Institute of Hospitality (www.instituteofhospitality.org) , recognises 'those businesses who have worked hard to create a winning service culture that meets and exceeds expectations' of it's customers.

The awards were held at the prestiguous setting of The National Liberal Club in Whitehall Place and although it was a tiring day down to London and back, certainly well worth it .....

Took a run up round Loch Ruthven the other day with friend Ed - all very wild, wet ( I fell in the river!) but highly enjoyable. Loch Ruthven is an RSPB site famed for the breeding ground of Slavonian Grebes. Only a small number of these breed in the UK and most of them it would seem do so on Loch Ruthven. However, this small beautiful loch is rich in birds and wildlife and we saw in the space of 2hrs, a heron, buzzard, osprey, deer and oh yes, one very large bull ( which we had to take evasive action to avoid!) All this only 25 minutes from the centre of Inverness...

Great news this weekend past that beavers have finally been re-introduced in to the wilds of Scotland. Down on the west coast at Knapdale Forest 11 animals were released ( www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/scotland/article6390941.ece). thus marking a 'return' after 400 years. The last beaver was apparently killed on the shores of Loch Ness in the 16th century and it would be fantastic if soon we were to see them up here in the Highlands too. Afterall, despite being one of Scotland's premier tourism destinations, much of the Loch Ness surrounds remain very wild and inaccessible to all but the most intrepid walker - a perfect environment surely in which to re-introduce beavers. May be in a few years?