Just thought it important to correct any idea that it has been raining over the whole of the UK constantly over the past couple of weeks. Here on the Costa del Loch Ness and down at our self catering property on the west coast of Scotland nothing could be further from the truth! Yes, we have had a few showers but take a look at these photos. The Loch Ness one was taken two weeks ago on the Corriyarrick Pass above Fort Augustus. The other was taken from our boat last weekend looking down the Kyles of Bute towards the mountains of the island of Arran...

Not an activity one would immediately associate with Loch Ness but yes, once again if you are here on holiday and fancy a rest from cycling/walking or anything too energetic, you can always have a leisurely game of tennis! The tennis court down at Fort Augustus has recently been repaired and upgraded. If you want to play just call in at the Lovat Arms in Fort Augustus and they will get you sorted....

I know summer should be long sunny days and evenings spent watching the sun go down over Loch Ness, but today it is rain, rain and more rain! And what makes it worse is that I really should be out in it spreading 4 ton of gravel we got delivered to improve our drive up to Evergreen. However having already been soaked when I nipped out to strime the grass it's going to have to wait. What I really need is a gardner - any volunteers out there?

We just can't get enough of our furry friends here at Evergreen ! Fiona spends ages staring out the kitchen window at them but it's all time well spent when she gets some good photos. Here are two taken at the weekend - in some respects they are unusual photos because most times the squirrels get in sight of each other there is war but not for these two!

Ever since we started here at Evergreen we have had photo albums in each of our bedrooms to give guests a feel for the area throughout the seasons. However, we have recently changed these for new digital photo frames on which we can display more photographs for guests and change them regularly. Yesterday we were putting them together, searching through masses of photos stored on our PC. Have to say it was a rather labourious process but we now have 50 photos on each of the frames which I think really will give visitors a true feeling for what it is like at different times of the year here on Loch Ness. We have included a few 'extreme' ones because we often get asked, do you get much snow, can the loch be really rough, to which we answer yes but to which we can now add.. check out the photos in your room and you will see what we mean!

I'm sure I've said before here that the Monaliath Mountains behind us here at Evergreen, are amongst the least 'walked over' of all the mountains in Scotland. This is because they don't have the attractiveness of the hieght of the Cairngorms or ruggedness of the mountains of our west coast. However what they lack, they make up for in sheer scale of wilderness with few tracks through this vast area. It also means an area which is rich in wildlife....

On Friday Ed took us for a long run (well more like a run, stagger and fall for me!) in to an area of the mountains no more than 6 miles from Evergreen as the crow flies. As we passed down through a small deep hidden glen a golden eagle, clearly visible against the rocks, passed no more than 150ft above us. At the same moment we also saw two mountain hares which are prey for the eagles, scampering off to hide amongst the rocks...quite an amazing sight.

As per usual after such runs my legs are shredded with scratches from the heather and I'm pretty tired but it's always worth it. The photo was taken near the start.....

Recieved a letter this week from someone who stayed with us here at Evergreen a few years ago. It was to tell us that her partner had died in June. He was a lovely man who had kept in touch with us over the years and although we did not know him well, Fiona and I were very sad indeed to hear the news. We have met many people over the years but in all honesty there are few that we remember so warmly as him...

It is not widely known outside the Highlands that the area immediately north of Inverness, called the Black isle(although it is not an island!) is well known for it's soft fruit.. raspberries, strawberries, blackcurrants, gooseberries, redcurrants.. you name it they grow it! Having spent my childhood years living on a fruit farm in Perthshire, I just can't resist any of them - as soon as I see a punnet of fresh local strawberries I just have to buy them - I simply can't resist the fresh outdoor smell of good Scottish strawberries!! And today my luck was in as guests staying at Evergreen returned from their day out with a punnet of strawberries for Fiona and I. Very kind of them but little do they know that Fiona will not see any of them... well may be one or two.

Roll on the raspberries in a couple of weeks time!