Delighted yesterday to find out that final approval has been given by funders to support the creation of a South Loch Ness Trail. As part of 'my other job', this is a project that I am heavily involved in and have been pushing to get backing for it for some months now. It is hoped that when complete the trail for walkers and horse riders will create one continuous off-road trail stretching from near Fort Augustus to Inverness, a distance of almost 30 miles. It will pass through some of the best scenery on the south side of Loch Ness, opening up areas previously only accessed by locals who really know the area. Attached are a couple of photos of 'The Fair Haired Lad's Pass, a fantastic stretch of trail high above the Loch Ness which will form part of the South Loch Ness Trail.

Interesting article in the Sunday Times yesterday (www.timesonline.co.uk/news) informing us that Inverness is on a shortlist of the UK's worst eyesores ! The annual Carbuncle awards single it out for 'mushrooming urban sprawl' and 'monstrous city centre design'. Not surprisingly, we disagree and so probably does everyone who knows Inverness - Inverness is a small compact city in the Highlands with the River Ness running through the heart of it. So why is it on the list? Well, attracted by low levels of crime, clean air and ready access to the great outdoors, Inverness has increased in population rapidily over the past few years. This has put huge pressure on the infrastructure of the city and its ability to meet the demand for houses. All of which has meant I think, that perhaps the city fathers have not had time to really think through what sort of city visitors and local people expect Inverness to be. Inverness is one of the most northerly cities in Europe, it is in the Highlands, and therefore we expect it to have a distinctive identity of its own. We don't expect or want Inverness to look the same as any small city in 'middle England'. So, I don't think the organisers of the Carbuncle awards think for one minute that Inverness is as bad as they make out, rather they are laying down a warning to the planners and architects, 'Get your act together before it is too late, stop creating 'Anywhere town' and focus instead delivering an Inverness that befits being at the heart of the Highlands'!

And there endeth my thoughts on the matter!

I read with interest today (www.nce.co.uk ) that engineering contractor Nuttall, is poised to carry out repairs on the Glendoe Hydro scheme following the collapse last year of one of the vital tunnels which takes water from high up in the Monadhliath Mountains down to Loch Ness. I remember when it happened there was a sense of disbelief that such a catastrophic failure could have occured so soon after completion of the project. Fiona and I were fortunate enough to have visited the scheme when it was still being constructed back in 2008 and we were very impressed by not only the scale of the project but the obvious technical skills that had to be applied to ensure success! According to the article it would seem that the geology of the area may have been a contributing factor in the collapse.
Attached are some photos from our visit. The first shows the 11km road up to the reservoir from Fort Augustus, the second part of the dam and the third, the construction site in the middle of the nowhere!

Despite the very cold weather we are delighted to report that our red squirrels are still around Evergreen and seem as healthy as ever - this despite the fact that their drey in a rhodedendron bush was buried for two weeks under a ton of snow! All three have been squabbling and chasing each other around the garden as usual as they fight over who eats first from the bird feeders. Here is a photo taken just the other day of one on the bird table!

Ok, I know we are all now getting throughly fed up with the snow, particularly as it is beginning to melt, but if this is to be a 'once in 30 years 'occurence we need to remember it if not cherish it. So, here are a few photos from around Evergeen! The first image is of the road up Glenlia behind Evergreen. Normally a beautiful little country road it has been impassable for weeks now! The second photo is of the main road up the Pass of Inverfarigaig. I am reliably informed that 67 trees have come down due to the weight of snow on this short 2 mile stretch and I'm sure more will fall as the snow melts - which in the Pass is very slow as it does not get any direct sunlight between November and March. Perhaps we'll know better by July the damage here! Thirdly, a nice snowy photo of Evergeen and finally the decking where in the heat of summer our guests are able to eat alfresco....

Oh yes, meant to say, our new ensuite in the master bedroom is progressing but not finished yet. Unfortunately the snow has had a major part in delaying things - some days over the past three weeks our fitter simply could not get to Evergreen. But,we are confident that it will be finished by next weekend. We have removed the jacuzzi bath and it is being replaced with a seperate luxurious shower and bath. Pics to follow...

Finally back home to Evergreen after a long extended holiday in the USA and Canada! Yes, we escaped this Christmas to the warmth of Florida and..the freezing cold of the Canadian Rockies - which of course was perfect preparation for returning to Loch Ness! We arrived home at 1am in the morning on Friday to over two feet of snow and the temperature gauge in the car reading -12C. As a result the weekend has been spent 'digging out' Evergreen, and I mean digging out - the weight of snow on the decking around the house was such that I felt it necessary to clear it resulting in piles of snow almost 5ft deep around part of the house!. Icicles several feet in length reach down from the gutters which are bending under the weight! However despite this, it is all incredibly picturesque. I'll post some photos later this week when we finally get out.