In the past couple of weeks we have once again had a lot of red squirrel activity in our back garden. Three young squirrels ( is there a name for them?)are now regular visitors at our bird feeders. The other day Fiona managed to get some wonderful photos. here are two..

I read with interest today that extra parking is to be created at Chanonry Point on the Black Isle as part of efforts to reduce the traffic jams caused by people flocking to the area to spot dolphins. Not before time! Chanonry Point is undoubtedly the best area locally to view the dolphins, often in large numbers and very close to the shore. Personally I would recommend visiting Chanonry Point as better all round than going on a dolphin cruise. However, in recent years you run the risk of your car getting dunted by another or simply hemmed in other cars so some extra parking spaces will definitely help. Here are three photos that we have taken of the dolphins at Chanonry Point over the years

The weather was very wet yesterday but I was in need of a long run, so early evening my running partner and I headed out to do a circuit of Loch Duntelchaig which is about 6 miles south east of us here at Evergreen. It is the biggest( other than Loch Ness!) of a number of lochs in the area locally known as the 'Invernessian Lake District'!
Loch Duntelchaig is wild,beautiful and rich in wildlife and birds. There is no clear route around the loch,its a case of following tracks and trails where you can. Where there is none it is hard going! Last night about three quarters way round we startled a large number of young greylag geese. Unable to fly, they nonetheless flapped their wings and moved off to a safe distance from us off the loch shore. It was a spectacular sight. Greylag geese are the largest of wild geese native to the UK.
It is about 11 miles around the loch and by the end we were a bit wet and mucky,but if you like 'the wilds' its a great run or walk to do. Needless to say the photograph here was not taken yesterday!

Our local paper today carries the news that July is the grumpiest month for Britons as they battle with sleep deprivation and fraying tempers in the heat. A recent survey has indicated that 88% of those asked revealed that they lost sleep every night, with two hours being the average amount lost!
Now as a B&B owner I hope I never ever come across as grumpy. However, I have to admit, the short summer nights do induce a lack of sleep on my part. I am regularly wide awake at 5am in the morning and this does on the rare occasion result in 'tensions' between myself and Fiona. But, we keep it behing closed doors and look forward patiently for the long winter nights again when we blissfully sleep for 9 hours. No I think not!
So lets just face it we are never happy with the weather - just smile and get over it!

I read with interest today that someone is to attempt to water ski the length of Loch Ness next month. It is all for a worthy cause and I wish the person well but if the weather is anything like today he is going to find it tough! Although it has been a beautiful sunny day the wind has been very strong turning the waters of the loch into a strong sea swell! Fiona took the pictures

Took myself off on a great new run the other day high in to the Monadhliaths Mountains. Starting at about 200m I followed an estate road up to near the summit of Beinn Bhuraich at 780 metres. It was very warm but worth the effort as the views all around were amazing. But, and it's a big but, I probably would not have done this route had it not been for the estate road which it has to be said is an ugly and very steep scar on the landscape which can be seen for miles. How they managed to put it in I do not know - it is so steep that coming down I could barely keep my feet from sliding under me. The fact that they did put it in is monument to our planning legislation which currently allows landowners to undertake such desicration of wilderness areas with impunity. So it was good running but if only the road the landowner had put in was less of an eyesore!