Been a while since my last post - no excuse, but work seems to have taken over any possibility of 'down time' of late. Between the B&B, our self catering and my other job as executive director of Destination Loch Ness Fiona and I have been kept more than busy. However, ironically it was work that reminded me recently why we just love living here on the shores of Loch Ness. I did an interview for the Guardian newspaper ( 21st June, 'The Beauty of Scotland' supplement) which was essentially about why I think living up here is so good and in a nutshell it because we have the best of both worlds - we live in a quiet, tranquil area of outstanding natural beauty and yet we are only 25 mins from the centre of Inverness, a city packed with excellent restaurants and plenty live music! And , as I said in the article, where else in the UK can you be 15 minutes from a city centre and be watching dolphins swimming off the shore ? ( in the Moray Firth ) So no matter how busy things can be at times Fiona and I certainly have no intentions of leaving the area at any time in the future...

Well here's hoping! Tomorrow is the big day when we find out whether or not we have been awarded one of the Green Tourism Business Scheme Goldstars. Only 10 are being awarded throughout the whole of the UK and back in April Evergreen was shortlisted in the top 20 out of 400 businesses. To win would be fantastic as ever since Fiona and I started Evergreen back in 2002 we have been committed to Green Tourism and the promotion of it to other businesses in the area. Unfortunately we can't manage down to London for the awards ceremony tomorrow but as I say, here's hoping and whatever the outcome we are proud to have got this far.

My goodness what an improvement in the weather this week! The past couple of days have seen temperatures here soar to a positively 'European' rather than 'Scottish' 26 centigrade. It's been so hot in fact that I've dug out my 'summer' shorts and am presently enjoying early evening drinks out on the decking overlooking Loch Ness. Ah yes, it can be a hard life sometimes running a B&B. And when it's warm like this the midgees stay away! So, forget all that nonscence that it rains all the time in the Highlands, (it is simply not true!), and come and visit the peace and tranquility of south Loch Ness. Believe me it does not get any better than this....