A very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everyone who has stayed at Hazelgrove Cottage this year and in past years, and also to those who we look forward to welcoming in 2015.
Best Wishes , Graeme and Fiona.

A Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all our guests who have stayed at Hazelgrove in the past year and previous years, as well as those who are visiting in 2014. As always my New Year resolution will be to blog more about Hazelgrove and the fantastic area that surrounds us here on the shores of Loch Ness! I really have been very remiss this year, not having posted very often. My only feeble excuse is that its been a busy year workwise for Fiona and I, and when we've not been working, we have been out enjoying what we have here.. miles of walking trails, quiet single track roads for cycling and safe lochs ( not Loch Ness!) for a spot of 'wild swimming'. Yes, for outdoor activities its been a fantastic year. However, we have also found time for some improvements to Hazelgrove. Externally, we painted the house this summer and then in November had the flat roof at the rear stripped and re felted. Internally, new carpets in the back area, new kitchen floor and other bits and pieces - we hope you like it.
Anyway, as I said, best wishes  for the festive period and we look forward to welcoming you or welcoming you back to Hazelgrove in 2014  

It has to be autumn because once again its Baxters Loch Ness Marathon and Festival of Running weekend. Since it was first held back in 2002 it has always been on the last Sunday in September/1st Sunday on October and with the exception of in 2006 when it poured with rain for much of the day, the weather has always been great on the day making the run an even better experience for participants - if that is possible, because it is in short, a fantastic marathon held on possibly the most scenic route in the UK. I should know, I ran it 6 years on the trot between 2003 -2009 and would still be doing it this year if my knees weren't getting a bit dodgy pounding roads ( these days I stick to the trails when I can and did my first ultra marathon this year!) Those who do it on Sunday will have thier own reasons for doing it  and memories to last many a year but my own favourites? I remember in 2006 as I approached a 'tunnel' of spectators at Dores, someone calling my name and shouting 'Come on Graeme, for the name of South Loch Ness'.. In 2008 when I recorded my best time of 3hr 54 and was 'flying' I remember going up the Dores Hill without too much pain thinking if I can do this after 17 miles there is no stopping what I can do. And back in 2003, huge emotion after crossing the line - not only because I ran to raise funds for Motor Neurone disease in memory of my mother but because 18 months before I had had a serious climbing accident which was the catalyst for me starting to run.
 But,, I have to be part of the weekend.. so am running once again the 10km which is also a great course, fast and flat its a good opportunity for those who, like me, constantly seek a PB..

Very pleased to see two new accommodation developments open recently here on south Loch Ness. Being the quiet side of the loch, the area is limited in the amount of accommodation available to visitors. These two additions go some way towards changing this. The first is a major carvanning and camping development at Foyers, Loch Ness Shores ( http://lochnessshores.com/ ) This superb newly constructed site is now open for bookings, tents, caravans, campervans, canoes, wigwams and backpackers!   One of only a few places with easy access to the shore around Loch Ness, the development also provides an opportunity to canoe, kayak or launch small boats, fish for trout and salmon or if  you prefer hire a boat and gillie locally. 
The second development is a large high quality 4 bedroom B&B on the shores of Loch Ness at Dores, Balachladaich, (http://www.lochnessbedbreakfast.co.uk/ ) Set on a bank above the loch it has its own stretch of private beach and it is also the only B&B around Loch Ness where you can literally arrive by canoe!

What you may well ask does Peaches Geldof have in common with Aleister Crowley, self proclaimed 'most wicked man in the world' and former owner of Boleskine House near Foyers. Well, I am reliably informed by our local press that Peaches is also an enthusiast of the cult founded by Crowley,. Peaches sports a heart shaped OTO tatoo, meaning order of the Templars, and has tweeted a page of one of the cult's books to her 148,000 Twitter followers, adding 'oto for all my fellow Thelemites. If you are a Thelemite, you are apparently, a believer in Thelema, the religion invented by CRowley, first head of the Order of Oriental Templars... Ah, one learns something new and important every day