Wild Lochaber Blogs
The latest bleats from the sheep on the street...
Blogs (web logs) and blogspots provide a unique insight into Highland life and nature in Lochaber and The West Highlands.
We have put together a collection of Lochaber blogs to highlight the traditions, culture and wildlife in the various regions, including the West Coast Islands.
We show entries from the last 100 days, organised by region, topic and blog. The titles and text snippets give a taste of each entry with direct links to the main blog entry on the host website. We hope you will find time to explore the full articles and further information on the host blog sites.
Please feel free to contact us if you have any suggestions for blogs you would like to see here.
Marc Calhoun
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My last visit to Kerrera was in June of 2018. I discovered then that the ferry I'd taken many times in the past, Gylen Lady, had been replaced by MV Carvoria (an old Norse name for Kerrera). The ferry, now managed by Calmac, is still run by Duncan McEachan (see this link).Gylen Lady in 2017MV...
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When I arrived in Uig (Lewis) last August, the first thing my wife and I did was visit the museum run by Commun Eachdraigh Uig, the Uig Historical Society. As we were walking in we passed a bust of a viking on a plinth. At first I thought it was a large version of one of the Lewis Chessmen, as...
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Eight years had passed since I last spent a night in Crolà - one of my favourite places in the Hebrides - and so this August I decided to stay there again. Crolà lies at the head of Loch Reasort, a difficult five mile hike from the nearest road. When I camped there in 2010 (see chapter 22 of Skye...
Plants of Skye, Raasay & The Small Isles
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Following my last post I went looking for Knopper galls on the oaks near the Old Manse here on Raasay but as usual there were no acorns – so no galls (and yes, I know these are caused by a gall wasp not a moth) However, in the beech hedge there was a green-island leaf mine: Phyllonorycter...
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Recently, this Nettle-tap was on the outside of the house: Common Nettle-tap A few days later I went toward Oskaig to look for Ectoedemia argyropeza (Virgin Pigmy) on fallen aspen leaves which Seth had found on Skye. It makes a green island on the leaf: Ectoedemia argyropeza...
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Spoiler alert: Special Interest only! I collected 11 specimens this year around VC 104 and sent them to David McCosh who says they are nearly all new 10km square records. The most interesting was Hieracium ascendentidens from near Colbert Point for which David had only one previous record from VC...
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We don’t usually see snow in October: View from the garden But the weeds are still flowering in the vegetable garden at sea level: (All of these are rare locally.)
Craigard Croft
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On Monday, feeling the need for an adventure, exercise and a night out " Kilchoan Old Guys Expedition Group", (average age 67.5 years) walked in to Peanmeanach bothy on the Ardnish Peninsula for a curry and whisky tasting (lat / long 56.9/5.8). It's not far, about 4 miles on a rugged,...
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I am sitting at Janet's kitchen table in Holystone in the Coquet Valley, North Northumberland. We are working on a project submission to the Aviva Community Fund. The red squirrels in the forest here need funding to prevent their imminent extinction. You can help to save them!We...
Highland Titles
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Tis’ the season for giving! Christmas gifts can be true expressions of love and gratitude, making anyone feel special and appreciated. However, coming up with thoughtful gift ideas can be a real hassle, and you can easily feel stuck for interesting or exciting presents to give to your loved ones....
Treshnish Farm
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The next day was our final day. And the day of the Cattle Drive. The BurrenBeo Trust organises the Burren Winterage School and Winterage Weekend every year - and the Cattle Drive is the culmination of all the events that have taken place over the last few days. It is a...
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Farmer and I have just got home from a trip to Ireland. A (farmer's) busman's holiday. We went across to County Clare in the Republic of Ireland, to the Burren Winterage School and Festival. The Burren is an area of Co. Clare on the west coast of Ireland, south of Galway. It is...
Otter Adventures
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If there was a great way to finish the season, then paddling in perfect winter conditions would be up there. Paddling with guests who have become friends (and paddlers) made it even more special and memorable. It was the first cold day of the winter with frost on the kayaks. The morning temperature...
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You may have seen that one of my photographs is in Lizzie Carr’s excellent new book ‘Paddling Britain’. However, I have a couple of variations to avoid conflict at her starting point. This will hopefully avoid any potential issues with the fish farm in Laga. Due to an injury (a...
Simon Willis
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It was a wet day when we shot this! As you'll see on the lens. Stewart Bailey is 'Loch Bagging', trying to swim in each of Scotland's largest 103 freshwater lochs.mmWhy 103 not 100? You'll have to watch to find out.Stewart features in The Adventure Show this coming Sunday. ...
Nevis Range Blog
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Nevis Range & The Garrison Hotel in Fort William are teaming up with Swazye Foundation this Winter to give one deserving family a 2-day Ski Experience at Nevis Range. One deserving family will have the chance to win the ultimate Scottish Skiing Experience this Winter. The prize includes a 2 Day...
Ardtornish Estate and Gardens, Self catering holidays Scotland
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Written by Sandy & Brian Coppins, Sandy is an internationally recognised lichen expert and recent visitor to the estate. Reference: Atlantic Hazel – Scotland’s special woodlands Lichens are amazingly varied in shape, form and colour. Ask anyone about lichens, and the usual answer...
Glenloy Wildlife
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We have had a busy end of season at Glenloy Wildlife, with two full week holidays in October, a bespoke holiday for some welcome returning guests, and a number of pine marten breaks and watching sessions. The good news was that the autumn colours were spectacular this year. The month started off...
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September has been unseasonably wet and windy in the NW Highlands, making wildlife watching a little more challenging. Nevertheless, we have had a couple of successful wildlife weeks at Glenloy, with lots of great sightings, with more between the set holidays. Autumn is now upon us with the bracken...
The Adventures of Algy
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It had been a long, long, dreary summer, and Algy had often found himself hopelessly lost in the dense Scotch mist which smothered the land and the sea, blown hither and yon by the gales and drenched by the persistent rain, but as the world turned and the wind swung round to the north at last, a...
