Serendipity B&B Glenmoriston near Loch Ness

Snowfall across 'parts' of The Highlands....and Glenmoriston was on the list again !!

2012-01-27T22:13:00.006Z

It's a "Winter Wonderland" again at Serendipity

this morning, (Fri 27th)

Opened the curtains to this view today...I thought it would be frosty but wasn't expecting that! looking at the live view cameras mid-morning on www.trafficscotland.org/lev the usual places had overnight snow across The Highlands. There was a bit of a thaw during the day but it was still in the garden by sunset and the day finished with a lovely glow looking towards the South Glenshiel Ridge.

Upstairs Double / Twin View

Front Double View

Back Double View

Glenmoriston Sunset

More snow on the mountains : Glengarry

2012-01-26T22:54:00.005Z

It's gone cold again !! Took the first 3 photo's at the roadside viewpoint across Glengarry looking down on Loch Loyne as we drove out towards Lochaber mid morning. Theres been another covering of snow across the mountains of Glenshiel, Glengarry & Lochaber (the road does rise to approx 1500ft!) so we didn't have to physically climb this time to touch the snow..

...It looked lovely by the time we returned at around 3pm despite the low cloud and sleet as we took the fourth photo! :-)

Wild Boar Dundreggan Glenmoriston

2012-01-24T11:10:00.007Z

It's never "Boar-ing" in Glenmoriston !

We spent yesterday afternoon with friends walking around the pathways at the 'Trees For Life' estate in Dundreggan just along the road here. We've visited the wild boar enclosure several times to no avail...but today they all turned up for a photo shoot :-)

Trees For Life Project Dundreggan Glenmoriston

2012-01-24T11:09:00.003Z

It was a lovely day with fresh snow on the mountains so we walked to the 'hill route' viewpoint for some more photo's

www.bedandbreakfast-glenmoriston.co.uk

2012-01-21T18:17:00.005Z

Our updated "Serendipity B&B Website" has gone live this week :-)

Pleased to say it's getting hits and we're already taking advanced bookings. We spent a lot of time over the winter decorating and making a few improvements to the guest bedrooms and en-suites including the new posturetech mattresses which are 'really comfortable', updated room lighting and revamped the built in wardrobes with new rails and shelving. If you would like to know whats changed on the "Serendipity Breakfast Menu" including our improved various porridge recipes, you'll need to "Book In" :-)

We've taught ourselves over time how to build our own website and recently registered with microsoft office 365, it's not been without a few complications, headaches and plenty of coffee along the way! It will get updated with photo's and events as the season progresses.
We also previously had a further domain name registered for us as a gift (great idea!) which now also redirects to our updated website, so you can find us on both! www.bedandbreakfast-lochness.co.uk

Serendipity B&B reopens for the 2012 season

2012-01-21T17:44:00.003Z

Serendipity B&B has reopened this week and hosted our first guests of 2012 !...and right on cue the weather initially turned to snow as our guests enjoyed their breakfast.
There was a good covering of snow on the surrounding hills and by lunchtime it had also settled in the garden again.

The 'winter warmer' porridge went down well ! and it was good to get back into the B&B flow

Loch Ness Sunset towards Fort Augustus

2012-01-16T10:08:00.001Z

We spent yesterday in the hills above Loch Ness, walking to the summit of Meall Fuar-mhonaidh at 2293ft. Driving back home down the west side of Loch Ness there was the most lovely sunset starting to glow, we stopped off at Altsigh to take the first photo but by the time we reached Glenmoriston and Loch Dundreggan the sky was on fire, an awesome sunset !!

Loch Morlich : Cairngorm National Park

2012-01-13T21:42:00.008Z

Our weather has improved :-) drier & colder, recorded just -3 deg for the last 2 nights ( milder than further south! with some places getting down to -7 ) Went across to The Cairngorms yesterday and a walk along the beach at Loch Morlich before heading up to the ski centre, less snow than the same time last year but some runs open...Loch Morlich was a deserted paradise. (have added plenty more photo's on flickr !)

1st Munro of 2012 : Glenshiel & Kintail Range

2012-01-10T10:46:00.008Z

A'Chralaig 3674ft 1120m

We ventured up our 1st Munro of 2012 yesterday, The day started in Glenmoriston like a lovely spring day. The Glenshiel & Kintail mountains are juat a 10 minute journey from Serendipity B&B.

A'Chralaig is the highest peak in these ranges with a 45 degree climb to the first ridges at approx 2600ft. By the time we reached the ridge it started snowing briefly and further on the wind chill temperature dropped to a cold -10 deg C.

Light Sussex Chickens : Local Egg Suppliers!

2012-01-07T12:41:00.008Z

Breakfast time was busy this morning!

The stars of the show turned out to give their support.

We've enjoyed baby sitting these hens this week just along the road here, although we don't keep our own at Serendipity 'yet' !

New Year Arctic Blast : Serendipity Glenmoriston

2012-01-02T11:55:00.001Z

Just two days into the New Year and Glenmoriston is getting another snowstorm..It's been snowing & settling for most of the morning.

A new 'live camera' with traffic scotland was recently installed just along The Glen here at Achlain looking east. A really good website for tracking the weather and checking roads across Scotland.

Drumochter & Slochd both on the A9 are usually good ones to watch for access to The Highlands!

www.trafficscotland.org/lev

view of the Glenmorison A887 road mid morning

"Happy New Year" : Serendipity B&B Glenmoriston

2011-12-31T12:25:00.005Z

Looking back at 2011, We've had a great year and have met so many lovely guests from around the globe. There have been a few changes and improvements made to our setup for the coming year and we're looking forward to re-opening in 2012 after having our own winter break. We have been updating our own Serendipity website and availability which will go live soon once completed in the next week.

We both wish you all a very "Happy New Year"

Thank you for the continued kind messages of support.

Ken & Martin XX

Glenmoriston last snowfall for 2011 !!

2011-12-30T21:06:00.003Z

It snowed here at Serendipity B&B for most of today !! (Fri 30th Dec)
This is our last snow for 2011 ? but I'm sure they'll be plenty more for the New Year. It settled in the garden from mid-morning and the young red deer hinds came close to our boundary fence in search of food. A lovely winter wonderland scene for the end of the year :-)

Snowstorm over Loch Ness Invermoriston

2011-12-29T17:43:00.005Z

The snow returned here today!

We had already planned a hike along part of The Great Glen Way climbing high above Invermoriston village and by the time we reached the viewpoint looking down on Loch Ness, we had encountered a blizzard, It soon cleared over and we were able to get a few shots of the fresh snow.

Storm Across The Highlands

2011-12-28T12:27:00.010Z

Wow...It's been wild across The Highlands

Approx 100mm of rain in the last 4 days alone !

The River Moriston burst its banks along

Glenmoriston and Loch Ness is getting higher !

We have our own weather station at Serendipity but

also get data from the following websites :

xcweather and raintoday

Loch Laggan Dam is again full and looks quite dramatic !

"Happy Christmas from Serendipity B&B"

2011-12-24T13:36:00.003Z

We both wish all of our guests a special "Happy Christmas"

and look forward to re-opening soon for the 2012 season!

Safe journeys to anyone travelling over the festive period!

Our very best wishes from Ken & Martin

Ceannacroc Glenmoriston : local walks

2011-12-20T11:35:00.007Z

We continued to have a few days of snow showers & frosty temperatures falling -7 deg C (our lowest recorded for this Dec)

We dug out the driveway again & ventured along the Glen to Ceannacroc, a fairly steady low level walk adjacent to the river winding through to the base of the high mountains of Kintail.
There were dozens of Red Deer low off the hills searching for food & numerous black grouse around. A lovely relaxing walk in the wilds!

The Glenmoriston Freeze : Serendipity B&B

2011-12-17T13:08:00.005Z

Todays view at Serendipity :

We opened the curtains this morning to another cover of snow. Overnight the temperature dropped to -4.1, it didn't rise above -2 deg during the whole of yesterday. So far this morning (Sat 17th) it has been snowing on & off quite heavy at times. The temperatures are far milder compared with the same period last year when we were locked in ice and far colder.

But it has looked nice for now as we lead up to the festive season (forecast though is milder conditions from next Wednesday)

"back to the chill"...-6.4 deg C at Serendipity B&B

2011-12-10T14:51:00.006Z

This mornings 'cool' view at Serendipity (click to enlarge)

After the storm we lost the electric for 34hrs which came back on early morning (today 10th Dec)
Overnight there was another small covering of snow here in the garden but the mountains look caked! and the temperature dropped to -6.4 deg C

During the power cut the log burner proved to be a good investment & we were able to cook our favourite porridge recipes, even if it was a bit slower :-) Still tasty & worth the wait..

Hurricaine Storm across the UK : Glenmoriston Photo's

2011-12-10T13:47:00.012Z

Thursday ( 08-12-2011) saw a huge storm across Scotland and the UK with strong damaging winds with gusts of 165mph over the Cairngorm mountains and 137mph at Aonach Mor on the Ben Nevis Range.

We had attempted a trip to Fort William but were forced to turn back after the A82 road closed mid morning with dozens of trees falling. On the return journey at least a dozen further trees had fallen in our pathway within 30 minutes. These are a few of the photo's my passenger took as we negotiated our journey!

Can you see the crushed bus shelter above?

Back at Serendipity we lost the electric for 34hrs :-(

The temperature rose considerably preceding the storm and you can see by the photo's, the several inches of snow that we'd had on lower ground soon vanished! (but for how long?)

Serendipity B&B : Glenmoriston Accommodation

2011-12-07T21:17:00.010Z

" It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas "

Ev'rywhere you go;
Take a look in the five-and-ten, glistening once again
With candy canes and silver lanes aglow.

Tourism Boost for Edinburgh Zoo : Giant Panda's Tian Tian & Yang Guang

2011-12-05T15:49:00.011Z

Many of our guests here at Serendipity B&B fly into Edinburgh Airport before heading up to tour The Highlands. We're anticipating more visitors using this route next year since we linked up Serendipity with easyjet which proved to be quite popular towards the end of our summer season.

Now there is the added visit to Edinburgh Zoo to see these new arrivals "The Giant Panda's" ! Tian Tian & Yang Guang. (tickets available from 16.12.2011)

Serendipity B&B Glenmoriston - December View

2011-12-05T15:45:00.002Z

More fairly heavy snowfall overnight leaving Glenmoriston looking like Narnia again this morning!

The view at Serendipity B&B to the west looked beautiful. It's only a couple of weeks since we were climbing these actual high peaks in Glenshiel & Kintail getting an autumn suntan!.

Serendipity B&B : A Taste of Winter ! Dec 2011

2011-12-03T10:23:00.009Z

After a few days away this week visiting family, we returned home yesterday to a 'white' Serendipity !! Although theres plenty of snow around on the high mountains, it was only the last 12 miles of the journey that the snow was down to the road level along Glenmoriston. More snow forecast around the North West for the next few days :-)

Our 1st snow plough along Dalchreichart for this winter!

Ten Years in The Highlands !!

2011-11-28T18:41:00.004Z

"Drum Roll Please" !! We're celebrating again this week..

TEN YEARS in The Highlands

and

FIVE YEARS at Serendipity

These bottles are a few of the kind gifts that

we received from guests during the summer.

Thank You..from Martin & Ken

The Wild Highlands : Glenmoriston Waterfalls

2011-11-27T20:51:00.006Z

Managed to get out for a 6 mile walk locally in Glenmoriston, however the burn shown in these photo's is not usually this full and you can normally cross by "stepping stones"
The West Highlands & Islands have certainly had their fair share of downpours over the last few days & nights, causing roads in Inverness to be closed and landslips on the main route between Invergarry & Fort William.
Theres plenty more on the way though according to the forecasts.... It's been a bit wild across The Highlands to say the least !

November Snow across The Highlands

2011-11-25T21:51:00.005Z

We had quite a few snow flurries here at Serendipity B&B today, some settling in the garden and along local roads briefly before thawing at low level in daytime temperatures of approx 5deg C. Theres still a good cover over the surrounding mountains though.
Looking back at last years blog we're approx 2 weeks later than last year and it's certainly not as cold yet!

The velux windows soon got covered during the mornings snowfall !

The lower hills late afternoon looking south at Serendipity

Loch Garry : Glengarry

2011-11-24T22:50:00.003Z

Ventured over to some old walking tracks in Glengarry early in the week, one of our favourite Glens.
Stunning scenery, peace & quiet, saw more Red Deer Stags during a hike than people! Took a few shots of the cool mist rising over Loch Garry, a beautiful day.

Loch Loyne : Glengarry

2011-11-24T10:53:00.011Z

The calm before the storm !

Rain, Snow ! and strong winds forecast across the Highlands this week. Woke to a fresh dusting of snow over some of the munro's looking west. Took these photo's as we headed out for a hike from Glengarry to Loch Loyne via the rear of The Tomdoun Hotel. It's a lovely quiet walk (approx 6mile return trip) and plenty of wild Red Deer coming out of the forest!

The Commando Memorial : Spean Bridge

2011-11-22T10:50:00.005Z

On a recent trip across to Fort William we stopped off at The Commando Memorial in Spean Bridge to look at the new memorial garden and wreaths that were layed on remembrance day.

Pine Martens brief return to Serendipity garden

2011-11-13T17:01:00.005Z

Had a suprise visitor return to the garden..
just a brief appearance in the drystone wall next to the vege plot !! I'd best put some jam sandwiches out, "Serendipity Homemade Strawberry Jam" of course :-)

Road to Applecross "Bealach Na Ba" : NW Highlands

2011-11-08T16:34:00.010Z

Road to Applecross "Bealach Na Ba" - winding to 2053ft !!

Many of our guests will recognise the winding twisting road rising to the summit at Applecross with the switchback corners! (it's like driving on a real scalextric track) Great fun ! Couldn't miss the opportunity of a day out especially with the warm November sunshine & clear blue sky...(it's been a while since we last did this one!) Awesome (very few cars about, so we were able to stop & take plenty of photo's as we climbed up)....horse power rather than leg power to get to this summit...so much easier :-)

Applecross road to the summit at 2053ft

2011-11-08T16:28:00.004Z

Great views across to The Cuillins on Skye

The Summit at 2053ft

Loch Carron - Nov 2011 (gorgeous weather!)

2011-11-08T16:20:00.004Z

Amazing weather for November !! absolutely stunning....
Shame not to make the most of it and get out exploring, so we did just that yesterday and ventured further North West to Loch Carron and beyond...

first cold snap for November -4.1deg frost

2011-11-06T11:37:00.007Z

BBrrrr !! Cold night, temperature dropped to -4.1 here in Glenmoriston leaving a hard frost around the garden, the pond is frozen solid and its probably affected a lot of the plants but theres a lovely clear blue sky this morning :-)

Glenmoriston in Autumn

2011-11-04T10:19:00.006Z

"Rural Glenmoriston Countryside"

We're looking forward to some relaxing time off with plenty of

walking across the surrounding hills and higher mountains.

Red Deer Hinds in Glenmoriston

2011-11-04T10:09:00.003Z

Spent yesterday afternoon having a 6 mile circular trek across the hills here in Glenmoriston. Plenty of deer hinds in the fields with some coming curiously close up to the fencing.. :-)

South Glenshiel Ridge : October Snow

2011-10-17T21:21:00.007+01:00

Our photographer guests Jon & Sue were hoping to see some snow on their return visit at the weekend, unfortunately it came a day too late for them. This afternoon saw some heavy snow showers sweeping across the hills. The South Glenshiel Ridge (top photo) seems to have had a good cover, it even reached the lower hills here at the side of Serendipity, giving a dusting below 2500ft.

Autumn Hillwalking in Glenmoriston

2011-10-08T14:47:00.006+01:00

We promised ourselves a day out in the hills! and yesterday was a beautiful day for putting on the walking boots and yomping across the Glenmoriston pathways.We completed a trip of approx 8 miles before returning to meet and greet new guests arriving by late afternoon. The snow from Wednesday night is still capping the munro peaks of Glenshiel and the autumn colours are thriving.

1st Autumn Snow : Glenshiel Mountains

2011-10-06T11:31:00.011+01:00

Autumn snow on the Glenshiel mountains !

Woke to our 1st snow for October this morning, quite a covering on the Glenshiel mountains. The nearest peak we look towards is : "Carn Ghluasaid" 3139ft. Really hoping to get the walking boots on before the weekend :-)

Shortly after taking these pictures another blast engulfed the hills and the colours totally changed as you can see in this next rainbow photo.

The Cluanie Curtain Effect : Glenmoriston

2011-10-04T17:37:00.007+01:00

We managed to take a few photo's first thing yesterday just before we prepared breakfast.

The Cluanie Curtain effect was producing some very strange cloud formations over the mountains to the west of Serendipity B&B. This is a localised meteorological phenomena involving a build up of rain clouds in the west which do not fully reach the dam at Loch Cluanie, combined with some strong gusty winds the cloud layers were building & rolling over the mountains before breaking up overhead. They did look a but sci-fi at one stage ! to the delight of keen photographers Sean & Emma that we have staying.

The Cuillins : Mountains on The Isle of Skye

2011-09-29T14:24:00.009+01:00

The rugged "red" and "black" Cuillins are prominent mountain ranges on The Isle of Skye. A popular location for photographers is midway up the Island at Sligachan.

Duntulm Castle (ruins) : Isle of Skye

2011-09-29T14:17:00.005+01:00

Duntulm Castle is located on the clifftop on the north east coast of The Isle of Skye. A great day trip suggestion from Serendipity B&B.

The Old Man of Storr : Kilt Rock : Staffin Beach : North East Skye

2011-09-27T13:50:00.008+01:00

We had some time yesterday to follow in many of our guests footsteps and ventured off to Skye for the day. We have not visited the 'north east' loop for sometime and the forecast was looking good! The coastal cliff scenery is well worth the drive, passing The Old Man of Storr, Kilt Rock, Staffin Beach and the ruins of Duntulm Castle as well as the Red Cuillins and the Black Cuillins. (An excellent day trip & return from Serendipity B&B)

www.bedandbreakfast-glenmoriston.co.uk

2011-09-25T16:42:00.006+01:00

It looks like I'm not the only one "web building" at the moment!

judging by the mass of web on the garden conifers first thing in the mornings. :-)

We're in the process of updating our Serendipity B&B website and trialing a new version on Microsoft Office 365. It will take a while to put together but hope to have the new improved site completed and 'live' by the end of this B&B season ready for 2012..

When it comes to IT, I'm self taught & enjoy a challenge!

...and have plenty of Caffeine on standby :-)

Invermoriston Falls : Woodland Walk

2011-09-23T09:23:00.010+01:00

If you go down to the woods......... !!

Bear Carving near Glenmoriston Stores.

Did someone mention it's been raining recently ??
Our Belgium & Dutch guests are very hardy..They've been out hillwalking every day this week in Glengarry, Glenshiel, Glen Affric...and two headed up "The Ben" !!
Following a heavy storm & 'Thunder' in Glenmoriston, we ventured out to see the falls at Invermoriston, theres plenty of water coming down the River Moriston heading towards Loch Ness. (took the camera with us) :-)

"The Summer House" (old fishing shelter)

Hillwalking in Glen Nevis : Stob Ban 3277ft

2011-09-19T08:35:00.012+01:00

Stob Ban : Glen Nevis 3277ft (999M)
And finally ! after touring around in the car we decided to get back into the hills & have some exercise. Thursdays weather forecast was for sunshine across The Highlands :-) Rucksacks & lunch packed, off to Glen Nevis for some hillwalking! Started at lower falls and headed up Stob Ban in T shirts to get a September suntan. (not been up this one for several years) but will remember 'every step'
Great day & fantastic 360deg views at the summit as far as The Paps of Jura, The Isle of Mull and The Cuillins on Skye.

Clachtoll Beach : Surf

2011-09-15T10:28:00.018+01:00

Clachtoll bay is near Lochinver on the north west coast,

the surf was rolling in on the tail end of a recent storm.

Stoer Head Lighhouse : North West Highlands

2011-09-15T10:28:00.012+01:00

Keeping on the theme of 'water and storms' we headed off to the rugged north west coast yesterday,
visiting Stoer Head, Clachtoll Beach and Corrieshalloch Gorge National Nature Reserve.

It was quite windy on the coast and the powerfull Atlantic

was crashing in on the rocky beaches :-)

Corrieshalloch Gorge : National Nature Reserve

2011-09-15T10:27:00.011+01:00

Corrishalloch Gorge and Falls of Measach are located on the road to Ullapool in the north west Highlands. The gorge has a dramatic 46 metre (150 ft) drop with a 'rocking' bridge over The Falls.

A short walk along the gorge takes you to a high sturdy viewing platform that leads out and overhangs the gorge showing the real sense of height. I like the signs that read "only 6 people on the bridge and platform at any time" The viewing platform used to be 'wooden' and became unstable! This was our first time on the new steel structure :-) The bridge and platform are circled in the photo's.

Glen Affric : Plodda Falls

2011-09-14T10:14:00.013+01:00

We've closed for a few days! and making the most of some downtime to get out exploring. We thought that 'Plodda Falls' at Tomich in Glen Affric would be flowing well after the recent rain so we got the walking boots on and headed off for a hike.

Never seen the falls in spate as they were today. The falls drop over 40 metres (131 ft) and looked awesome from the top viewing platform. If we didn't have rain 'occasionally' !! we wouldn't have impressive waterfalls :-)

Glen Affric Forest : Wild Fungi

2011-09-14T10:13:00.008+01:00

There are very good clearly marked forest pathways along Glen Affric and we were suprised at the variety of wild fungi along the route.

Red Deer Stags Rutting : Glenmoriston

2011-09-12T16:55:00.001+01:00

We've heard a few Red Deer Stags roaring along the Glen over the last few days, looks like this years rutting season has started. ( a couple of weeks earlier than last year ) The sound is quite impressive.
Time to check the deer fence is still intact, don't really want them in the garden at the moment!! :-)

Serendipity B&B turns "Orange" with easyjet.com

2011-09-10T13:07:00.001+01:00

It's official !...we have turned "Orange" read more to find out why...

Not just because of our home made orange & apricot marmalades!

We have linked up with easyjet.com and guests from across Europe & the UK can now directly book their flights 'and' accommodation at Serendipity Accommodation Glenmoriston via the easyjet website. We have already taken a couple of bookings this week for dates in October through their site. Welcome aboard!

Dundreggan Dam : Glenmoriston

2011-09-05T16:57:00.003+01:00

On a recent trip back from Fort Augustus we stopped off for a walk near Loch Dundreggan in Glenmoriston just in time to watch the gates of the Hydro dam open to let water thunder out of the loch into the river Moriston. When all gates are opened the ground literally shakes! an impressive sight as the water heads down through the gorge and glen towards Loch Ness.

Snow on The Cairngorm Summit : 4081ft (1245M)

2011-08-29T21:02:00.002+01:00

There was a dusting of snow on the Cairngorms summit during the day yesterday. (4081ft 1245M)
Temperature dropped to 0.6 deg C

Fun times ahead.... :-)

The Cairngorm Summit Weather Station

Walking in Glenmoriston : Red Deer

2011-08-28T17:53:00.003+01:00

Despite a quite 'Autumnal feel' to the weather conditions across The Highlands at the moment we put on the hiking boots today as our guests headed out across to Glen Nevis and others braved the choppy forecast for a cruise on Loch Ness.
There are some great short walks directly from Serendipity B&B around Glenmoriston both low level and across the hills. We made the most of an opportunity to walk into the lower hills at the back of Dalchreichart passing a few herd of Red Deer on the way. This is the closest we could get for photo's before they got spooked and fled! Bracing fresh air for a Sunday afternoon walk but pleased it stayed dry for us!

Loch Ness : Invermoriston to Fort Augustus

2011-08-28T17:25:00.002+01:00

We stopped off at Loch Ness mid week as we headed home after a lunchtime tennis match in Fort Augustus. It was a lovely afternoon and we sat by the Loch watching a few cruisers go by.
This little beach area is approx halfway between Invermoriston and Fort Augustus adjacent to the A82 road. It's usually a popular spot but we had it to ourselves for an hour on this occasion, very relaxing!

Loch Ness looking north towards Inverness.

Loch Ness looking south towards Fort Augustus.

Fungi growing in the garden : Serendipity B&B

2011-08-25T11:59:00.001+01:00

We always get several varieties of fungi growing around the garden amongst the grasses. The first one shown is approx 7" diameter!

Serendipity "Wild Heather"

2011-08-25T10:59:00.005+01:00

It's the time of year again when the heather is looking very purple. Here at Serendipity B&B we grow a bright heather bank with strimmed pathways leading to a few 'relaxing' benches. Great to see guests strolling about our garden with a coffee enjoying the views.

Had some nice comments again on how tidy & colourful the garden is Thank you.

Homemade Jam Making at Serendipity B&B

2011-08-20T12:07:00.012+01:00

We make all our own jams and marmalades at Serendipity B&B and get good positive comments from our guests. We grow some of the fruits here in our garden including raspberries, strawberries, redcurrants and rhubarb.
The raspberries have always done really well and the fruit is ripe from the end of July through August providing us with a bowl full of fruit approx every 3 days!

Aswell as using our own fruits we also make plum & raisin, rhubarb & ginger, apricot & orange.

We've now doubled our rhubarb plants to four as this is slower growing but enjoy trying new jam making recipes, mixing the rhubarb with different spices!

Big leafy rhubarb plants in our garden ready for picking! :-)

Camusdarach Beach : Our favourite bay on the west coast of Scotland

2011-08-08T18:16:00.004+01:00

Although the B&B remains full, our guests were in for several nights and had already left for the day. Our French Family headed for the Glen Affric trails & our Spanish couple headed for Skye...
This gave us a midweek chance to make the most of the sun and some free time. A jaunt over to Camusdarach Beach for a couple of hours, one of our favourite beaches and always good for a swim in the shallow waters !! :-)
The beach is located just south of Mallaig (near Morar)

Sea Swimming : Camusdarach Beach : West Coast

2011-08-08T18:13:00.003+01:00

A chance to have a great sea swim avoiding the occasional jelly fish!
Temperature on the beach was approx 22 - 23 deg and a milder 15deg in the sea ! :-) lovely....Beautiful picturesque backdrop..

Camusdarach Beach : Part 2

2011-08-08T18:10:00.001+01:00

Ardnamurchan Lighthouse : West Coast

2011-08-07T13:49:00.005+01:00

Wahoooo!! :-) We treated ourselves to the last weekend of July off...(before we started another 45 day non-stop B&B stint)
Headed off touring to explore "The Ardnamurchan Peninsula" on the west coast, the most westerly point in the UK. Awesome scenery along a lot of single track roads! Our first trip across that whole region...brilliant day out. Had a picnic by the lighthouse, adopted a crazy dog!! and went around the coast to check out the sandy beaches & bays. Fantastic weather & great views out to the Islands of Eigg Rum & Skye (managed to take 352 photo's !!! here's a couple, will add a selection to flickr when I get a chance.
www.flickr.com/glenmoriston-lochness

Sanna Bay : Ardnamurchan Peninsula

2011-08-07T13:48:00.004+01:00

Just around the coastline from Ardnamurchan Lighthouse is the beautiful Sanna Bay. Gorgeous sandy beach & clear cool water.
The distance from Glenmoriston to Ardnamurchan is approx 110 miles, we proved it can be done for a 'return' day trip but would certainly recommend spending an overnight stop in that area to explore the region fully.

Since our visit we have already had some guests heading across that direction & have been able to advise them of some 'hotspots' to visit!

Loch Ness : Fort Augustus

2011-08-02T22:34:00.004+01:00

We took these photo's last week from the southern end of Loch Ness at the village of Fort Augustus. The wind had changed direction coming from the north east which for a change blew the waves south lapping onto the viewpoint shore and along towards the Caledonian Canal Locks.
The 'Royal Scot' is a very popular choice for a boat cruise along Loch Ness, the next two photo's show it returning to base & then leaving again as it went past The Abbey.

The Caledonian Canal Locks : Fort Augustus

2011-08-02T22:33:00.004+01:00

In the heart of Fort Augustus are the impressive series of locks which drop The Caledonian Canal to the southern entrance of Loch Ness. An extremely busy waterway running the length of The Great Glen.
A very informative British Waterways museum is located at the side of the canal in Fort Augustus and well worth a visit.

Even these little sailors were well equipped with their life jackets!

Loch Ness from Dores Village

2011-07-27T19:48:00.005+01:00

Temperatures reach +25 deg C across The Highlands.
What an amazing spell of hot sunny weather, hotspots for Scotland were both Drumnadrochit & Aviemore recording 25 today. (Wednesday 27 July)
After a re-stock in Inverness, managed a tennis match and then chilled out with friends in the picturesque village of Dores on South Loch Ness side.A very hot day which has continued into the evening with some stunning scenery. These photo's of Loch Ness were taken in Dores Village.

Elgol & The Cuillin Mountains : The Isle of Skye

2011-07-24T20:16:00.006+01:00

Our guests all headed off towards Skye today which gave us the time to go touring ourselves! We headed to Elgol on west Skye (we've visited before and suggest it to our guests along with the 'Bella Jane' boat trips to Loch Coruisk from Elgol) Amazing weather and fantastic views..a great day out.
(will add more photo's on flickr soon)
Even managed to paddle in the sea (any excuse!)

And finished off a very special afternoon with coffee & homebaking from the 'Cuillin View' coffee shop :-)

Perfect end to the day..weather improves across the West Highlands

2011-07-23T22:41:00.000+01:00

From Serendipity B&B we have been watching the weather this week improving daily as it comes in from the west across Glenshiel.
Certainly getting better for our guests that have encountered varied weather patterns recently and more than enough on & off showers!
This afternoon and evening ended with a really clear beautiful sky and our guests ventured off for evening meals. We relaxed, having played more tennis and some gardening today, at the patio with a glass of wine.

Lower Falls In Spate : Glen Nevis : Fort William

2011-07-18T16:37:00.004+01:00

One good thing about the recent rainfall across The Highlands is that the rivers are full and the waterfalls have looked amazing.
These photo's show the 'Lower Falls' of River Nevis in Glen Nevis near Fort Willaim. Awesome display of nature.

Today (Mon 18th) has brightened up :-) and we managed to get back on the tennis courts for a match as we came through Fort Augustus.

Serendipity B&B : Homemade Redcurrant Jam

2011-07-14T10:43:00.002+01:00

"Redcurrant Jam"...We make all our own homemade jams & marmalades at Serendipity B&B, tried making a new recipe yesterday with redcurrants.
It went down well with our guests this morning at breakfast, quite a sharp zingy flavour to this one.

Glenmoriston : beautiful day from start to finish

2011-07-13T22:15:00.004+01:00

Our guests have been treated to some very varied weather this month and this morning was one of the best mornings so far! Many photo's were taken around the garden after breakfast as some guests checked out on their onward journeys.
Since our short break to see family we have remained busy with not a single room being available. Our guests arriving from around the globe as far as Taiwan, South Africa, USA and many European Countries. We have met some great characters.

The day has ended with a lovely purple glow view over the Glenshiel mountains in the west.

Serendipity B&B : Garden

2011-07-13T22:12:00.001+01:00

Loch Ness & The Highlands from the air

2011-07-07T13:01:00.001+01:00

We've not updated the blog for a while due to a 'short break' down to see family & friends in Sussex & Dorset.
Great to see folks & enjoy some relaxing awesome weather along the south coast with temperatures reaching +33deg,
not seen that for a while :-) Managed to take a few photo's as we flew back home across The West Highlands and Loch Ness.

Glen Quoich : Red Deer Stags

2011-06-20T20:10:00.002+01:00

On a walk across the hills in Glen Quoich we managed to catch a few photo's of a herd of Wild Red Deer Stags. They are in the process of growing 'new antlers' in readiness for the 'rutting season' later on in the year.

The antlers currently have a soft covering known as velvet which will eventually come off when the antlers stop growing.

Springwatch in Glenmoriston : Bluetits nest "in" Serendipity B&B

2011-06-18T14:06:00.005+01:00

For a couple of weeks we have been watching a lot of 'Bluetit' bird activity coming to and from our front porch roof! They obviously decided to make a nest in the eaves here at Serendipity B&B. It was lovely to hear the young chirping away loudly by our front door at feeding time. We've kept well away leaving them to their own devices but managed to get a couple of brief fast moving photo's as the adults returned regularly to feed the young.

Now they have fledged the nest, it's time to be fed at our bird tables, learn to fly and help themselves to the supply of nuts. :-)
...and we didn't charge them a penny for the fortnights accommodation !!

Serendipity Porridge : New Improved Recipes

2011-06-13T16:08:00.006+01:00

We worked out that we have only had 2 days off from our B&B in the last 67 !?!? not a bad run....and the kitchen continues to look like a "Porridge Factory" :-)) we estimate that we have prepared approx 250 - 260 porridge dishes in the last 2 months !

Breakfast porridge has always been a popular choice for our guests to enjoy as we prepare the main cooked menu. The various recipes are going down well with the favourites being.."Brown Sugar & Honey" or "Sultana & Cinnamon" (my personal favourite) or "Plain & Creamy"...we're now also trying new ideas including "Banana & Maple Syrup" or "Blueberries & Cream" (when fruits are available)

One of the perks is tasting & trying each new recipe, It's a hard job but someone has to do it :-))

Serendipity Bed and Breakfast : Gardening

2011-06-11T23:37:00.005+01:00

We've had some great dry sunny weather this week with "The West of Scotland" recording the most sunshine for the whole British Isles yesterday ! (Fri 10 June) :-)
...update : West Highlands, saw the most sunshine for the UK for 5 consecutive days !! (with over 15hrs sunshine each day)

Enjoyed a few hours this week getting out & tending to the garden area and vegetable plot. Plants are coming on slowly after a poor May but the potatoes and some vegetables are doing well as usual and the greenhouse is still producing ripe strawberries each day.
Some guests have been making the most of the patio area during the light evenings and there have been some great sunny views to the Glenshiel Mountains in the west. It's nice having several guests commenting to us on the tidiness of the garden.

Loch Ness : Invermoriston

2011-06-04T21:33:00.003+01:00

We regularly stop off by this beautiful position of Loch Ness as we drive towards Fort Augustus. Located approx just 1 mile south of Invermoriston village (within easy walking distance from Invermoriston on the footpath adjacent to the A82 road) The views look back at the hills above Invermoriston on the left and across towards south Loch Ness side. Always lovely to take a few moments listening to the water lapping up on the rocks.

Dundreggan Loch : Glenmoriston

2011-06-03T18:13:00.003+01:00

Although we have been very busy with the B&B recently we have made some time to explore a few more places closer to home.
Just along Glenmoriston is Dundreggan Loch, there are a few parking layby's along it's length where you can stop and take in the real beauty and peace that Glenmorison has to offer.

The last couple of days have seen higher temperatures across The Highlands and plenty of welcome hot sunshine! The car was showing +25 deg this afternoon as we headed back home following another tennis match at the Fort Augustus Tennis Club.

New Arrivals in Glenmoriston "Bambi"

2011-05-29T13:50:00.003+01:00

Over the last week we have seen a few new arrivals at the deer farm here in Dalchreichart. Cute little Bambi's !!
We literally witnessed one being born in the fields to the west of us. A lot of the Red Deer Hinds have been either laying down and also running around in circles which is an indication they they are due to give birth, I'm sure they'll be a lot more born over the coming couple of weeks and hope to get some photo's as they come nearer to the garden.

2011 TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence!

2011-05-28T16:13:00.001+01:00

We were notified yesterday that :-
Serendipity Bed and Breakfast has won a 2011 TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence!

Cool!! We're both chuffed. "Huge Thanks" to all guests that have taken the time to review us on the following websites
www.tripadvisor.co.uk
and
www.booking.com
where we also have a current review status of "Exceptional" 9.7 / 10
Thank you, Ken & Martin :-)

More Fresh Snow on The Mountains! : May

2011-05-19T20:10:00.004+01:00

This weeks mixed sunshine and showery weather has given us "Fresh Snow" first thing for the last few mornings on the high peaks and ridges on the Glenshiel & Kintail mountains. Not unusual to see fresh snow high up at this time of year but we could do with a few more regular warmer sunnier days for the rest of May!

We've never seen fresh snow on the lower hills to the south of us here in May ! The snow level fell to approx 2000ft..

Serendipity : Homemade Plum Jam

2011-05-18T16:49:00.002+01:00

We've always made our own homemade jams and marmalades here at Serendipity Bed & Breakfast. The Plum jam has been very popular recently and last month we sold quite a few jars to guests. Over the last two weeks we restocked with plums and made a couple of fresh batches.
Lovely and sweet! :-)

Glenmoriston Wildlife at Serendipity

2011-05-13T22:08:00.009+01:00

Glenmoriston has been like a Wildlife Park today !
Despite the mixed sunny spells, showers and a few downpours! The animals have been arriving at Serendipity B&B to entertain our guests..Pine Martens, Pheasants and Red Deer at the garden boundary this evening.

These photo's were all taken in our garden throughout the day.

Pot of Gold ! : Cloud Formations

2011-05-09T17:15:00.001+01:00

The weather systems have changed slightly in the last couple of days bringing a mix of sunshine,showers and blue skies across Glenmoriston and The Highlands.
Yesterday evening as the sun set the clouds seemed to 'explode' above the surrounding hills and we caught a glimpse of a rainbow over Serendipity.
The pot of gold is still out there somewhere! :-)

A Lazy Afternoon on Camusdarach Beach..Heaven

2011-05-07T21:40:00.001+01:00

We have made 2 previous blogs for Camusdarach beach as it's a popular 'hidden gem' location that we venture to when time and good weather permits! With the scorching weather last week we invited friends to join us for a lazy afternoon. The beach is tucked away on the west coast between Morar and Mallaig with great views out to the Islands of Eigg, Rhum, Skye.
The crystal clear water is lovely to swim in although it's still 'quite chilly' at the moment..I braved it as far as I could whilst the others were more intent on playing in the sand :-)
Hope to go back in July or August!

Glenfinnan Monument & Viaduct : Loch Shiel

2011-05-03T21:45:00.005+01:00

The Glenfinnan Monument is located at the head of Loch Shiel on the scenic 'Road to the Isles' between Fort William and Mallaig.
It was erected in 1815 in tribute to the clansmen who fought and died in the Jacobite cause. Despite its inspired beginnings, the 1745 campaign came to a grim conclusion on the Culloden battlefield in 1746!

We had the opportunity to venture out and visit a few places with our friends from Pottery House this week as we all made the most of a day off during the continued hot sunny weather across The Highlands! and managed a round trip visiting The Commando Memorial in Spean Bridge, Glenfinnan Monument & the "Harry Potter" viaduct, Arisaig and finishing at Camusdarach Beach for a picnic! A great day out with amazing scenery re-visiting some of the places that we suggest to our own guests.

Wild Fires Sweep Across The West Highlands

2011-05-02T23:46:00.006+01:00

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-13253420

Numerous wild fires have spread across miles of mountain ranges in several different areas in The North West Highlands over the last 2 days. The last weeks hot weather has continued with temperatures of between 68-72 deg C.
The latest tally at the end of Monday evening was at least 29 fires had been reported causing widespread damage to wildlife habitat areas across the hills.
The nearest to us here at Serendipity was tackled at nearby Kintail & Glenshiel. We witnessed a series of devastating fires spreading on the hillside opposite the loch in remote Lochailort between Glenfinnan and Arisaig whilst driving out with friends during the afternoon. Helecopters have been used to dowse some of the flames and several people were also airlifted off the hills!

South Glenshiel Ridge : Maol Chinn-dearg 3218ft : Sunshine ! +61 deg F

2011-04-26T18:06:00.004+01:00

A cold frosty night with -3deg C ! followed by a warm & sunny forecast across Scotland with more to follow this week. :-)
Our German guests headed west to Skye to enjoy the sunshine and with our new arrivals not due until the early evening we headed for the Glenshiel Mountains for a high walk.
The South Glenshiel Ridge is a rugged mountain range practically on the doorstep giving us easy access to the hills. The middle Munro is "Maol Chinn-dearg" a good winding path that climbs steadily before a mild rocky ascent and onto the final ridge. Great conditions & we set off with a good pace, starting point to the summit at 3218ft in just "90 minutes" !! Awesome day..
Fantastic panoramic views, managed to somehow take 224 photo's.
Will select some photo's and add to :-
www.flickr.com/glenmoriston-lochness

Easter Chocolate Muffins !

2011-04-23T11:09:00.003+01:00

It's Easter ! we like to treat our guests with a chocolate suprise and have repeated our popular " Chocolate & Fresh Cream Muffins "

We've had a great few days of sunny weather and guests have either enjoyed the cakes relaxing at the patio here at Serendipity or taken them whilst exploring Glen Affric or climbing in Glenshiel!
Friday saw The West Highlands & The Isle of Skye the hottest areas for Scotland with temperatures reaching 23.3 deg C
..(Saturday) it has gone cooler today with some overnight drizzle :-(

Fort Augustus Tennis Club - 2011 Season Started !

2011-04-20T20:43:00.001+01:00

The 2011 Tennis season is under way!
We've had some great sunny warm weather and joined a few other club members last weekend to clear the winter debris off the court and the net is now back up :-)
We're having a busy April with the B&B business but have also managed to play 1 tennis match in Inverness & 3 matches this week at the Fort Augustus Tennis Club.
Ken started the season well but Martin has now taken the lead already. At least 2 things have been guaranteed, the legs are aching and we're getting a suntan :-)

Old Drovers Road : Waterfalls : Glenmoriston

2011-04-19T15:35:00.002+01:00

Near the entrance to Dalchreichart by Torgoyle Bridge is a pathway onto "The Old Drovers Road" leading from Glenmoriston through the forest and over the hills to Fort Augustus.
We joined the path for a few miles before returning along the same route. There are pockets of great scenery in the clearings and some lovely small refreshing waterfalls on the way. A great local walk.

Pine Martens return to Serendipity...in daylight !

2011-04-14T10:15:00.004+01:00

We have seen a lot more Pine Marten activity during the last week here at Serendipity B&B, mainly during the late evenings but one even turning up first thing in the morning twice during breakfast! This would suggest that they could be feeding their 'young' somewhere nearby.
There have certainly been two different Pine Martens at seperate times with one being much smaller.
They are still very quick across the garden! and taking photo's isn't an an easy task :-) They have been feeding on boiled eggs! and homemade jam sandwiches.
Although they are fun to watch..They are wildlife :-) and we cannot guarantee any sightings.

...and at night : Pine Martens

2011-04-14T10:11:00.002+01:00

These Pine Martens are hard enough to photograph during the day. We have been placing food nearer the rear patio area to encourage them to eat under the outside light, we managed to take a few photo's through the window late evening.

Loch Garten Osprey Centre : Speyside

2011-04-13T11:23:00.002+01:00

We took ourselves out yesterday on the Speyside tourist trail to Carrbridge, Nethy Bridge, Loch Morlich and finally arriving at The Loch Garten Osprey Centre near The Cairngorms.
There are a pair of Ospreys present on the nest at the moment & had fantastic views of them from the RSPB hide. Great to see the male fly off several times to hunt before returning to the female on the nest. They can be seen very clearly with binoculars but the hide has numerous cameras set up displaying live pictures on numerous TV screens giving very close up shots of the pair, we were fortunate to witness one of the mating scenes and staff at the reserve are anticipating 'eggs' being laid within a few days.
The pictures below show the clarity of the live camera shots of the Osprey pair. Well worth the visit and certainly possible as a day trip whilst stopping with us here at Serendipity B&B

Fresh Snow on the Glenshiel Mountains

2011-04-12T23:52:00.004+01:00

As forecast, Overnight there was a fresh good dusting of snow over the hills to the south of us here in Glenmoriston and on the Mountains of Glenshiel & Kintail looking to the west.
Strange to think that we were high on these mountain ridges just a few days ago in T-shirts getting a suntan !

Hillwalking in Glenshiel : +22degC !!

2011-04-10T10:30:00.002+01:00

With friends up from Edinburgh visiting for the weekend, the weather conditions changed dramatically from wet & windy to clear dry & hot !
The last 2 days have seen the "North West Highlands" recording the warmest temperatures for the UK. Perfect conditions for getting up onto the nearby Glenshiel & Kintail Munro peaks. We decided on one of the prominent peaks that we look west towards from Serendipity B&B : Carn Ghluasaid standing proud at 3139ft, a regular hill climed by ourselves with very dramatic all round views at the summit. A great walk with a few snow drifts remaining on the high ridges from the winter snowfall. We were kitted with Tee shirts, plenty of water (refilled in the burns half way) & a dab of sunbloc!
....The forecast is on the turn again :-( with colder showery spells and 'fresh snow' on the tops of the mountains ! :-(