Jacobiteblog

Happy Ness – Rock Ness – Loch Ness

Posted on May 21, 2013 by jacobiteblog

Jacobite Queen on Loch Ness

After a long drawn out winter, all you want to do is get away and do something different and have a bit of fun and a good laugh.

Well guess what ? We have the answer and the solution to your request!

Starting this Thursday 23rd May (so book out a long weekend now!) at The Eden Court Theatre, Inverness, is the Inverness Comedy Festival, appropriately titled “Happyness”.

The festival has a great line up with comedians Fred MacAulay, Dylan Moran, Jenny Eclair, Alan Davies and a favourite comedian, Arthur Smith.The festival runs until Sunday 26th May and there are lots of shows, check it out on The Eden Court website.

After you have recovered between shows our departure berth for the Jacobite Queen is very close to the theatre at Tomnahurich Bridge on the Caledonian Canal, so why not visit http://www.jacobite.co.uk and book a cruise on Loch Ness?

On the 7th, 8th and 9th June, Rockness, one of Scotland’s finest music festivals, comes to the village of Dores on the shores of Loch Ness. Apart from all the bands, DJs and musicians, RockNess also has a comedy festival coinciding with the music. So if you don’t make the first event why not come and visit us in June?

RockNess has an eclectic line up as ever, from Plan B to Madness, from Basement Jaxx to The Alabama Three and special guest FatBoy Slim – definitely a recipe for an amazing three days of festival, and right on the shores of Loch Ness too!

Be bold and take the plunge – book up for both festivals and your trip on the Jacobite Queen on Loch Ness – escape to Loch Ness to beat the winter blues!

Nessie on the Waves

Posted on May 7, 2013 by jacobiteblog

Sailing Loch Ness in style on the Jacobite Warrior.

This week “Nessie” has been both on the waves and below them!

Our Loch Ness correspondent has been broadcasting recently to New Zealand and Northern Ireland telling them the Loch Ness story, and it’s clear that from these two corners of the world that people are still fascinated with this amazing story about the inhabitant of this loch in the Highlands of Scotland.

On the radio waves “Nessie” featured in three different broadcasts to Northern Ireland organised by VisitScotland to promote the Year of Natural Scotland – what better place but Loch Ness – with its abundance of wildlife including the otter, pine marten, red squirrel, roe deer, red deer, Sika deer and badger; as well as the birds of prey that fly above and around the loch – osprey, red kite, buzzard, hen harrier and sparrow hawk – some great raptor spotting to be had here.

The folks in Northern Ireland love coming to Scotland and the transport links are good. There are direct flights to Inverness from Belfast and great ferry connections to Stranraer, and there are also several flights to Glasgow and Edinburgh.

Our correspondent was speaking on Downtown Radio Belfast on the Siobhan McGarry Show, The John Daly Breakfast Show on U105 and earlier in the week on BBC Radio Foyle. All of the shows went down really well and hopefully it will give visitors in Northern Ireland an appetite for making the trip to Loch Ness to sail with us on this amazing stretch of water. If you missed these shows why not try catching them again on various I-players.

We are always delighted to receive visits from our friends across the water so if you haven’t visited us yet on Loch Ness, instead of listening on the air waves why not come and try the real waves yourself – and book a trip and cruise with Jacobite.

If you see anything unusual, we shall all be waving and celebrating – we’re sure that for those who that can see leprechauns, the Loch Ness Monster will be a picnic!

Sites you may want to visit for more info:

www.jacobite.co.uk
www.visitscotland.com
www.flybe.com
www.stenaline.co.uk

Posted in Jacobite, Loch Ness, Loch Ness Travel, Our Passengers, Scotland, Uncategorized, Wildlife/Nature, Year of Natural Scotland | Tagged cruises on loch ness, Jacobite Cruises, Loch Ness nature, Nessie, Scottish highlands, Year of Natural Scotland 2013 | Leave a comment

A Strange Spectacle On Loch Ness…

Posted on April 30, 2013 by jacobiteblog

View of Loch Ness from Urquhart Castle

A few weeks ago, our local correspondent talked about the sighting of something in Loch Ness by Mrs Aldie Mackay and her husband. That event took place 80 years ago on April 14th, 1933. This story itself was amazing enough, but the real tipping point took place 80 years ago this week, when the story was published in the local newspaper ‘The Inverness Courier’.

The local water bailiff in Fort Augustus, Mr Alex Campbell, was a ‘stringer’ for the Courier; a local correspondent who feeds local news to the paper with the aim of being published. It is unlikely that Alex did not realise what he was going to create when he filed the story of Aldie Mackay’s sighting.

To put everything into perspective, one has to be aware of other triggers that were out there that enabled the public’s imagination to be captured and enthralled by this simple story in a newspaper in the Highlands of Scotland, entitled ‘Strange Spectacle in Loch Ness. What was it?’

It was 1933, the world was at peace after The Great War. It could be argued that people read more, studied more, invented more, they went to the movies and had a thirst for knowledge. Perhaps they were more inquisitive about their presence on the planet. Perhaps the following were the catalysts that projected this article and the story on to the global stage. First, the books, ‘The Land That Time Forgot’ by Edgar Rice Burroughs’; ‘The Lost World’ by Arthur Conan Doyle and the movie ‘King Kong’. These created a demand for stories of creatures unknown to man. Along comes the Inverness Courier with a story of a water creature told by a credible witness, and the rest is history.

So, on May 2nd 2013, many shall be raising a glass to Aldie Mackay, Alex Campbell and The Inverness Courier as the trilogy of characters who unwittingly created one of the world’s greatest mysteries that has contributed to a multi-million pound tourism business in the Highlands of Scotland.

If you would like to know more, why not look for ‘The Encyclopaedia of The Loch Ness Monster’ by Paul Harrison.

Alternatively, plan a weekend or longer on Loch Ness and sail and tour with Jacobite Cruises.

Sail the loch, live the legend. Find out more at www.jacobite.co.uk

Posted in Jacobite, Loch Ness, Loch Ness Travel, News, Scotland, Uncategorized | Tagged cruises on loch ness, Jacobite Cruises, Loch Ness, Loch Ness Monster, Nessie, Scottish highlands | Leave a comment

Looking forward to a ‘Monster’ Spring and Summer with you on Loch Ness!

Posted on April 23, 2013 by jacobiteblog

Jacobite Warrior approaching Urquhart Castle Loch Ness

If you’re planning on sailing with us on Loch Ness as part of your visit to the Scottish Highlands this year, there are plenty of ideas for things to see and do, in this Year of Natural Scotland 2013, particularly in Spring and Summer.

Festivals and events are great reasons for visiting Scotland and here in the Scottish Highlands, we have plenty! You can combine going to a festival with a cruise and tour with us, as well as some walking, outdoor activities, wildlife watching, sightseeing and a great stay in the accommodation of your choice in and around Loch Ness or Inverness.

Watch armoured Knights compete with each other or try your hand at archery in the historic and unique setting of Urquhart Castle for the Grand Tournament of Foote, on Loch Ness, on the 5th and 6th May. Or how about exploring the natural beauty of Glen Affric in the Walking Festival from 24th to 27th May?

Get into some good tunes at the Northern Roots Festival from 31st May – 2nd June and more amazing music beckons with Rock Ness on the shores of Loch Ness at Dores from 7-9th June.

Golf fans will be keen to visit the Scottish Open at Castle Stuart from 11-14th July and many will be looking forward to the delights of Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival on 2nd and 3rd August. You can soak up some Highland heritage at the Glenurquhart Highland Games in Drumnadrochit on the 24th August and embrace Gaelic heritage, music and more at this year’s Blas Festival, from 6-14th September.

One of our favourites, the Baxter’s Loch Ness Marathon comes round again this year on the 29th September 2013 – will you be taking part this year or perhaps just enjoying being a spectator at this incredible event?

There is also a host of local events and activities for wildlife watching, ranger-led programmes and walks –find more on the Events Calendar at visitlochness.com.

Don’t forget to visit us at www.jacobite.co.uk to find out more about our Loch Ness cruises and tours – you can choose from trips ranging from one to six hours, and connect with our coaches from the city of Inverness.

Watch our tour videos, check the weather for your visit, ask questions or chat with us on Facebook and Twitter.

Looking forward to a monster Spring & Summer with you on Loch Ness!

Posted in Jacobite, Loch Ness, Loch Ness Travel, Scotland, Uncategorized, Wildlife/Nature, Year of Natural Scotland | Tagged cruises on loch ness, Inverness, Jacobite Cruises, Scottish highlands, Year of Natural Scotland 2013 | Leave a comment

Jacobite Experience Loch Ness at Visit Scotland Expo 2013

Posted on April 16, 2013 by jacobiteblog

Jacobite Jess at Visit Scotland Expo 2005

Some of the Jacobite team are heading to the Glasgow SECC for our annual attendance at the international travel trade show, Visit Scotland Expo 2013 on Wednesday 17th and Thursday 18th April.

We enjoy this travel trade show as it gives us a chance to catch up with lots of trade colleagues from Scotland, the UK and across the globe, with visiting agents coming from Europe, the USA, Russia, India, Canada, South America and many more places – there’s a great buzz over two days.

Visit Scotland Expo gives the Jacobite team get a chance to catch up with people we already work with but perhaps don’t get to see very often, so it’s great to be able to speak to our colleagues and contacts in person, whom perhaps we’re usually more used to communicating with by email.

More importantly, Expo gives us the opportunity to make new contacts from across the globe and lets us do what we like doing best: showcasing Loch Ness to the world via our great cruises and tours, and sharing what’s new here – our real passion.

Jacobite Cruises at Visit Scotland Expo

We’ve been attending Visit Scotland Expo for many years now and the photos and the stories we’ve collected over the years would probably make for a few good albums themselves – as you can see, Jacobite Jess has also managed to enjoy a few good shows with us too. The header photo goes way back to our Stand at Expo in Aberdeen in 2005 –our stands may have changed a lot since then but Jess doesn’t look a day older even today!

We’d like to wish all our colleagues and visitors who are going to be at Visit Scotland Expo in Glasgow a very successful show.

Come and say hello to us on Stand D13 or tweet us at @jacobitecruises and use the hashtag #visitscotexpo – we look forward to welcoming you.

Posted in Jacobite, Jacobite Jess, Loch Ness, Loch Ness Travel, News, Scotland, Uncategorized | Tagged Jacobite Cruises, Jacobite Jess, Loch Ness, loch ness cruises, Scotland travel, Visit Scotland Expo 2013 | Leave a comment

The Loch Ness Monster 80 Years On

Posted on April 9, 2013 by jacobiteblog

Photo by Jessica Smedley.

In a recent blog, we referred to a sighting of the Loch Ness monster by Mrs Aldie Mackay; eighty years ago on the 14^th April 1933. With this in mind, this week brings celebrations and discussions to mark that eventful day.

Our correspondent was in Edinburgh last weekend at the Loch Ness Symposium along with many eminent speakers sharing their tales and theories of what Nessie could or couldn’t be. Apparently the jury is still out on that one! However, the event – part of Edinburgh Science Festival – attracted a full house, including journalists, a TV crew from Japan and visitors from all over the globe.

Our correspondent reports that Adrian Shine and Tony Harmsworth, both based at Loch Ness, spoke about the geographical and topographical location and de-bunked many of Robert Rine’s pictures and sonar readings that had been claimed as genuine. Unfortunately, these photos appeared to have been altered to suit what he was trying to prove. It all adds to the story and mystery that is Loch Ness.

Other speakers talked about Loch Ness Films and the influence of these in encouraging people to make the journey north to see for themselves. One talked about a study he is carrying out on eye-witness accounts to see if there are any patterns having been created over the years. Roland Watson offered a history of Waterhorses, Kelpies, and Water Bulls in the context of myth, folklore and legend.

Gordon Rutter, who organised the event with Charles Paxton of St. Andrews University, gave a talk on some of the photographic exhibits proclaiming to be” Nessie”.

In the audience was Stuart Campbell, who has written a number of books on the subject, as well as Steve Feltham, who is in The Guinness Book of Records for having the longest vigil of looking for the monster. Mr Feltham has been living by the lochside at Dores village for over twenty years – watching and watching and watching! He passes the days by making model Nessies in all sorts of guises and sells them to the tourists. They are very well done and make a great souvenir of a visit.

There is likely to be more info on the symposium via the Internet, so if you feel like coming north to Loch Ness, the anniversary date is the 14th April – the birthday of the first sighting of Nessie in modern times.

Or you could jump on a cruise with Jacobite to hunt for the monster yourself – find out more at www.jacobite.co.uk

Posted in Loch Ness, News, Scotland | Tagged Jacobite Cruises, loch ness cruises, Loch Ness Monster, Loch Ness Monster 80 years symposium, Nessie, Scottish highlands | Leave a comment

Easter Sunshine and Soaring Raptors on Loch Ness

Posted on April 3, 2013 by jacobiteblog

Jacobite Warrior on Loch Ness.

Thanks to all you good folks out there who took our advice a few weeks back and booked their Easter break at Loch Ness, you did us proud and the weather over the weekend did you all proud too.

What a fabulous Easter with amazing sunny weather, not a cloud in the sky! And although there were seasonal low temperatures, it was dry and crisp and offered great conditions for ski-ing, hillwalking, cruising on the loch and generally taking in the sights and sounds.We even saw some folks setting up a barbecue by the lochside. Forever optimists, and wrapped up well – the conditions were fine for outside dining.

All our trips and cruises were really busy, and again it was great for those who all booked in advance online; that undoubtedly is the best and easiest way to do it. It also assures you get the cruise you want to fit in with your schedule. To all those who sailed with us over the weekend, we hope you really enjoyed the experience and it was our pleasure to welcome you on board. The loch was really calm and with the glorious sunshine it was definitely one for the memory books.

So all you folks who did not make the Easter trip north – start planning for the May Bank Holiday and we will be ready for you. Get online and book your cruise at www.jacobite.co.uk, or get someone to pick up our new brochure for you or we can send one out if you drop us a line at Tomnahurich Bridge, Glenurquhart Road, Inverness 1V3 5TD.

The new brochure, apart from all the cruises, times and prices, also has some really interesting facts from our very own Jacobite Jess, cousin of Nessie! So look out for them when you get your hands on a copy of our new brochure.

Finally, although the temperatures are low, spring has definitely sprung as the Ospreys have returned to the area.It was with great pleasure that we saw two of them on Easter Sunday flying over the loch. What a great sight! The Red Kites are also venturing more over this way from their nesting area in the Black Isle and they too are an incredible sight of nature.

So in this Year of Natural Scotland, pleased do come and visit Jacobite on Loch Ness – and enjoy our Scottish wildlife at the same time.

Posted in Jacobite, Jacobite Jess, Loch Ness, Loch Ness Travel, Scotland, Uncategorized, Wildlife/Nature, Year of Natural Scotland | Tagged cruises on loch ness, Jacobite Cruises, Loch Ness, loch ness cruises and tours, travel, Year of Natural Scotland 2013 | Leave a comment

Man and Horse, River Monsters and Loch Ness Easter Getaways

Posted on March 18, 2013 by jacobiteblog

Happy Easter from all at Jacobite!

We’re now more than half way through March, folks, and the weather is probably better than seasonal here at Loch Ness. We hope you have all planned your Easter trips: not long now!

As we’ve mentioned before, there is no better place than here in the Scottish Highlands, with accommodation for all pockets, so check out some great deals available. If you do venture North, remember to come and visit us here at Jacobite Experience Loch Ness and take one of our great cruises and tours on the Loch.

For travellers who are looking for a flavour of the Scottish Highlands and Loch Ness, check out SKY TV Channel 191 next Friday at 7.00pm for the programme Highland Showcase. You will see our boats and hear some stories about mysterious Loch Ness and perhaps that will help to make the decision for you!

For those who want to plan further ahead, there is an amazing event taking place on Sunday 21st April on the Southside of the loch: The annual Man versus Horse Challenge, featuring runners and riders tackling a 26Km course through some of the most spectacular scenery in the Highlands, competing for our very own “Jacobite Warrior” Perpetual Trophy.

The race is organised by Candy Cameron, an experienced endurance rider who has set the rules, and Loch Ness Riding. This event is something completely different and extremely challenging for both horses and men and women, and worth putting the date in your diary.

Finally, another TV programme to watch out for to give you a different flavour of the Highlands and Loch Ness is “River Monsters”. This very popular global programme produced by Animal Planet was filmed here at Loch Ness last year and the episode featuring the loch will be shown on May 27th 2013.

The TV programme features the presenter Jeremy Wade going head to head with the monsters of the deep and searching Loch Ness for what must be the most famous monster in the world; as well as a spot on exploring Iceland and Norway.

Wishing you a very Happy Easter from all at Jacobite! Visit us at www.jacobite.co.uk

Posted in Jacobite, Loch Ness, Loch Ness Travel, Our Passengers, Scotland, Uncategorized | Tagged easter breaks loch ness, easter on loch ness, loch ness cruises, man versus horse challenge loch ness, Scottish highlands | Leave a comment

All Roads Lead to Loch Ness

Posted on March 18, 2013 by jacobiteblog

Jacobite cruise approaching Urquhart Castle, Loch Ness

That’s it folks; just under 500 days until The Commonwealth Games kick off here in Scotland. Glasgow 2014 is the time and the place where it is happening in the world, so if you are interested in that trip to the old country, aim for 2014. Start planning now and you can take in the games, The Ryder Cup at Gleneagles or The Homecoming 2014…so lots happening!

When you are visiting, a trip north to Loch Ness is a must – you can’t come all that way and not visit the most mysterious stretch of water in the world. You would not be setting a precedent either as in one local paper this week, it was stated that the first tourists to Loch Ness and the coasts of Scotland were the Vikings, all these years ago. In fact, one early explanation for the long neck and head of Nessie was attributed to the Viking long ships; the prow was always a carved serpent like head.

Another person who wants to visit Loch Ness according to the news recently via the BBC is the Spanish footballer Michu, who plays for Swansea. He has scored fifteen goals in the Barclays Premier League, and now his goal is a trip to Loch Ness. In the article, Michu states that he has always been fascinated with the story of Nessie, seemingly like many of his countrymen, and it takes priority on his agenda to make the visit north. We have advised the newspapers that we will act as his guide and that a trip on one of the Jacobite boats is a must. We’re thinking the ‘Warrior’ or the ‘Legend’ would be most appropriate.

Michu is the second personality this year to express a desire to visit Loch Ness as earlier this year the American actress Megan Fox also stated in a magazine article that she wished to make a visit to see us here at the loch.

So no matter who you are, and where you come from, you are all most welcome to join Jacobite Experience Loch Ness here for a cruise, whether you’re from the Commonwealth, tracing your ancestors, following golfing greats, in the footsteps of Vikings or Spanish Conquistadors, you will all get a big Scottish welcome and some fine Highland hospitality!!

We look forward to welcoming you to Loch Ness – visit us at www.jacobite.co.uk

Posted in Jacobite, Loch Ness, Loch Ness Travel, Scotland, Uncategorized | Tagged cruises on loch ness, Jacobite Cruises, Loch Ness, loch ness news, Nessie, scotland, Scottish highlands | Leave a comment

Loch Ness and Year of Natural Scotland 2013

Posted on March 8, 2013 by jacobiteblog

Sunrise over Loch Ness

Here at Loch Ness we have had a touch of Spring this last couple of weeks. In fact, only recently have we seen light showers.

The daffodils and snowdrops are starting to show and the buds are appearing on the trees. The local wildlife is starting to stir. In nearby gardens the moles are churning up the ground furiously, roe deer have made a welcome return along with two wood pigeons, getting feed from the cones that have fallen off the trees, a red squirrel has ventured out of his winter sleep and is foraging away and our regular visitor of a fine cock pheasant is gracing our hillside garden. This is the wildlife scene on the hills above Loch Ness about four miles from The Clansman Harbour, where our boats leave from on their daily trips to and from Urquhart Castle.

Feeding our birds at Loch Ness

As this is the Year of Natural Scotland there are many activities going on in this area which allow you to contribute to putting something back into the land. One of these schemes, which attracted our attention, is the 3T Project being run by Scottish Waterways. This project involves the planting of 3000 trees beside The Caledonian Canal to rejuvenate the banks and rough ground on either side of the Canal: you can then sail the canal and keep an eye on your investment in wildlife, and watch natural beauty grow. The last day of planting is Sunday 10th March at Dochgarroch, just where Jacobite sails by.

Also worth a visit is The Highland Council Ranger Service website, as they always have a lot of outdoor adventures for all the family, taking you right back to nature and all things wildlife. Check out Scottish Natural Heritage too, to see what their programme entails here at Loch Ness.

If you prefer, why not plan your own nature trip with the many walks in the hills round the loch? Directly opposite our harbour is the walk along the old coffin trail to Abriachan in the hills above The Clansman Hotel, beside the embarkation point for Jacobite Cruises.

There is no finer place to embrace natural Scotland than here at Loch Ness – we hope you can join us this year. Find out more and book online at www.jacobite.co.uk

Posted in Jacobite, Loch Ness, Loch Ness Travel, Scotland, Uncategorized, Wildlife/Nature, Year of Natural Scotland | Tagged Clansman Harbour, cruises on loch ness, Jacobite Cruises, Loch Ness, wildlife, Year of Natural Scotland 2013 | Leave a comment