Chocolate in Inverness and the Highlands

Posted on April 11, 2012 by

Well everybody,  you must all be ‘chocolated’ out by now after the Easter festivities.

Although the weather was not particularly good, Loch Ness was very busy and here at Jacobite the cruises were full all weekend.

It was great to see everybody enjoying themselves here in the Highlands
over Easter week-end.

In Inverness we are lucky to have two excellent Belgian chocolatiers both with shops in the city; here you can buy some of the most delicious chocolates one can eat. They are called Maya and Story, one is in the Victorian market and one is near the bus station.  Their Easter displays were brilliant and their Easter bunnies and eggs looked the business.

Image courtesy Maya Belgian Chocolates

Chocolate is also a great accompaniment to Scotch Whisky, nothing finer than a glass of single malt whisky together with a piece of rich, dark, handmade chocolate. Chocolate with a high cocoa content and Whisky is a marriage made in heaven.

Further North in Scotland is Cocoa Mountain – another fine chocolatier and worth a look at online where one can order their produce. The restaurants of the Highlands use chocolate a lot in their menus, both savoury and sweet.

Roast haunch of venison with chocolate sauce and caramelised parsnips; chocolate torte with white chocolate ice cream parfait followed by a Dalmore 12 year old malt, espresso, and a whisky and chocolate truffle – gourmet paradise!

So it is not just Easter you can be ‘chocolated’ out in the Highlands. You can have your chocolate fix all year round – even here at Loch Ness you can indulge in a chocolate Nessie before you board your Jacobite cruise.

All you chocoholics make your way North for the ultimate chocolate experience!

Willie Cameron

Writer in residence

Posted in Loch Ness, Scotland, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Here comes April 2012…

Posted on April 6, 2012 by

Well folks, April is here, how the time flies in! We hardly get Christmas over then its Valentines, Mother’s Day and now Easter is upon us.  All these things we were going to plan for Easter and now it’s arrived. The first of April falling on a Sunday is not so good for hoaxes in the popular press but there have been a few.

Loch Ness, of course, has been world famous for hoaxes over the years and no better place for an April Fool, they go hand in hand.

Castle Stuart

Castle Stuart

A number of years ago I orchestrated a number of stunts to commemorate that day. The best one was the floating golf course on Loch Ness.  Eighteen pontoons covered in astro turf and the players transported from hole to hole by fast speed boat, divers on hand to retrieve the balls and big screens at Fort Augustus and Dores for TV coverage during The Loch Ness Open Championship.

A suggestion that the balls should be filled with porridge was just taking the hoax too far. That story appeared in the Daily Record and a golfing society in Washington State USA telephoned to book a round as they loved to play all the crazy golf courses of the World.

Sad to say there is no floating golf course on Loch Ness, but there are plenty of superb courses all within easy reach of Jacobite HQ here at Tomnahurich. The Jacobite staff will be delighted to advise you . Why not come up for The Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open here at Castle Stuart from the 12th July to the 15th July?

Take in the competition then play some golf at Nairn, Dornoch, Tain or Inverness and other great Highland courses.  Whilst the golfers go golfing the others can go cruising down Loch Ness then shopping or pampering in the city of Inverness. Absolutely nothing foolish about that !

Willie Cameron
Writer in residence

Posted in Loch Ness, Scotland, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A Look at Loch Ness: Wildlife

Posted on April 2, 2012 by
A Look at Loch Ness: Wildlife

Bird feeders at Jacobite

Thanks to Nessie, the real wildlife around the loch tends to get overlooked by visitors, but we’re blessed with a magnificent variety of creatures, within the forests, moorland and shoreline of Loch Ness.

Red squirrels are present in all the forests surrounding Loch Ness and can often be seen jumping effortlessly from tree to tree.

If you’re lucky, during your visit you may catch a glimpse of an elusive Pine Marten. These are about the size of a cat and easily identifiable by the general dark brown of its fur that contrasts with the creamy throat patch. As you might expect, there are badgers in the area, as well as foxes and brown hares.

The weasel is also prevalent in the area, making it the smallest carnivore in The Highlands. Their small size is well compensated by their fierceness in hunting. They are often seen rapidly crossing roads or sitting upright to gain a better field of vision for their favourite food of mice and voles.

Red deer, often referred to as the “Monarch of the Glen”, can be seen during the winter months but during the summer they are normally on much higher ground. It is not unknown for them to swim across Loch Ness. Sika deer, which are smaller and almost black in colour, are seen occasionally. The much smaller Roe deer, more grey/brown in colour, are common along the banks of the canal and in the grounds around Dochfour House.

Remember to look out for wildlife on Loch Ness when you travel with Jacobite!

Posted in A Look at Loch Ness, Loch Ness, Scotland, Wildlife/Nature | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

What incredible weather….on Loch Ness

Posted on March 30, 2012 by

What incredible weather for March, this time last year we were just getting over heavy snow and roads blocked. These last few days have been bordering on the tropical with temperatures rising to the high teens and low twenties. Fyvie in Aberdeenshire recorded 22.50 c the hottest temperature for this timein 60 years. Hopefully it is a sign for bumper summer temperatures!

The good weather gets you in the mood for a trip North and what better than to take in  a Festival. How about ROCKNESS? Taking place from the 8th to 10th June 2012 at Dores on the shores of Loch Ness headed up by Mumford and Sons ,Biffy Clyro, and The View to name but a few. This event has won Best Small Festival in the NME awards.

If you don’t feel up to rocking and abopping but would like to savour the atmosphere, take a cruise down Loch Ness on the Jacobite Queen and sit back and relax taking in the sounds as you sail past Aldourie, Tor Point and Dores Bay.

If the Loch was like yesterday-flat calm, not a ripple and like a giant mirror reflecting the hills  on its surface it will be fabulous. If you are coming North on The Rockness Express for part of the Year of Culture make time to see us at Jacobite and experience the Loch for yourself. We look forward to seeing you and keep the fingers crossed for some of this weather.

“KEEP on ROCKING!”

Willie Cameron

Writer in residence

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Whistle stop tour from Edinburgh to Loch Ness

Posted on March 26, 2012 by

This last week I had the pleasure of guiding a party of 22 souls on a whistle stop tour from Edinburgh to Loch Ness.

On the way North we stopped at Forth Rail Bridge for some pix as this is the first time in 15 years one could see the bridge in its entirety as now all the scaffolding has been removed and the painting finished.

We had lunch at House of Bruar the flagship for Scottish retailing situated off the A9 in Highland Perthshire. We then ventured up the Cairngorm Mountain to see some magnificent scenery over the Spey Valley and beyond. A ceilidh and dinner with the Jacobite story teller in the Loch Ness Clansman Hotel rounded off a great day.

Next day a trip to Culloden Battlefield then a Mystery Tour through the back roads of Nairn  culminating in a visit to The Dalmore Distillery north of Inverness the late lunch at The Storehouse of Foulis sitting watching the seals basking on the sand spits.

The highlight on Friday morning was the trip across Loch Ness on the Jacobite Legend to Urquhart Castle, with skipper John and crew-master Andy, looking after these older tourists regally.  The weather was great, a slight wind which made the trip more of an experience with every second wave spraying over the bow.
 
On the whole the 3 day trip restored my faith totally in Scottish Tourism as the standard of service we received everywhere was first class.  Why not try it out for yourself.  A 3 day break to the Highlands similar to the one I did will impress you!

Go on check it out today……you won’t be disappointed.
 
Willie Cameron
Writer in Residence
Jacobite Cruises Ltd

Posted in Loch Ness, Our Passengers, Scotland, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

A Look at Loch Ness: Birds

Posted on March 23, 2012 by

A feathered friend on board the boat

When you sail with Jacobite on Loch Ness, you will more than likely spot a wide variety of birds as we make our way along the Loch. Throughout the Highlands and here in the Loch Ness area, we enjoy a rich and diverse bird population.

Birds of prey are a common sight along the canal and by the shore of the Loch. It’s unlikely that you’ll see a Golden Eagle, but there are a number of Osprey nests situated around the Loch. Now and again, our passengers have been lucky enough to catch a glimpse of these magnificant birds swooping down to pluck a fish from the water – So keep your eyes peeled! Buzzards, Red Kites and Hen Harriers are also a common sight by the canal, Loch Dochfour and at the North end of Loch Ness.

Other large birds to look out for include Heron, Cormorants and Mute Swans which are regularly seen fishing and feeding in the area where the canal ends and the River Ness begins.

On the water, Mallard ducks are the most common wildfowl but a few pairs of Water Hens can be found on the canal. In Loch Dochfour several families of Red-breasted Mergansers, members of the sawbill group of diving ducks can be seen skimming across the water.

As you’d expect there are also a number of common birds in the area, including crows, blackbirds and various varieties of seagull. The most common small bird is the thrush but chaffinch, bullfinch, greenfinch, siskin, great tit, blue tit, coal tit, robin, and the tiny wren are all plentiful.

We’re sure you’ll agree that wildlife and bird spotting is a great reason for sailing on Loch Ness and another great reason for travelling with Jacobite – we hope you enjoy your journey with us.

Posted in A Look at Loch Ness, Loch Ness, Scotland, Wildlife/Nature | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Walt Disney’s new animation film “BRAVE”

Posted on March 19, 2012 by

The big story of the week for the Highlands of Scotland was Visit Scotland’s marketing campaign with Walt Disney for the forthcoming release of “BRAVE”, the new Pixar animation set in the Highlands of Scotland with Billy Connolly and Kelly Macdonald as the voice overs. The story is a tale of Merida the heroine as she confronts tradition and destiny. Here at Loch Ness we are well used to films promoting the area so we are really looking forward to “BRAVE”, in fact we throw an open invitation to the film promoters to come cruising with us on Loch Ness and see the Highlands from a different perspective.

A few years ago we helped in the promotion of the film “Waterhorse” with goodie bags and joint marketing.  The film “Loch Ness” with Ted Danson was filmed here along with “Incident at Loch Ness” a few years later with the famous director Werner Herzog.  We also had the great Billy Wilder here in the seventies filming “The Private Lives of Sherlock Holmes”. The model of the monster they had for that particular film sank off Urquhart Castle and still lies there in the deep water.

So, when you come on your tour of the Highlands and your trip on Jacobite we will roll out the red carpet for you and it will be “LIGHTS!!!! CAMERA!!!!!! ACTION!!!!!!!!

Willie Cameron

Writer in residence

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Jess finds a home from home at the Premier Inn

Posted on March 16, 2012 by

Jess meeting friends at the Premier Inn

Now that Spring is here, Jacobite Jess has been out and about recently in the centre of Inverness.

Jess recently found herself at the opening of the new Premier Inn, Inverness Centre, where she was very drawn to the familiar purple colour which made her feel instantly at home!

After a chat with the lovely receptionist, Jess met this friendly bunch of little people above, who were keen to give her hugs and find out more about Loch Ness.

A monster hug!

She even got a special big hug from one of the group before she made her way back to the Loch for an early afternoon swim.

Many thanks to Premier Inn Inverness Centre  for looking after Jess on her travels.

If you see Jess when she’s out and about be sure to say hello!

Posted in Jacobite Jess, News, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

A Look at Loch Ness…The Loch

Posted on March 14, 2012 by

Loch Ness is arguably the most famous, mysterious and legendary stretch of water in the world. It runs in a North East to South Westerly direction and forms part of the Great Glen fault in Scotland.

The Loch is 22.6 miles or 36.4 km long and is about a mile wide for most of its length but almost 2 miles or 3 km wide at Urquhart Bay.

At its deepest point, the loch is about 750 feet or 230 meters deep – meaning that London’s BT Tower, which stands at 189m tall, would be completely submerged by the waters of the Loch. World landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower or The Empire State Building would still show a little above the surface of the water, if placed on the bed of the Loch.

Jacobite on Loch Ness

Jacobite sailing on Loch Ness

The deepest Loch in Scotland is Loch Morar, with Loch Lomond covering the greatest surface area, however Loch Ness has by far the greatest volume of water, in fact it contains more fresh water than all the lakes in England and Wales combined.

Visibility is exceptionally low in the water due to the high peat content, however a number of fish do inhabit the Loch including Salmon, Sea Trout, Eels, Arctic Char, Brown Trout and Ferrox Trout, (a trout which switches its diet to fish and then seems to just keep on growing). The largest caught to date was almost 32 lbs. You can also find the occasional Pike.

Loch Ness is famous throughout the world for its monster, Nessie. Countless numbers of people visit the loch every year in the hope of spotting the mysterious creature, with the first ever reported sighting dating back to 565AD.

Why the name Loch Ness? Well it probably comes from the Norse word, “nes”, meaning headland, but one ancient legend offers an alternative explanation:

Long ago the Great Glen contained a holy well, blessed by Daly the Druid.  He said its waters would cure all diseases, so long as a stone was replaced over it each time water was drawn.  He warned that the land would be ruined if his instructions were not followed.  A mother responding to the urgent cries of her baby while collecting water left the well uncovered in her haste and the waters rose and flooded the valley.  The people escaped to the hills crying “Tha Loch ‘nis ann” – in gaelic “there is a loch”.  And so it was named.

Posted in Loch Ness, Scotland, Uncategorized, Wildlife/Nature | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

March is finally here…

Posted on March 7, 2012 by

March is finally here, one feels winter is getting behind us,but always remember that expression of your Granny’s – Don’t cast a cloot till May’s oot” and of course as all Highland Crofters will tell you that we haven’t yet had the lambing snow.

Anyway all these old expressions add to the romance and difference of the Highlands and contribute to the colour and peoples of this corner of the globe.

Here at Loch Ness it has been an excellent winter; very little snow and ice and temperatures above the seasonal normal, great for winter cruising.

In February we had a most unusual but very welcome guest aboard the Legend indeed very appropriate as this particular visitor to Loch Ness is a legend in her own right in the volumes of history of Scottish Football.

Cruising on Loch Ness was no other than The William Hill Scottish Cup both in my capable hands and crew member John Peterkin proudly holding what every Scottish Footballer would love to get their hands on. This prized trophy had the return trip to Urquhart Castle and back to the Clansman Harbour.

What a great start to the 2012 Season and may all of our cups runneth over this year!

Willie Cameron
Jacobite Cruises – Writer in Residence

Posted in Celebreties, News, Uncategorized | Leave a comment