Film locations throughout Scotland inlcuding the Highlands from Visit Scotland but there are some classics missing

Something for you film buffs. Film locations in Scotland including some surprises.

http://www.visitscotland.com/about/arts-culture/films/locations

but I Tweeted abou these that are missing

Peter McIntosh ‏@DistantHillsBnB 58m58 minutes ago
@VisitScotland part 4 Whisky Galore filmed again in Portsoy this year. Finished!
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2. Peter McIntosh ‏@DistantHillsBnB 59m59 minutes ago

   @VisitScotland part 3 Being Human with Robin Williams 1994 in Lochaber, Rob Roy 1995 with Liam Neeson in Achnacarry and Glen Nevis,

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4. Peter McIntosh ‏@DistantHillsBnB 1h1 hour ago

   @VisitScotland part 2 Castle Stalker near Appin (Holy Grail), Restless Natives by Bill Forsyth 1985 scenes from everywhere!,

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6. Peter McIntosh ‏@DistantHillsBnB 1h1 hour ago

   @VisitScotland http://www.visitscotland.com/about/arts-culture/films/locations … good list but missing Stardust 2007 with scenes from Quiraing on Skye, continues on second Tweet

Halloween Haggis Quiz Night in Spean Bridge

Come along to our little quiz night if you dare!!!
Its to help raise funds for the Highland Haggis Festival in Spean Bridge in April 2016

Gairlochy on the Great Glen Way

Some of you may be familiar with this phone box at Gairlochy on the Great Glen Way. 

Some of you may have sheltered in it!

Easter in the Highlands of Scotland - Time for an Easter Break

Hello

Easter is quite early this year with Good Friday on the 3rd of April.

You might be forgiven for thinking that it would be too early to head for the Highlands but have a look at these photographs I took on the Great Glen Way in March 2012.

We had great weather and I remember as we walked the last stretch we were actually too hot!

Actually the timing of Easter is quite good this year. Take an Easter break in early April, work a few weeks and then you have the Bank Holiday weekends in May to look forward to as well.

Great Glen Way - The High Route from Fort Augustus to Invermoriston

Hello

As we have lots of Great Glen Way walkers staying with us I am keen to walk as much of the way as I can to help answer any questions they may have. Today's section was from Drumnadrochit to Invermoriston on the much acclaimed High Route.

Fort Augustus and Loch Ness are just 30 minutes up the road from our guest house in Spean Bridge so by 8:30 I had started walking from a sleepy Sunday morning Fort Augustus.

The blue GGW signs let you know you are on the right track, more of this later.

The walk out of Fort Augustus is largely all up hill and in some sections very uphill. I would suggest not to overdose on breakfast. The photo below shows the small hill with the huge pine trees

Being the tail end of Autumn there is still lots of colour around

Eventually a gap in the trees gives the first great view back down to Loch Ness

A little higher and looking South the sky is really clear down there.










Now the High Route separates from the Low Route but not where I thought so I had a little circular detour of about a mile. At the first white marker post you see which I think is opposite a viewpoint bench do not, do not, do not take it.
This is the path I was on which was fascinating because it was very dark and the path was untrodden. Look at the pine needles on this section. But if I had not taken the wrong turn I would not have seen this nor my first red squirrel of the day.

This is the Allt Na Criche burn which you walk up alongside to get to the High ground in a series of zig zags which seem to go on for ever.

First view from above the tree line back down the Great Glen with the curve of the Caledonian Canal in the middle.










All the views South had been great and I thought could not be bettered until I turned a corner and here was the view North










At this point my camera battery gave up so I used my mobile phone camera but it really did not do a great job towards the end of the walk.
This was the view from the shelter on the path which I guess is about half way on the route.

The walk along the top section is really quite easy on a great path and as I was nearing the end of the top section I thought I would enjoy the cheese sandwich I carefully made the night before. Oh dear tea, crisps, chocolate bar but no sandwich - still in the fridge! (note the 1990's Boots thermos flask)

 My first glimpse of Invermoriston - amazing from up here

The path down is pretty steep and I am glad I did not come up that way

Wildlife, right this photo below is of a red squirrel - can you see him in the middle. On the day I saw 3 red squirrels, 8 grouse, 3 ducks, two pheasants (worth counting?) and two birds that I don't know. They are blackbird sized, light brown in colour with white under their wings, very timid (they fly away as soon as they see you and don't stop flying!) and always seem to be in a pair.

 Down in Invermoriston and proof that it is so cold there they have heaters outside

The signpost with no paths

Good advice on car hire when visiting our guest house in Spean Bridge, near Fort William, Scotland (or indeed anywhere!)

Hello

I was thinking ahead to when our visitors start arriving and trying to think what other information would be useful to them.

Well I know when I go on holiday finding the best car hire and watching out for potential problems can be a bit of a head ache so why not read this article on Money Saving Expert.com which goes into great and useful detail.

I know I have saved a fortune on "excess policy" costs by using this site and so have some of our guests including those from continental Europe coming to Scotland.

So go ahead and have a good read before its too late but one other tip - get a road map. Sat Nav is all very well but a map will always be by your side and the battery will not fail (:-)

And some ideas of what to do when you are here http://distanthills.blogspot.co.uk/2011/06/what-have-spean-bridge-guests-been-up.html

Enjoy your week ahead

Peter
www.distanthillsspeanbridge.co.uk/travel

East Highland Way from Spean Bridge to Inverlair and back by mountain bike

Hello

I have walked part of the East Highland Way before from Spean Bridge to Chlinaig (a settlement before Monessie) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbUXR4m9O5M but I was keen to see the rest of the route out to Inverlair.

As I was a bit short of time I decided to cycle the way and taking the bike did not give me any great issues.

I first cycled out the A86 from Spean Bridge to Inverlair which being on the road was the least interesting part of the day. This picture is taken from near Tulloch Farm looking across to the EHW.

It did not take long from Tulloch Farm to Inverlair and striaght away I had to climb quite a steep forestry road. If you are travelling West to East and you see this house then you may be glad to know that you are almost at Inverlair!

I did think the upward road would go on and on but suddenly it plateaus. At the top there are great views East including the Laggan dam

From the top its downhill all the way ( I would not like to cycle up this hill from West to East) and with the logging that has taken place and is still ongoing its really opened up the views.

Some walkers have been a little confused in areas where there are lots of little new roads for the timber lorries and in particular this junction

Just carry on straight up the hill as the roads veers slightly to the right. The forestry guys or Kevin Langan have kindly placed yellow tape on sticks all the way along this section to guide you.

Across the glen there is a church on a hill and you may be interested to know that this was a location used a few times when Monarch of The Glen was filmed here.  You can just see it and the graveyard as a thin grey line on the hill face.

After this it was down hill again to the infamous hidden gate into the forest which is now a lot more obvious I think with the trees down and you can certainly see the track climbing the hill back up behind me. The river/stream/burn which is mentioned in the guide book is very low at the moment and nothing to worry about. Bike and I scrambled over without getting wet.

The way is now a bit vague but there are pieces of track and its obvious that you carry on between the river and the fence on the higher ground. I skirted past a substantial ruin of a croft or township and it makes you wonder why this was abandoned. Once you enter a green field the farm track that exits the other side carries you from the Monessie area all the way to Spean Bridge. The Monessie gorge is worth a wee detour.

On the final leg now and I should mention that the path you see up above you on the hill side is the old puggy line which was a narrow gauge railway created to aid in the construction and maintenance of the British Alcan hydro power pipelines from Loch Treig to Fort William.
On the opposite side of the glen is another track like mark. This is a glacial lake mark and more of these can be seen in Glen Roy.

The photo below is looking West towards Spean Bridge and you can see the lovely bright blue sky.
The River Spean is interesting on this stretch as it varies in depth and speed.

It took me about 3.5 hours to do this loop with a few photo stops thrown in. A really good mix of countryside and river bank to take in.

If you have any questions about the route I would be happy to answer them for you.