November 2012

Just got back from a very Autumnal Loch Awe. The best of the trees are now just turning though in the sunlight they are still firelike in colour. Snow on the Cruachan range which was pretty impressive yesterday morning with a swirling of mist around the lower slopes.

 

If you enjoy a challenge that is not too energetic but still gets your heart and lungs working hard - try a climb up Beinn Lora at Benderloch. Just over three hundred metres high and with far reaching views across to the Nevis Range and an amazing 360 degree vista. Just over four miles there and back and worth every step upwards.

June 2011

Just come back from a beautiful green and sunny Loch Aweside. Everything is so colourful and so much wildlife to be seen. Two coal tits are regular feeders on the balcony along with blue tits which are nesting in the box on the tree alongside the cabin. There are also a pair of swallows nesting in the eaves where you can here the babies yelling each time they fly near. They sit like sentries on either side of the nest on top of the roof beams.
The cabin looks great and feels so comfortable and once there you really do not want to leave. What an amazing spot.

April at Cabin 25

What a lovely weekend. Everything is now getting greener and more alive again. Has spring finally arrived at long last? A beautiful red squirrel came onto the decking for breakfast - well actually the birds peanuts. He was big and beautifully marked and not at all bothered by human presence.
He also spent about ten minutes digging up acorns from around the cabin that he had obviously stored away before the winter.
I put out a number of bird feeders and within minutes and then throughout the whole weekend was treated to visits from the fattest blue tit, goldfinches, a coal tit, bullfinches, sparrows, linnets and even a spotted woodpecker all eager to tuck in.

The cabin now is fully fitted out, everything has been replaced and upgraded and feels cosy and luxurious. At the end of the weekend I certainly did not want to leave especially with such beautiful weather.
Further afield, the ancient woodlands looked impressive and a run over to Loch Avich rewarded me with an array of colour and beauty.
The Falls of Lora were in full flow and made you just want to sit and watch.
As per usual the coffee at Poppies was top notch and so were their cakes!

If you have never visited Argyllshire then put it on your 'must do' list - it really is a best kept secret in Scotland and is often overlooked for the more popular Glencoe/Trossachs etc. Especially around Dalavich which is right in the middle of the most amazing scenery ranging from ancient oakwoods to forestry to stunning lochs to the majestic mountains - it has it all.