Loch Ness reveals a surprising selection of inspirational summer pastimes
While most people associate Loch Ness with its infamous monster, how many would think to associate the area with prehistoric cookery courses, natural dyeing and felt making courses or with the opportunity to feed wild deer by hand?
Surprisingly, however, that’s exactly what’s on offer for visitors to the area this summer who choose to look beyond the monster. The area is a natural playground teeming with wildlife, outdoor activities both on land and on water, events, festivals and visitor attractions, and boasts scenery by the bucket-load.
visitlochness.com is the best guide to what’s happening in the area over the summer months, but here are a few suggestions to grab your interest:
Prehistoric Cookery Courses
Wild Rose Escapes takes outdoor wild cookery back to its origins and looks at the way our ancestors would have once cooked. During their prehistoric cookery days and weekends participants can build a pit oven, bake bread outdoors, try the ancient technique of pot boiling or forage for wild greens by the river. The evening is rounded off with a delicious slow cooked feast washed down with nettle beer sat around a crackling fire with beautiful views of the valley below.
Courses run through to October, with one day courses on a Thursday and 2-day weekend courses. Day Courses are £75 per adults with a free child place per adult and three free child places per two adults.
A B&B where wild deer are fed daily by hand
5* Dinichean House is set in 300 acres of woodland which is teaming with foxes, red squirrels, osprey, black game, pine marten, woodpeckers, red kites and …. a resident herd of wild red deer. The deer have come to trust the owners to the extent that they will take the food from their hands. Each day the deer will come by themselves or to the call to be fed, trotting over to the B&B’s back garden for food. Afterwards they will often hang around eating the grass or just lie down and pose for photographs!
Dinichean House has a gold Green Tourism Award and offers guests privacy and luxury for £90 B&B.
Learn to paint in the heart of South Loch Ness
The Scottish Highland Art Gallery and Studio is set in beautiful countryside with lovely views across to Loch Ruthven RSPB Nature Reserve. The isolated Highland croft is a haven of peace, and there is plenty to paint on the doorstep - the views, buildings, geese and ducks, flowers and trees - as well as in the area nearby. Weather permitting, groups are taken off the beaten track into the wilds to paint locally and at Loch Ness. Classes are small and can accommodate beginners, with most participants heading home with their own paintings ready to frame.
Prices from £15pp in a group of 4. Individual tuition and blocks of lessons available.
Traditional Craft Courses and Holidays
Wild Rose Escapes runs outdoor craft courses specialising in natural dyeing and felt-making using local fleece, including Shetland and Cheviot mixes. They have their own small flock of Shetland sheep and use other fleeces from local crofters. Natural dyes are made from sustainably foraged dye plants, such as gorse, nettle and elderberries, as well as using ancient imported dyes. Wild Rose Escapes also teaches felt-making using these naturally dyed fleeces, producing beautiful works of art from original bags to wall hangings.
Natural dyeing days: every Tuesday from April-September. Felting days: every Wednesday from April to September. Natural dyeing and felt-making weekends run throughout the Spring and Summer. A week-long course combining a little of everything runs from 6th-13th July. Prices from £50 per day; £100 for the weekend; and £650-£750 for a full week
Volunteer day at RSPB Corrimony
What better way to celebrate the area’s natural wildlife than combining a fantastic self catering holiday in the recently refurbished timber cabins at Glen Affric Holiday Park with a volunteer and familiarisation day at the RSPB Corrimony reserve just along the road. Enjoy the beauty of the Glen Affric National Nature Reserve (Glen Affric itself has been described as the most beautiful Glen in Scotland) and spend a day of your holiday finding out more about what the RSPB do at the nearby Corrimony reserve. The park is surrounded by forest walks, mountains and thundering waterfalls and the cabins, which sleep up to six people, are set on the banks of the River Glass in spacious landscaped grounds. The park also offers a launderette, fully equipped games room and children’s play area.
Cabins cost £80 per night; £495 per week (for 2 people); £540 per week (for six) during the summer months.
For further details on all these activities and more, check out visitlochness.com/year-of-natural-scotland
