Achingly beautiful Appin

News, tips and ideas for holiday cottages and accommodation and walking in the Appin area. We will concentrate upon the areas of Appin generally, Ballachulish, Duror, and its neighbouring hamlet Kentallen, over Loch Linnhe to Onich, and down as far as Port Appin the delightful traditional small Highland town, Barcaldine, Benderloch. It is the most beautiful area in the world, well, we think so.

The heart of Appin, the infamous Stalker castle

 The heart of Appin, the infamous Stalker castle
Cottages and accommodation in Appin, from Benderloch, Barcaldine, Creagan, to Port Appin, Duror, Kentallen, up to Ballachulish and Onich. The lovely photograph of our cottage below is by Jan Hamilton of Duror

 Our Bayview cottage overlooking Kentallen Bay

Our Bayview cottage for self catering. Click on it for our website


New upgraded Bayview website


This is the Glencoe lochan.

We've added new pages to the website, These are the new pages.



How Dunstaffnage castle used to look in its glory days, of the 13th and 14th centuries

We have just put up a new page in our cottage website about Castles in the area and we need a link from other sites such as this to get the Search engines to see it.

Castles in the Scottish West Highlands area


We have a Duror and Kentallen community website in Appin

We first noticed Jan Hamilton's photographs in the Duror and Kentallen Community website, and thought how beautiful they all were. She has kindly given us permission to use this shot, and we have done so in our site map page in the website. There is a link to it from the title to this post. Thank you Jan.
This is the Arts and Crafts page in the website where she is mentioned.
The community website with her contact details



New page in our site about driving on snow and ice
Masses of information about the area in our Site map
This is about Fort William
Appin is beautiful
Bed and breakfast and hotels from Oban to Fort William
Walks around our cottage
Autumn short breaks in Glencoe
Ben Nevis walking is a slog, but worth it
Cottage holidays Scotland in the Autumn, Winter, Spring
The highlands of Scotland
Find holiday cottages anywhere
Gorgeous photographs of Glencoe
Hill walks in Glencoe
Munroes in Glencoe
http://www.log-cabins-in-scotland.co.uk/
Port Appin
Barcaldine
Accommodation in Lochaber
Kentallen
Ballachulish
Onich
How to find cottage owners self catering websites
HISTORY PAGES.
The story they don't tell you about the Glencoe Massacre
History around the cottage in Appin
Did the Vikings stage a battle in Glencoe?
The Pictish broch in Lismore
West of Scotland millions of years ago
Robert the Bruce and the Ardchattan parliament
Robert the Bruce and the Knights Templar
The story of the MacDonalds of Glencoe
Ancient roads of the Highlands
Glencoe, the 4th Wonder of Scotland
Castles in the Glencoe area
GLENCOE OUTDOORS
The best walks in Glencoe  
Ben Nevis, go climb it
Munros are over 3,000 feet
Some Munros are easy
Glencoe rock climbing
Skiing in Glencoe is excellent again
New cycle tracks around Glencoe
There are lovely beaches and bays around Glencoe
Accommodation Fort William
Golf on the West coast
Tour the Highlands
You can cruise the West coast
Driving around glencoe on snow and ice - Tips

BLOGS

Travellers Tales from the highlands of Scotland
Find your ideal holiday cottage anywhere
The most beautiful photographs of Glencoe
The achingly beautiful area of Appin, Scotland
Special offers for self catering in Scotland

COTTAGE ATTRACTIONS

Lochside cottage near Glencoe in the Highlands of Scotland
Last minute, late availability Glencoe, self catering cottage
20 brilliant walks around our cottage area
Easy hill walks in Glencoe
Why not walk up Ben Nevis one day?
Easier Munroe walks in Glencoe
Skiing Glencoe and Nevis range, cottage is midway between the two
Video. Skiing on Glencoe mountain
Weather in the West of Scotland
Rock and Ice climbing in Glencoe
Cycling and fishing Glencoe
Spectacular wild life around our cottage
Golf in the Highlands, Dragons tooth golf course, Glencoe
Cruising the islands, using Glencoe as a base
Safe, beautiful beaches and bays in Glencoe area
Touring the Highlands by car from Glencoe,
Spring breaks, March April May Glencoe
Winter breaks, Jan Feb March in the cottage
Autumn breaks November December in the cottage
Our new Appin blog site
FOR LASTMINUTE BOOKINGS
Short breaks in Scotland, Last minute cottage holidays Scotland, Autumn, Winter, Spring
Weather month by month Scotland summer
Weather month by month Scotland Autumn
Weather in Scotland Winter, month by month
Misunderstandings about Scotland's weather
Scotland's rain
Advice on driving in Scotland. Several Scotland driving pages are linked to this.
Honeymoon cottages in Scotland
Scotland for Christmas and New Year
The unofficial Scottish tourist Board
Cottages in Scotland permitting smoking
Cottages in Scotland welcoming pets

FOR WEST OF SCOTLAND SITE


Port Appin and Lismore B&Bs
Barcaldine B&Bs and hotels
Duror b&bs
Kentallen b&bs
Ballachulish b&bs
Onich b&bs
How to find cottage owners self catering websites
MISC
Misunderstandings about Scottish weather
Get off those speeding fines on Scottish roads



We were sent this lovely photograph from Andy at the Glencoe Ski Resort. Aren't the colours gorgeous?. This is the time for photography, late evening when the Sun is going down, or early morning. The light is wonderful. I reckon that we are facing West, with sun in the North-west. Is that the Buchlle in mid distance?


Our Appin cottage in October has been reduced by £50, November by £100

We have a couple of weeks available at the end of  September, which we have reduced in price by £100, in October our low season price starts and we have reduced this by £50, and we have also reduced the November price by £200. Well, folks are concerned about saving money and why not?
Email us at lochsidecottage@yahoo.co.uk or go to the cottage website for details. Just click on the title to this blog pos and that will get you through.

Last minute Cottage holidays Scotland in the Autumn, Winter, Spring
Good value B&Bs and hotels in the West of Scotland
The beautiful highlands of Scotland
Find Holiday cottages anywhere
These are the most gorgeous photographs of Glencoe
This is Beautiful Appin, Scotland
Around our cottage area in Glencoe
Hill walks locally
You can walk Ben Nevis
Munroes in Glencoe

Visiting friends in Scotland, that's why some people come on to Appin.

Believe it or not this is Glasgow, a lovely photograph. People come here for a conference, then spend a few days on the West coast


There has just been some research out from VisitScotland to show how different parts of the market for Scottish tourism and holidays breaks down.

I've just published a brief summary on this blog site, if you are interested. It also shows how our own cottage guests are made up.

We call it Travellers Tales of the Highlands, and the latest post is a summary of the research

Research is always notable for what they leave out, and if you don't ask the question you will not get the answer.

A huge number of first time visitors to Scotland, a critically important group, come because they are visiting friends in Edinburgh, or Aberdeen, or Stirling, or coming on business to Glasgow. Then they take the opportunity to come and see Appin, or Glencoe, or Perthshire for a few days. This determines whether they come again for a proper holiday. I know this from other research into Scottish tourism.

These visitors tend to come in the shoulder season, September or October perhaps. They stay in bed and breakfast mostly - that way

they can easily tour about from place to place.

I want to see some good VisitScotland research into first time visitors, and how many of them repeat. I want to know what they like,

what they don't like.

Nearly everyone who has stayed in our cottage has already been to Scotland before, and some are devoted to the place, as we are.

Aren't we lucky to be here?

Robert the Bruce gave the Appin lands to the Stewarts, as a thank you for saving him


In 1307 the King of Scotland, Robert the Bruce was in hiding, here in the West Coast of Scotland. He had a close band of followers,

including the High Steward of Scotland and was being looked after by his friends Angus Og, chief of the MacDonalds, and the

Campbells. A terrible fate awaited him if he was caught. He would have been taken to London to be hanged, drawn and quartered. He

would have had a show trial, would have been scorned and abused by the London crowds. His sadistic rival Edward 1st of England would

have him found guilty. This dreadful punishment was reserved only for the men most hated by Edward and Bruce was his leading

opponent. He had already done this to David, Prince of Wales, for his so-called treason, and to our own rebel Scots Knight, William

Wallace, again for treason.

As they scrambled in MacDonald boats from Island to Island, Rathlin to Islay, to Mull then probably to Tioram Castle on Ardnamurchan,

hiding from Edward's fleet the followers formed a close bond of friendship.

Their triumph was to come in 1314 at the Battle of Bannockburn where the Scots army faced overwhelming odds, yet emerged victorious.

One year later, Robert the Bruce's daughter, Marjorie, married his friend Walter, the High Steward of Scotland. In triumph, Bruce

gave Angus Og the lands of Duror and Glencoe, he gave the Campbells the castle of Inverlochy and the Oban area, and into Appn he put

the Stewarts. The Appin land lay strategically between both of them probably in case of trouble between them or revolt against the

King.

Little did any of them know that the marriage would be the foundation of the magnificent line of Stewart Kings and Queens. Their son

became Robert 11, and their successors included Mary Queen of Scots, the executed Charles 1st, and the final Stewart monarch, Queen

Anne. Their homelands in Appin were very important to the Stewarts. James IV often visited his cousin in Stalker Castle, Appin in the

15th century for hunting and fishing.

Then, as now, the East of Scotland was the seat of government and Appin was a playground. There was uproar in Appin with the revolt

of Bonnie Prince Charlie - Charles Edward Stewart - the whole clan turned out for him at Culloden Field in 1745. The repercussions

for the clan were awful. The banner of the Stewart Clan was hidden after the battle and is now in Edinburgh.

Where was all the Appin activity over the centuries? Why here, around Duror and Ardsheal in our Appin area.  We are so lucky that our

lochside cottage is in the heart of this wonderful land.

How Loch Linnhe was formed a few million years ago


This story was published in planet earth last month. Click on the title to see the original.


B&Bs and hotels in the Appin area.


Loch Linnhe is the south-westerly end of the Great Glen Fault which cuts across Scotland to the Moray Firth on the east coast. During

past ice ages, the loch was a major outlet for glaciers from the Rannoch Moor area, where ice built up in the initial stages of

development. Our recent multibeam survey of Loch Linnhe discovered moraines that suggest that the Younger Dryas glacier may have

advanced significantly further down the loch than was previously thought from onshore field mapping evidence.

John