Loch Ness Autumn - Week 7

It's really quite November like now. At 10:30am this morning the temperature is about 5ºC and although the weather is much improved on yesterday, it feels a bit grey.

The colours have nearly gone now. Compare the trees just the other side of the Dalcataig Road with no leaves. Just a trace of gold in the Larches on the other side of the Glen.

The Annual Craft Fayre in the village was last week and that's a sure sign that Christmas is coming. There have been a couple of frosts now and one day where the temperature did not rise above zero.

This is not one of our busy months but the Accommodation is still here and the Studios are cosy enough, thanks to the oil fired heating system.

Loch Ness Autumn - Week 6

This picture was taken at just before 9:00am this morning. The temperature is 1.5ºC but it feels quite pleasant as there is no wind. The sun is low creating long shadows and lighting up the tops of the trees, with a bit of wispy cloud drifting along the Glen towards the west.

Still quite a lot of colour in the trees; the Larches are really hanging on this year.

Most of the tourists have gone now and the villages around Loch Ness are settling down to the peace and quiet that winter brings.

But there are several attractions open all year including Urquhart Castle and the Loch Ness Monster Exhibition in Drumnadrochit. And the drives we suggest on our Days Out web site page are all still attractive at this time of year. Still a trickle of Great Glen Way walkers and we are starting to get bookings from next years hikers.

Loch Ness Autumn - Week 5

4 weeks since the first picture. Lots of leaves have now fallen and some trees, notably the Silver Birches, of which there are many, have almost none left now.

It's unseasonably mild today, the temperature outside is 16.5ºC which is warmer than some days in August this year!

But the Highlands in the Great Glen around Loch Ness are inexorably sinking into winter slumber now that the clocks have changed.

Yesterday there were flocks of Fieldfares passing over, heading south east. Presumably they are on a migratory path to their winter quarters. Quite noisy too with a chattering call to each other. See the main web site for details of availability if you want to come to Invermoriston for a last look around Loch Ness before winter.

Loch Ness Autumn - Week 4

3 weeks on from the Week 1 picture and still deeper colours with most of the leaves still on the trees. The larches on the other side of Glenmoriston always produce a nice contrast to the spruces they adjoin.

Another mild and sunny day, just as we hoped at the beginning of the month.

We reckon next week may be the last for the leaves, depending on the wind and temperature, so we'll see if next week's post shows mostly coniferous green again.

We are seeing a few late season Great Glen Way walkers now. These must be the clever ones we think.

Loch Ness Autumn - Week 3

2 weeks since the Week 1 picture and the trees have definitely turned colour. It's the same all around Loch Ness giving a special tone to the backdrop of hills each side of the Loch.

Today it's a bit damp and the clouds are drifting below the hill level opposite to Lann Dearg. The temperature is however 13.4ºC which is quite mild for October.

It looks like it will be an excellent year for the Autumn colours and the Rowan berries have also been really full this year.

Another couple of weeks and a wind and it will all be gone.

Not too late to book a short break if you want to catch it. Details on the web site.

Loch Ness Autumn - Week 2

So here we are in week 2 of the countdown to Autumn around Loch Ness. Today has turned out sunny after a grey and damp start so you can see the trees quite well. A bit more colour perhaps but the real autumn golden tint is still a week or three away we think.

October has been good so far with some super clear sunny days and crisp air temperatures. Pity most of the visitors miss it but the secret's out now.

We are still seeing Great Glen Way walkers taking advantage of the excellent walking conditions. The midges are mercifully not present now.

Loch Ness Autumn - Week 1

Countdown to Autumn.

Now that the equinox has passed we can expect autumn around Loch Ness to creep up on us quite quickly.

But the trees are still green although just starting to turn and most years the best autumn colours are not until the end of October.

It has been a mild September with rather better weather than August but October is often good and we are hoping this year will come up to expectations.

We thought we would publish a weekly blog post with a picture of the trees with the view across Glenmoriston from the corner of the Studios. Of course you can see a similar view from our web cam any time, with a half hourly refresh.

The picture is taken looking down our drive to the Dalcataig Road where the Great Glen Way passes us just before entering Invermoriston.

Next week we'll see if the trees have turned more golden.