Getting Immersed in Military History at Fort George
On a very windy October day, we took ourselves off to Fort George, just outside Ardersier, near Inverness. We were amazed by how big this fortification is! Built in the wake of the Battle of Culloden in 1746, the fort is still used as a British Army establishment. Bonnie Prince Charlie was defeated at Culloden, […]
Take a Walk on the (local) Wild Side
One of the best things about our location is the endless amount of walks you can do nearby. This morning we decided to drive 10 minutes to near Beauly to do Loch nam Bonnoch (courtesy of WalkHighlands). This is a 4 miles / 6.5 km walk, mainly flat but with stunning, incredible views. You can […]
Highland Games – a Scottish Highlight!
Every summer throughout Scotland there are a host of Highland Games to visit! Highland Games are iconically Scottish. They are amazing events to celebrate and bear witness to the fabled skill, strength and endurance of the Highlander. Wherever the Games are held, each has its own local character and traditions. This is a cracking day […]
Small green efforts make all the difference
Just a short blog post to say our new composting bins have arrived – yay! We have two – one in the enclosed garden for my compost from the veg gardens and the house; and one by the Steading for our guests to use. All veg and fruit waste can be composted, coffee grounds and […]
Inverness Botanic Gardens: stunning array of plants and flowers
Well, I had never been to the Botanic Gardens in Inverness before and after seeing some of their posts on Facebook, I decided it was time to visit. It’s just a 20 minutes drive or so, over by the large sports centre and swimming pool (maybe combine a visit?) It’s always open 7 days a […]
Sea glass and dolphins
Back in October 2017, I posted ‘The Best Place to Spot Dolphins’. I went back on the weekend to combine a walk along the beach with sea glass hunting! I was accompanied by an expert from America as I had never been sea glass exploring before. Sea glass is bottles, jars and glass that have […]
Cruising up Loch Ness
Yesterday was a fantastic good weather day. The sun was out and it was in the low 20’s. Bright blue, cloudless skies. We decided to get on to the water and do a cruise of Loch Ness. There are a few options with Jacobite Cruises. From a 2 hour cruise through the Caledonian Canal and onto […]
The veg garden is up and running!
I am pleased to say that after much hard work (and some help from a local landscape gardener), the veg garden and seating area is almost done! Now, to be honest, this will be private space for our own use going forward. But we plan to make the veg and fruit available for our guests. […]
Going Green!
No, that’s not the garden or the landscape going green – we’re still covered in snow! This is Pinewood Steading being acknowledged by Green Tourism with a Silver Award. This demonstrates our commitment and efforts to building a green and sustainable business. Green Tourism is the largest and most established sustainable certification programme in the […]
New Wood Burning Stove for Cosy Nights
There’s no getting cold during our Highland winters now! We have underfloor heating throughout the Steading which is great, especially on your feet. But we decided we needed something special for those particularly cold nights. So we got a fantastic wood burning stove installed! The wonderful team from Great Glen Stoves came and worked their […]
Winter Walking on the Trails at Abriachan
I posted a few months ago about the wonderful walks at Reelig Glen and Abriachan. Well, yesterday I took the dogs to Abriachan in the snow and we did one of the many loops. We took just over 2 hours to do it, pausing for the odd photograph. There was snow on the ground, bright […]
Stargazers benefit from Dark Sky Status
We are pretty remote here at Pinewood Steading with very few neighbours and no near villages, or towns. So we have pretty much dark skies. You can often find us out in the garden looking at the stars and Milky Way. And on special occasions, looking at the Northern Lights! So, we were especially pleased […]