Issue 61, Spring 2025
In a previous edition I mentioned our plans for looking at new ways of publicising our holidays, now that so many of the local newspapers that we traditionally relied upon for our advertising have ceased publication. Among other options we looked into the possibility of TV adverts and found that one of the most significant costs would be hiring a film crew who would be able to get suitable video footage of our itinerary destinations Furthermore, they would need to be booked well in advance so that there was a danger that on the day they arrived, the weather might not be suitable for getting the best results. In fact, to be blunt, it might even be raining.
In my retirement, for the past several years I have been using a drone to capture both images and movies for the company website and wondered whether my own videos would meet the exacting technical standards demanded by the TV industry. Fortunately it did and the resulting advertisement first appeared on our national TV screens in February of last year. The response exceeded our expectations and I am pleased to see so many new customers joining the Lochs and Glens family.
If you have seen the advertisement you might recognise the above view which is taken from the final scene. It is surprising how often luck can play a part when filming as this particular sequence shows. It was filmed on the shore of Loch Nan Uamh along the road to Mallaig which had been traffic free for quite some time. As I studied the monitor relaying the images being recorded by the drone, to my surprise and delight what appeared to be one of our coaches suddenly appeared on the screen. What perfect timing!
It is 46 years since the birth of Lochs and Glens Holidays and during that time the Scottish Tourist scene has changed beyond recognition. In the early years it was customary for virtually all tourist hotel to close for the off season, usually mid October to late March, but nowadays tourism continues throughout the year partly as a result of financial pressures and partly because over the years many new permanent visitor attractions have been developed.
In the early days Edinburgh was the only major city that was considered worthy of
being included in coach holiday itineraries, and then mainly during the Edinburgh Festival and Military Tattoo, but other cities were seldom visited.
However Glasgow came to prominence following the hugely successful National Garden Festival that attracted 4.3 million visitors during the summer of 1988. In anticipation, the redundant docklands either side of the River Clyde were redeveloped and subsequently several new visitor attractions have been located there
Dundee’s riverside transformation followed in the 1990’s with the creation of Discovery Point, home of the research vessel Discovery, the 1901 steamship that was used for Captain Scott’s Antarctic research. Nearby two excellent museums have been established.
Both Glasgow and Dundee as well as Edinburgh are now regularly included in our itineraries and have proved to be highly popular with our guests particularly in the off-season.
Michael Wells OBE, Chairman
Now in our 46th year lochs.com
Rannoch Moor
Described as one of the last remaining wildernesses in Europe, Rannoch Moor has an awesome beauty that is quite unique. Sometimes called The Great Moor, it is an area of about 50 square miles lying at an average height of 1,000 feet above sea level and, although the floor of the area is composed of granite, it is the substantial layers of peat, up to 20ft deep in places, that has created such a unique environment. It is a habitat that is surprisingly rich in plant and animal life.
Historically, travel across the moor was a notoriously dangerous affair with tracks difficult to follow, particularly in winter, but by necessity for centuries it provided the
main link between the West Highlands and the Central Belt of Scotland. From medieval times, cattle were being herded across the moor to be sold at market. These drovers’ routes were marked by cairns on small knolls, signifying the safest routes.
In 1933 a modern road across the moor was finally completed. For much of its route it runs dead straight and, apart from a couple of bridges replaced in recent years, it remains unchanged. It must surely be one of the most awe inspiring and beautiful road journeys in the country, and is one that many of our guests experience on day excursions, as do all passengers travelling to and from our Highland Hotel.
From the northern boundary of the moor the road descends down the dramatic but notorious valley known as the Glen O’Weeping as a result of the 1692 Massacre of Glencoe. Thirtyeight men, women and children of the Clan MacDonald were brutally murdered by their traditional enemy, the Clan Campbells operating under an order from the Government to “put all to the sword under seventy” ostensibly because the MacDonalds had failed to promptly sign a required Oath of Allegiance to William lll.
This is an episode of Scottish history that remains highly controversial to this very day.
Caledonian Canal
The Caledonian Canal is Scotland’s longest inland waterway and runs from Fort William in the west to Inverness in the east following the course of the Great Glen, a 100km long narrow valley that cuts through Lochs Oich, Lochy and Ness. It was designed to replace the hazardous Pentland Firth, the main route for ships wanting to get from the east to the west coast of Scotland.
Originally proposed in the late 18th century the economic value of digging a massive canal across Scotland was very appealing. Unemployment was very high at the time and the scheme would create much needed jobs. Against this background Parliament passed an act in 1803 that commissioned engineer Thomas Telford to run the project.
Work started in 1804 and when finished in 1822 the scheme was 12 years over schedule and about £425,000 over budget, the equivalent of around £14m today.
During the past 200 years the canal has proved to be a great success although over the years the vessels that use it have gradually changed from commercial to leisure.
Visits to this impressive and beautiful canal are included in excursions from the Highland Hotel during the coming season.
READER’S VIEWS - A selection of your letters and photos
I took this photo of the Ardgartan Hotel in the early evening. I couldn’t get over the view, surely one of the best views from any hotel in the country. It’s a gorgeous setting.
David Marsden, Bridlington, Yorkshire
Our wonderful driver, Sandra, made a point of taking us to the Old Packhorse Bridge in Carrbridge for this photo opportunity.
Kathryn Henderson, South Shields
Also known as The Coffin Bridge, it was constructed to allow funerals to proceed across the River Dulnain to Duthil Church. It was completed in 1717 but the side walls were swept away in the great Muckle Spate of 1829. It is Scotland’s oldest known stone bridge and is listed as a scheduled monument. (Editor)
The Highland Hotel was great for us at Christmas time. Must have another trip soon.
Thelma Taylor, Southsea
We recently stayed at the Inversnaid hotel for the first time although we’ve travelled with L&G many times. We had a wonderful holiday the weather was great - see attached photo - and with Tracey as our driver we were entertained and well informed. The staff at the hotel were kind and helpful, the food was very good with excellent choices and the bar prices were reasonable too!
Margaret Callicott, Tiverton, Devon
My wife and I have just returned from The Highland Hotel and really enjoyed our holiday. Our drivers, Eric, Peter and Mark were all brilliant and demonstrated an almost encyclopedic knowledge of Scotland. When we break down the cost, and see what was included, Lochs and Glens Holidays are excellent value for money. We are already thinking about 2025 and deciding which Lochs and Glens hotel to visit next.
Mr Trevor Page, Bungay, Suffolk
We have just arrived home after our stay at your Ardgartan Hotel. Had to email you right away to say how wonderful and awe-inspiring your hotel is. The meals were excellent and plenty of choice and the service second to none. The view from the room and reception - WOW! We will definitely be returning in the future and will recommend the holiday to our friends.
Ian Glover, Houghton, Carlisle
I had a wonderful six day trip at Loch Awe in September with my girlfriend, Liz. This was the first morning of our holiday when I peeped out the window at 7am - just beautiful! The weather for 5 days was glorious and some people saw the Northern Lights.
Yvonne Silvey, Tonbridge
Hair Ice that I discovered at Ardgartan: A very rare type of ice formation that appears as thin, hair-like strands growing on dead wood, primarily caused by the presence of a specific fungus which facilitates the ice crystal formation under specific conditions of humidity and near-freezing temperatures.
Peter Bash, Essex
If you have a photo taken on a Lochs and Glens Holiday that you would like to share with our readers, please email it to photos@lochs.com
Connel Bridge
Most of our regular Lochs and Glens travellers will have crossed the elegant Connel Bridge as they travel along the road between Oban and Fort William. The bridge crosses Loch Etive at a point where a rocky shelf causes spectacular rapids during the tide cycles as is evident in the above photo.
The view across the open sea is spectacular, with the islands of Lismore and Mull in the distance but, as they enjoy the vista, few of our guests will realise that the bridge they are crossing was originally not intended to be used by motor vehicles. It was to be a vital link in a proposed railway that would follow the coast, connecting Oban to Fort William. This route had the added advantage that considerable freight revenue could also be generated by transporting slate from Scotland’s major slate quarry at Ballachulish to the large expanding cities in the lowlands.
Construction of the bridge began in 1898 by the Caledonian Railway and was completed in 1903. It was originally built as a single-track railway bridge, but in 1909, after pressure from the local authorities a special railcar service was introduced to carry pedestrians and motor vehicles across the bridge, albeit only one car at a time. This unusual arrangement did not last long as five years later as a result of increasing car ownership, the bridge was reconfigured with a roadway
along the western side of the deck and the railway on the eastern side. However, the limited width of the bridge prevented cars and trains from crossing the bridge at the same time and so that when a train was scheduled gates were closed on the road.
Unfortunately the revenue from the line did not reach expectations and the grand scheme of completing a direct route from Oban to Fort William was abandoned, thwarted by an inability to raise sufficient money to build a considerably larger bridge over Loch Creran at Ballachulish and so the line ended there.
The unexpected casualties of this decision were the investors of a newly constructed Station Hotel, which had been built adjacent to the site
of a promised new Fort William railway station. It was a disaster for the impressive new building which soon closed through lack of business.
In 1966, the railway line from Connel Bridge to Ballachulish was finally closed and the rails removed, Since then the bridge has operated as a one way vehicle bridge, with signals controlling the flow of traffic.
The renamed Station Hotel in Fort William however has survived with a varied and turbulent history. After a period of closure it was leased to an association who provided educational holidays for students but the lease was relinquished when the building was requisitioned for use as a diamond factory under a scheme to provide employment for men returning from the 1914-18 trenches with severe injuries. This arrangement ran into financial difficulties and the lease was returned until 1969 when it was sold to Galleon World travel, an organisation originally created as a travel bureau for the working classes with the express goal of furthering world peace.
In the 80s it was sold to a commercial operator who soon went bankrupt. After further changes in ownership and another bankruptcy, the building was eventually purchased in 2006 by Lochs & Glens Hotels and many of you reading this article will know it as The Highland Hotel.