Bayview at Christmas

18 year old Jake Bench took these lovely shots at Christmas around the Kentallen area. You can see the cottage, Cuil Bay, the ice fall in Glen Nevis, and a very cold tree on Ardsheal. Thank you Jake, take your rightful place with the best photographers.
This is a bit cheeky, but I want to get Google to index my new page in a Jazz website. This has nothing to do with holidays, or photographers, or holiday cottages or short breaks or self catering, so please ignore. It is just a link to our new website page. Jazz Smugglers playing at the Brighton Festival gig
Thanks.
John

Glencoe photographers driving in snow and ice

We added some tips on driving on snow and ice, but most of you are so experienced at the pre-dawn starts that you know it all.
There may be a little pointer you could have missed though.

Four Don'ts
Don't allow the battery to run down. It is very vulnerable in the cold.
Don't use washing up liquid in the screen wash
Don't run on thin tyres
Don't overtake on snow and ice
Don't rev the engine or accelerate quickly

Ten Do's
Drive very slowly, particularly around corners
Avoid steep hills, particvularly those with bends
Go into corners slowly
Accelerate very slowly
Use 2nd gear if possible on ice
Keep the driving wheel as straight as possible
Leave a massive amount of room between you and the car in front
Fill the petrol tank more frequently than usual
Keep your mobile phone topped up
Use WD 40 to ease the door locks
Watch out for extra cold temperatures in low lying valleys, and on tree lined roads
Choose a coastal route if possible rather than an inland route.

Take 11 things with you
Old bits of carpet, clothes, or cardboard for getting the car out of snow
Wellington boots - carried inside the car
Shovel, to dig out the car
Emergency first aid kit
Spare clothes
Scarf
Hat covering the ears
Gloves
Chocolate and something to eat
Flask of hot drink
Charged mobile phone
St. Christophers charm, you never know.

John
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
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
Holiday accommodation, B&Bs, hotels in the West of Scotland
Holiday accommodation, B&Bs, hotels in Oban
Holiday accommodation, B&Bs, hotels in Glencoe
Holiday accommodation, B&Bs, hotels in Fort William
Holiday accommodation, B&Bs, hotels in the far West of Scotland
Holiday accommodation, B&Bs, hotels in Appin
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

Sue Brierley's pic of Three Sisters is lovely. Like one of those Victorian paintings

So good to have this picture from you Sue, thank you. I think you are from Cromarty, is that right? I bet you've got some very moody photographs from there as well. Glencoe Three sisters looked like this, this evening.

John
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

Jan Hamilton's photograph of our cottage is the best we have seen

Thank you Jan for permission to use it. Jan is local, from Duror. Her photographs are the best I've seen of our local area, her shot of Cuil Bay looks beautiful. This is the page where she is mention in the local Duror and Kentallen Community website

John

Masses of information about the area in our Site map
This is about Fort William
Appin is beautiful
B&Bs 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

Who do you think you are? Wonderful shot from Tony Shaw, of New Cumnock

Isn't he/she absolutely gorgeous? I'm going to assume a he, bit sexist, sorry. How did you make him pose for you like this? He doesn't like this photography business one little bit, but on the other hand, if his picture is going to be shown on the internet, well, he owes it as a duty to his owl friends to keep up appearances.
See Tony's Flickr page, by clicking on the title to the post. Yes, he and Jane are married to each other.
John
Forgive me for adding in a few links - these are pages in our web site that I've suddenly realised do not have a ranking in Google and these links will help. This is why links go into most posts.
This is the Home page for the cottage
This is about Fort William
The achingly beautiful area of Appin. Our new blogsite
Beautiful Appin, Scotland
Walks around our cottage area in Glencoe
Hill walks in Glencoe
You can walk up Ben Nevis one day?
Munroes in Glencoe

Our guest Wendy Scott's photographs

She is lovely, so enthusiastic about everything. She has sent us some of her photographs taken in the West of Scotland. Here they are. Thanks Wendy for letting us use them. If you click on the title of this post (Our Guest Wendy...) you can see her Facebook page where more of them are posted.

I love them all, but my personal favourite is the last one, just above. The reason is that this shows the West Coast of Scotland at its finest. You come across this view all the time as you travel past on the little road. It is not a sunny day, it has no gaunt mountains, and it has wispy views you can see in the distance. It is, without doubt, the West coast of Scotland. Thank you Wendy. Please come back.
John
Lochside cottage near Glencoe in the Highlands of Scotland
20 brilliant walks around our cottage area
Holiday accommodation, B&Bs, hotels in the West of Scotland
Holiday accommodation, B&Bs, hotels in Oban
Holiday accommodation, B&Bs, hotels in Glencoe
Holiday accommodation, B&Bs, hotels in Fort William
Holiday accommodation, B&Bs, hotels in the far West of Scotland
Holiday accommodation, B&Bs, hotels in Appin
How to find cottage owners self catering websites

Down to Kinlochleven by Kes. Click for flickr link