Inverglen News – December 2019

Winter has truly arrived in the Scottish Highlands. Snow is lying on the mountains and we have even had a small sprinkle in Inverness (although it only settled for a few hours before melting away). Indeed, despite the reputation for severe winters, the Highlands (and Inverness in particular) is often far less prone to snow than you might expect. It is actually a great time of year to visit and we have some great deals at Inverglen Guest House to make your stay in Inverness great value for money (details shown later in this article – or you can go straight to them by clicking here).

The remote mountain areas do see plenty of snow. Indeed, Scotland has 6 outdoor ski centres (Cairngorm Mountain, Glencoe Mountain, Glenshee, Nevis Range, The Lecht, and Lowther Hills).

The picture above is of Corgarff Castle high in the Cairngorm National Park (close to The Lecht ski centre). However, for the most part, the main roads, towns, and cities see little in the way of the white stuff and traveling on the main roads is rarely a problem.

Of course, the minor roads can be a little more tricky and some will have occasional closures whilst the snow ploughs clear a path. If your visit will be taking you to places off the main roads you may wish to check https://www.travelinescotland.com/ where you will get up-to-date travel information.

The key thing to remember in winter is that the daylight hours are quite limited. In deep mid-winter in Inverness, it doesn’t really get light until after 8 am and with dusk falling by about 4 pm this gives just 8 hours of daylight (or a little less) to work with. To make the most of your days you will want to be making sure you are on the go as soon as possible in the morning. Also, remember that some attractions close over the winter (like Glenlivet pictured above) so do check opening times before making a journey).

Despite having fewer hours of daylight and the chillier temperatures there are plenty of good reasons to visit the Scottish Highlands during the winter months.

Glorious Winter Landscape

Scotland in general and the Highlands, in particular, are spectacular in winter. With a dusting of snow, the landscape takes on a magical feel that is only enhanced by the low, soft winter light.

Photographers are drawn to the Scottish Highlands and with scenery like the images below who can blame them?

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At Inverglen Guest House we also run private landscape photography workshops which will help you get some spectacular images like those shown above. Why not check out our photography page – Photography Services

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Aviemore Sled Dog Rally 2020

On 25th and 26th January 2020, the biggest event in the British sled dog racing calendar will take place in the forests around Loch Morlich near Aviemore.

This event will attract around 250 mushers and over 1,000 sled dogs. Races involve teams of between two and eight dogs pulling a sled around a four to seven-mile trail. The event is split into eight adult classes and two children’s classes. Whilst most sleds are pulled by Siberian Huskies, race dogs include Alaskan Malamutes, Samoyeds, Greenland Dogs, and Canadian Eskimo Dogs.

The event can draw large crowds, and is especially well attended when there is snow on the ground. However, even when there is no snow on the ground the races still take place with wheels replacing the runners.

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Looking for a Great Deal?

Winter can be a great time to find exceptional deals and Inverglen is no exception. Not only are our base rates lower than in the peak summer months, but we also have some extra special offers that will tempt you to see the Highlands in all her winter glory.

Take a look at the great offers below. Some of these only apply in the winter, whilst others are available all year round.

Just be aware that some of these offers (especially the all-year-round ones) have limited availability so they may not hang around for too long at popular times of the year.

Winter Discount Offer

3-Night Winter Special – 15% Discount

Bookings made via our website for stays of 3 or more consecutive nights completed before 29 February 2020 will automatically receive a 15% discount off our standard rates.

When combined with our non-refundable offer (see below) for a winter stay, this means you can get a King Size en-suite room for just £65.00 per night (or £76.50 per night without the non-refundable offer).

Click to Book

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2-Night Special – 10% Discount

This offer runs all year round. Bookings made via our website for stays of 2 or more consecutive nights will automatically receive a 10% discount off our standard rates. Any bookings that qualify for a bigger discount (e.g. the 3-Night Winter Special mentioned above) will automatically receive the higher discount.

Again, this offer can be combined with our non-refundable offer to provide an even better deal.

Click to Book

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Non-Refundable Offer – upto £35.00 Discount per room per night

This is our most generous offer and it runs all year round. Bookings made at least 90 days in advance via our website for stays of 2 or more consecutive nights will have the option to choose our non-refundable option which gives a discount of £35.00 per room per night off our standard rates. If you aren’t quite that organised then up to 30 days in advance we still give a generous discount of £25.00 per room per night.

Click to Book

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Looking Forward to 2020 in the Scottish Highlands

The Scottish Highlands is firmly established as a major tourist destination. Each year we see ever more people choosing to visit this wonderful country.

Whilst this interest in Scotland is much appreciated, it does mean that planning a trip has become more important than ever. Scotland is a fantastically diverse country with something for everyone. However, much of its beauty (especially in the Highlands) lies in the fact that it has some of the most spectacular, remote and least densely populated areas in Europe. This is a joy to behold, but it also means that the tourist infrastructure isn’t always able to fully support the tourist demands for accommodation, restaurants, campsites, etc. Certain areas, like Inverness, the Isle of Skye and towns and villages along the NC500 route can get fully booked out weeks or even months in advance.

With 2020 already shaping up to be one of the busiest ever, we can’t stress enough how important advance booking of accommodation is. For the last 7 years, we have just about sold out every available room from May through to mid-October (and the peak season seems to keep getting longer).

On the upside, the increase in tourist numbers has led to many initiatives that have further enhanced the tourist experience. In and around Inverness we have seen many improvements with still more in the pipeline.

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Key Highlights in the 2020 Calander

Inverness and the Highlands has a fantastic range of events that draw people in from around the World. The events listed below are amongst those that bring the most people to Inverness, and at these times there tends to be a shortage of available rooms. If you expect to be in Inverness on or around any of these events (irrespective of whether you are attending the event) then it is particularly important to book early.

You can find a more comprehensive list of events on our webpage including links where you can find further information. Inverness Schedule of Events

·         8 March 2020 – Inverness Half Marathon

·         18 April 2020 – Battle of Culloden Memorial

·         26 April 2020 – Etape Loch Ness

·         29 – 31 May 2020 – The LochNess360° Challenge

·         30th May 2020 – The Gathering

·         27 June 2020 – Piping Inverness

·         18 July 2020 – Inverness Highland Games

·         30 July – 1 August 2020 – Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival

·         5 August 2020 – Black Isle Show

·         4 October 2020 – Loch Ness Marathon & Festival of Running