Outdoor events around Shenval B&B, Loch Ness, Glen Affric.

This page features all the major Highland wildlife, Scotland food and drink and outdoor sports events -except Highland Games listed HERE- held over the year around your holiday accommodation base at Shenval organic B&B in the Loch Ness, Glen Affric and Inverness area in the Highlands of Scotland. Tastebuds experiences, Guided walks, Duathlon, Marathon and Half-Marathon, winter walking festival: there is something for most endeavours and for relaxed spectating and enjoyment. Open air concerts and festivals are listed HERE. More wildlife watching and conservation events are also listed in our News page.

2010

APRIL

Only minutes away from Shenval B&B, the Corrimony black grouse safaris have been held on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 2nd to 25th April. Two of our guests have joined RSPB staff for an early morning trip by minibus through Corrimony nature reserve to see one of Scotland's most rare and beautiful birds. And they did see quite a few of the black grouse and grey hens while visiting a couple of leks, where male black grouse posture and call, competing to win the sought after position of top bird as the sun rises.

Black grouse lek, Corrimony RSPB reserve © Mark Hicken

JULY

Sunday 11th. Wild in the woods of Glen Affric, close to Shenval B&B. 11am-1pm. Come and have fun in the woods. Join the Forestry Commission ranger for some environmental activities and discover some of the fascinating world of woodland wildlife. Wild in the Woods starts at Dog Falls car park in Glen Affric, OS Grid Reference: NH 284 284. Free Forestry Commission family event, no booking required. More details on tel 01463 791575

Wednesday 14th. Winnie the Pooh in Hundred Aker Wood, Drumnadrochit, only 15 minutes' drive from Shenval Bed and Breakfast. 1.30am-3pm. Fun and games with Winnie the Pooh and friends. Suitable for off road push chairs. For more information and to book a place call 01463 710786. Location given out when booking. Adults £3 Child £2.

Wednesday 14th. Meet the Gruffalo in Glen Affric, close to your accommodation base in Shenval B&B. 10:30am-12 and 2-3:30pm. Come for a stroll in the woods with a brave mouse. Will you be eaten or can you scare away the gruffalo with, probably, some help from the Forestry Commission ranger? A free Forestry Commission family event for children 6 years and under. Meet the Gruffalo starts at Dog Falls Car Park in Glen Affric, OS Grid Reference: NH 284 284. Booking essential on tel 01463 791575

Friday 16th. Whatever the Weather. Red sky at night.... Ash before Oak.... Weather fact or fiction? Join your guide at Reelig Glen, near Shenval Bed and Breakfast, and find out if there's any truth behind some of our weather lore. Joint Forestry Commission event with the Highland Council countryside rangers. 1:30pm-3pm. No booking required. This free guided walk starts at Forestry Commission Scotland car park at Reelig Glen in Reelig Glen.

Sunday 18th. Dragon and Damsels in Glen Affric, close to your accommodation base in Shenval B&B. 2pm-4:30pm. Do you know your damsels from your dragonflies? Guided walk to Coire Loch to look for and find out about the lives of these amazing insects with the Forestry Commission ranger. Dragons and Damsels starts at Dog Falls car park in Glen Affric, OS Grid Reference: NH 284 284. Free Forestry Commission event, no booking required. More details on tel 01463 791575

Wednesday 21st. Meet the Gruffalo at Merkinch Local Nature Reserve, Inverness, half an hours' drive from Shenval Bed and Breakfast. 2-4pm. A mouse took a stroll in the deep
dark wood. Can you be like the mouse and follow the trail to find the Gruffalo? Most suitable for families with children under the age of 8 years. Meet at the turning circle, South Kessock, Inverness. Find out more information on 01463 710786. NH 655 472. Adults £3 Child £2.

Wednesday 28th. The Plight of the Bee at Abriachan, 20 minutes' drive from Shenval B&B.2-4pm. Come along and find out more about bees. What they are up against and why we need them so badly? Meet at Abriachan Forest Trust Car park, Abriachan. Find out more information on 01463 710786. NH 541 354. Adults £3 Child £2.

AUGUST
1st-31st. 45mns from Shenval B&B, Scotland's Housing Expo is simply a great day out for families, visitors to the area and anyone who designs or builds homes, or who has an interest in design and the whole idea of living in a sustainable and environmentally friendly way.

To help orientate visitors to the event and allow for a changing programme of events through the month, the Expo has developed a series of zones within the Master plan. The four weeks of the Expo will each highlight one of the Expo’s four zones.

For inspiration and advice there will be a range of seminars and temporary exhibits which will change week to week. There will also be a range of site facilities which should allow for a great day out. In the spirit of the project, the Expo will be a low carbon, green event.

Everyone lives somewhere - and Scotland's Housing Expo is full of ideas on design and sustainability. It will show you how you can live in a beautifully designed home that encourages an eco-friendly lifestyle, respectful of natural resources.

Prices
Repeat Visit Pass: £10
Day Ticket Adult: £6
Over 65's: £4
Full Time Education: £4
ES40/Job Seekers Allowance: £4
School Children: Free

Open 10am to 6pm daily.

Saturday 7th. Inverness Market at Eastgate Precinct, Inverness, from 8.30am-4.30pm We love our food, don't you yours? This is where to get your local produce!

Sunday 8th. Wild in the woods of Glen Affric, close to Shenval B&B. 11am-1pm. Come and have fun in the woods. Join the Forestry Commission ranger for some environmental activities and discover some of the fascinating world of woodland wildlife. Wild in the Woods starts at Dog Falls car park in Glen Affric, OS Grid Reference: NH 284 284. Free Forestry Commission family event, no booking required. More details on tel 01463 791575

Friday 13th. Night walk at Farr, near Inverness. 8-10pm. If you go down to the woods tonight….Explore the woodland as the sun goes down and watch the night time animals come out. Please book a place on 01463 710786. Location given out on booking. Adults £3 Child £2.

Sunday 15th. Mountain Magic in Glen Affric near Shenval B&B. 2pm-5pm. Bag some exercise and views of mountains on the historic track along the Allt na Imrich river. Hear some of the history and hopefully see some of the biodiversity on this guided walk with the Forestry Commision ranger! Mountain Magic starts at Loch Beinn a Mheadhoin car park in Glen Affric, OS Grid Reference: NH 244263. Free Forestry Commission event, no booking required. More details on tel 01463 791575

Sunday 29th. Dragon and Damsels in Glen Affric, close to your B&B accommodation base in Shenval . 2pm-4:30pm. Do you know your damsels from your dragonflies? Guided walk to Coire Loch to look for and find out about the lives of these amazing insects with the Forestry Commission ranger. Dragons and Damsels starts at Dog Falls car park in Glen Affric, OS Grid Reference: NH 284 284. Free Forestry Commission event, no booking required. More details on tel 01463 791575

SEPTEMBER
Saturday 4th Inverness Market at Eastgate Precinct, Inverness, from 8.30am-4.30pm We love our food, don't you yours? This is where to get your local produce!

Saturday 4th. Great Glen Way Wild Food Forage, Glengarry. 10am-3.30pm. Free your inner gastronomist with the basic skills of wild food foraging. Demonstrations on how to find, prepare and cook wild foods. Booking essential on 01320 366633. Ordnance Survey Grid ref NH 284 014. Adults £10 Child £7.

Saturday 4th. Wild Food and Fungi walk at Farr near Inverness. 2-4pm. Wild foods are all around us and have been used for most purposes. Learn how to recognise and use them. Please book a place on 01463 710786. Location given out on booking. Adults £3 Child £2.

Sunday 5th. Coire Loch Walk in Glen Affric near Shenval B&B. 10:30am-1:30pm Join the Forestry Commission ranger on the Coire Loch walk to have a closer look at the pinewoods. Hear about the conservation of this National Nature Reserve and what makes Glen Affric so special. Coire Loch Walk Event starts at Dog Falls Car park in Glen Affric, OS Grid Reference: NH 284 284. Free Forestry Commission event, no booking required. More details on tel 01463 791575

Saturday 11th. Outdoor Cinema – Seachd, The Inaccessible Pinnacle, Drumnadrochit, only 15 minutes' drive from Shenval Bed and Breakfast. 8-10pm. An opportunity to see the stunning Gaelic language feature film Seachd, The Inaccessible Pinnacle under a blanket of stars. Come prepared to spend 2 hours sitting outdoors. For more information and to book a place call 01463 710786. Location given out on booking. Donations welcome.

Sunday 12th to 17th. Great Glen Way. Whole Way Walk: Inverness - Fort William. 9am-4.30pm each day. The longest Ranger guided walk in the country. Join the Rangers for a day or for a week and experience the grandeur of Gleann Mhòr, the Great Glen. Booking essential on 01320 366633. Block booking for whole week £25/£15. Ordnance Survey Grid ref NH 666 450. Adults £5 Child £3 per day.

Sunday 26th. Coire Loch Walk in Glen Affric near Shenval B&B. 10:30am-1:30pm. Join the Forestry Commission ranger on the Coire Loch walk to have a closer look at the pinewoods. Hear about the conservation of this National Nature Reserve and what makes Glen Affric so special. Coire Loch Walk Event starts at Dog Falls Car park in Glen Affric, OS Grid Reference: NH 284 284. Free Forestry Commission event, no booking required. More details on tel 01463 791575

OCTOBER
Saturday 2nd. Inverness Market at Eastgate Precinct, Inverness, from 8.30am-4.30pm We love our food, don't you yours? This is where to get your local produce!

This year's Highland Archaeology Festival Fortnight will take place from Saturday 2nd till Sunday 17th October 2010. Highland Archaeology Festival provides an excellent opportunity to present the results of recent field projects and research, raise awareness of local archaeology, history and heritage and encourage people to discover the historic environment of the Highlands. More details later.

Not very far from Shenval B&B, the Baxters Loch Ness Marathon & Festival of Running will take place on 3rd October 2010.
A tented Festival village will be created around the finish line in Bught Park. As well as runner facilities, it will provide the focus for the Festival, including an exciting programme of live entertainment and activities for all to welcome both local runners and those travelling to the Highlands.

There are marathon places available for charity, club and overseas runners until 13 September, as well as places in the Baxters River Ness 10K, the 10K Corporate Challenge and the Baxters River Ness 5K Fun Run.

For more information, runners should visit THIS WEBSITE

Friday 8th. The Spirit of the Forest in Glen Affric, close to your accommodation base in Shenval B&B. 10am start. Join the Forestry Commission rangers as they uncover the ancient art of illegal whiskey production and distribution in the heart of Glen Affric. They will also take you to the remarkable remains of a whiskey still to see for yourself where the water of life was first distilled. The Spirit of the Forest walk starts at Dog Falls Car Park in Glen Affric, OS Grid Reference: NH 284 284. Free Forestry Commission event. Booking essential. More details on tel 01463 791575.

Wednesday 13th. The Magic & Mystery of Clava Cairns, near Inverness and Culloden. 2-4pm. The Clava Cairns have many unanswered questions. Why did people build them? What did they believe in? How did they explain the changing seasons? Help us to unravel the mysteries of this amazing place. Booking essential Tel 01463 702932. Location given out on booking. Adults £3 Child £2.

Sunday 17th. Roaring Stags. A walk into the wilds of Glen Affric, near Shenval B&B, with the Forestry Commission ranger from 10am till 1pm. Hear about the lives of Red Deer and hear what they've got to say about it. This walk has rough, off-track walking. Roaring Stags guided walk starts at Loch Beinn a Mheadhion Car Park in Glen Affric, OS Grid Reference: NH 244263. Free Forestry Commission event, no booking required. More details on Tel 01463 791575

NOVEMBER
Saturday 6th Inverness Market at Eastgate Precinct, Inverness, from 8.30am-4.30pm We love our food, don't you yours? This is where to get your local produce!