"I don't blame the fishermen for a second - they have to sell to the highest bidder and buyers on the Continent pay a big premium for Scottish produce," he said. "It is well known abroad that Scotland is the larder for oysters, scallops, fantastic turbot and langoustines.

"However, I do think there is a market now developing in Scotland because there are now some fantastic restaurants here and a real interest in food." Mr Roux also spoke of his delight at his new association with Lochinver and revealed that he had first visited the port half a century ago.

"I was on my way to John O'Groats with my children. It was around lunchtime and the kids were screaming that they were hungry," he said.

"A sign said 'Lochinver 6 miles' and I thought 'Let's go down there to find something to eat.' We loved it so much that we finished up staying for five days in bed and breakfast! "When I was told recently that there was an opportunity for me to come to Lochinver, they didn't have to say any more - straightaway I was interested and, again, I have not been disappointed - apart from the fishing factor." Mr Roux was accompanied to Lochinver this week by his consultant chef, Glen Watson, who confirmed that staff had been taken aback by the irony of working in a fishing port but being unable to find any fish.

Mr Watson said: "We can see the boats from our kitchen window and we think to ourselves that there must be some fabulous fish down there. We thought it would be very easy to source fish, but that is not the case." The new 40-cover "Chez Roux" restaurant has been opened up in the Inver Lodge Hotel, owned by Robin Vestey but now run by Fort-William based Inverlochy Castle Management International (ICMI), a consulting and management service to the hotel and hospitality industry.

The company also runs the five-star Inverlochy Castle Hotel near Fort William and the Rocpool Reserve in Inverness as well as hotels in Ayrshire, East Lothian and Italy.

ICMI managing director Norbert Lieder said his firm had taken over the running of the 21-bedroom wInver Lodge in July last year and it had since undergone a total refurbishment.

"We're delighted to have such a really wonderful and comfortable hotel in this part of Scotland and we very much hope it is going to be used by locals as well as tourists," he said. "It's not just a hotel - we have a wonderful dining menu." Mr Lieder felt that Lochinver, which already has a Michelin starred restaurant in the Albannach Hotel, was now firmly on the map as regards fine dining.

ICMI already has a Chez Roux restaurant at the Rocpool Reserve, and are about to establish a third at Greywalls Hotel in Gullane, East Lothian.

The launch of the new-look Inver Lodge and Chez Roux was celebrated on Wednesday with a cookery demonstration, lunch, dinner and overnight stay for media representatives from across the North and members of the local community.

Speaking at the start of the dinner Robin Vestey said the decision to hand the property over to ICMI had been done "with the very best of intentions" not just for Lochinver as a village but for Assynt as an area.

He said: "Last season was the busiest tourist season the Highlands has known in many a year, due to the weakness of the pound and what became known as 'staycations'.

“But those ‘staycationers’ turned right at the Skiag Bridge because of a sign saying ‘John O’Groats - 150 miles.’ What they did not see was the sign saying ‘Lochinver - 10 miles.’

 

“The village has got its first Michelin Star and that should be enough to get people to add 10 miles to their journey.

“We have a fantastic view over the harbour – you can see the Hebrides on a bright day – and I really hope this development will attract people to Lochinver to the benefit of all.”

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An informal chat last summer set the wheels in motion for a bid to create the new route.

Bed and breakfast owner Graeme Ambrose was discussing ideas with Aird and Loch Ness Councillor Margaret Davidson about how to attract more people to the area.

Out of that they began talking about creating the trail which found favour with local residents, businesses, Highland Council and Scottish Natural Heritage.

Several months later, a total of £181,000 is now in place to build about four miles of new path which will connect existing trails and minor roads around the southern side of the loch.

It is hoped that the finished trail will stretch from Loch Tarff to Torbreck via Whitebridge, Foyers, Inverfarigaig and Dores.

Attracting more visitors to these villages is the simple reason why Destination Loch Ness (DLN) has worked on ensuring the idea comes to fruition.

According to Mr Ambrose, who is executive director of the not-for-profit group of loch-side businesses, the finished route will definitely encourage more people into the area - do not ask him how many.

"Everybody asks about numbers but that is like looking for a needle in a haystack," he states.

"We have obviously been looking at the benefits it can bring to the community. We did our own research and there is a real need for new economic activity, not just around the south of Loch Ness but the whole of it.

"A trail this length, it is not likely we are going to get hundreds of people walking the whole way, most people are going to use short sections of it.

"We hope that it will encourage people up to hubs like Dores, Inverfarigaig, Foyers and Whitebridge. It could then attract more micro businesses like bed and breakfasts and cafes. It will bring more people in and Destination Loch Ness has always been about improving the product on the ground."

However, the exact route is still not finalised because delicate negotiations with four landowners lie ahead of DLN.

But it hopes to be in a position to issue a tender for the construction of the four feet wide path sections and new branded signage within the next couple of months.

Mr Ambrose did not want to jeopardise the outcome of the talks and said a map of the full trail would only be published once robust agreements were in place with landowners, adding that using right to roam legislation was not a route DLN intended to go down if the discussions founder.

"There's a lot of ifs and buts at the moment because there's still some work to be done," said Mr Ambrose, who revealed a fall back route or plan B could instead come into affect if talks stall.

A project manger has already been appointed by DLN which has secured £80,000 from the European grants programme Leader to go towards the trail's construction.

The council has matched that money and the pot has been also boosted by £13,000 from DLN and £5000 from Scottish Natural Heritage, while the South of Loch Ness Tourism Tourist Group provided £3000.

The marking and interpretation of the route will reflect design elements from the Great Glen Way style guide.

Destination Loch Ness chairman Graeme Ambrose. Bobby Nelson

Eventually, DLN hopes that the trail will link up in the long term with the long distance route on the north side of the loch.

The path will be open to walkers and horse riders - but not cyclists.

Mr Ambrose insisted that two wheels chew up trails more than four hooves.

"It is absolutely the case and mountain bikes can create a hell of a lot of a mess on tracks," he said. "If they are going down steep sections fast or doing wheelies it can churn it up."

But Mr Ambrose would welcome any investment from cycle organisations to make the trail sturdy enough for bikers.

"The National Cycle Network is coming up the length of the Great Glen by the end of 2011," said Mr Ambrose. "There are very small sections where we are doing this where we can piggyback onto cyclist routes but for large parts it will be for walkers and horse riders, it is simply about the money available."

However, transport charity Sustranshas expressed surprise at the proposed ban on cyclist.

"It isn't something that is known to have come up in other parts of the UK," a spokeswoman said.

"But this patch is clearly focusing on the horse-riding community in the area and taking their safety on the trail very seriously by making it a walking/horse riding route only.

"Sustrans promotes active and sustainable forms of travel whether that's walking, cycling, running, or horse riding."

Sustrans is supportive of the new trail, she stressed.

Councillor Davidson, who lives in Abriachan on the north side of the loch, said she often looked out of her kitchen window and thought a connected trail on the other side was long overdue.

In the long term she keenly anticipates the day when visitors and locals can walk all the way round the loch.

"Graeme and I are were talking about outdoor activity projects and the trail came up," she recalled. "For many people walking at Loch Ness is a once in a lifetime experience.

"We have got the Great Glen Way on this side and we have got the cycle network route coming so this route is something which has been waiting to happen."

Dores and Stratherrick and Foyers community councils have also given the route the thumbs up.

h.ross@inverness-courier.co.uk

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The move has been prompted by talks between managers of Inverness Marina and eco-tour operators and possibly also a sailing school seeking a base at the new facility.

According to the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society, research suggests the number of recreational vessels using the firth may already be at the limit of what the 130-or so dolphins can tolerate. To allow any more would, it argues, be self defeating and risk driving away the very attraction the enterprises are looking to make money from.

The problem is that we do not really know. The dolphins are nominally protected by an EU Habitats Directive and a Special Area of Conservation and all the existing operators sign up to the Dolphin Space Programme, which sets out a code of responsible behaviour. However, there are still too many gaps in our knowledge about how the creatures live and their vulnerability to disturbance by shipping for definitive rules to be drawn up with any confidence they will make a difference.

Internationally, bottlenose dolphins are not an endangered species and those living in the Moray Firth are important largely for their curiosity value as the world's most northerly resident population. In addition, a modest tourist industry has grown up around them and more could have been made of this onshore had Inverness planners not decided that retail warehouses and plant hire depots were more appropriate developments on the city's waterfront than apartments, hotels and flagship offices.

Set against the environmental case is the Moray Firth's continuing importance as a commercial waterway. Inverness Harbour has expanded and is likely to become busier, not just with recreational craft but with large merchant vessels.

So far the two have managed to co-exist thanks to goodwill on both sides, but the signs are we may be reaching a crossroads. If we are serious about protecting the dolphins we require detailed, and probably publicly-funded, research to enable informed decisions to be made.

Sign of the times

IT is a basic test that road signs should be clear, uncluttered and easy to read.

To that end Transport Scotland oversaw a blitz on unauthorised tourist signs on the A82 in Drumnadrochit last year, claiming they were confusing for motorists.

So what are we to make of the hi-tech sign on Friars' Bridge in Inverness which provides real time information on the number of free spaces in the main city centre car parks? It is undoubtedly a valuable addition to the streetscape and is even environmentally friendly - the digital displays are solar powered. Unfortunately, no-one driving past can see it.

It has been erected immediately behind an older, directional sign on the approach to the Rose Street roundabout, so close that it is almost completely obscured. Bizarrely, the solar panel feeding its battery has been mounted on the sign in front, suggesting the workers responsible were aware that the older sign was not going to be taken down.

For the sake of clarity, consistency and sheer common sense, Transport Scotland should, as our column demands, Get it Sorted.

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All right, so David Suchet is actually English, but as the man who has been famous for portraying detective Hercule Poirot for over 20 years, the Belgian connection was too good to ignore - though Ingrid did ignore the literal translation of his name opting instead for a "poire" (pear) centre.

"Poireau means leek, but that would not have been so good in chocolate," Ingrid explained.

Not that she is above some unusual ingredients. Their shop in Inverness's Victorian Market, Story's Belgian Chocolate (without the "e" of their real surname) has become well known for its Belgian-Caledonian chocolate line, notably its range of whisky filled chocs. However, it could be argued that the couple took the Belgo-Scottish connection a little far when Ingrid agreed to a request for chocolates with a haggis centre.

"It was not a success," Lucas sighed.

Between the letter from David Suchet and a signed photo from another celebrity sampler of the Storey's wares, fellow Black Isle resident Penelope Keith, is the Storeys' own moment of screen stardom.

The couple were asked to create marzipan Nessies for the final episode of Highland comedy drama "The Monarch of the Glen" and the photographs signed by the cast record its appearance on the hit BBC show.

Monsters are not the only items Lucas can conjure up from marzipan. Though the couple do not make cakes, they do decorate them with such items as a pair of walking boots, boats, motorbikes and even Posh and Becks.

Yet the Flemish-speaking couple were relatively new to the confectionary business before moving to Scotland, even though their home town of Aalst, 20 miles from Brussels, has a tradition of chocolate making.

Ingrid, a housewife who worked part-time for a dentist, made her own chocolates long before she decided, at the age of 50, to get serious about it and go to college.

Because Ingrid could not drive, painter and decorator Lucas also signed up for the Belgian Federation of Chocolatiers course.

Two years later, the two oldest students on their course qualified with the highest marks, impressing their tutors by presenting them with a complete range of chocolates previously unseen in Belgium, featuring 16 different Scotch whiskies.

The whisky theme also surfaced in their most ambitious chocolate set-piece.

"We made a whole whisky distillery out of chocolate with stills and everything," Ingrid said.

"We called it Glensgeul - Sgeul is Gaelic for story. Even the water was made with glucose sugar and the stones were made with marzipan."

The couple's fascination with Scotland goes back much further. Lucas points out that the Storey family are a branch of the Clan Ogilvy. After meeting his clan chief, he is now the official clan representative at the annual commemoration of the Battle of Culloden.

"When we visited Scotland, it was never going on holiday. It was always 'going home'," Ingrid added.

Armed with their new qualifications, the couple decided to follow Lucas' heart and on 16th November 2002, they opened their shop in Inverness where they found their wares a hit with the sweet-toothed Scots.

"It was very scary. We didn't know what taste the people had here," Ingrid recalled.

She need not have worried.

"After that first Christmas we found we had sold three times more than we had estimated," she revealed.

"That was hard because it was day and night working. We didn't even have time for a meal."

Ingrid and Lucas Storey with some of their confectionary creations. Iona Spence

The workload has since eased, even though the couple have since opened a second shop on Fortrose High Street next to the kitchen where they make their chocolates.

"At the beginning I could make five or boxes. Now I can make 18 boxes - 18 kilos - in a day, but it's really time consuming," Ingrid said.

"That's why the chocolatier schools in Belgium are closing one after another. Young people don't want to do it because it is so time consuming."

In contrast, the Storey's pride themselves that they can still make chocolate completely by hand, though it is not always easy.

"It's a live product. Chocolate is not always the same," Lucas pointed out.

"It can be very frustrating," Ingrid agreed, revealing that when she is totally stuck on a problem she will call her former lecturer in Belgium for some advice.

"It can change with the weather - it can be too wet, too dry, too cold..."

Though they use unique recipes and many local ingredients, the final products they produce are still Belgian chocolates - and not just because they are made by Belgians.

Every year the couple import three tonnes of chocolate.

"The butters I use are Belgian butters, but you can hardly find them in Belgium," Ingrid said.

"They are special de-hydrated butters because chocolate and water and moisture do not get on well. Water is the enemy of chocolate."

The chocolates have not just proved a success with customers in Inverness and on the Black Isle. They have also found fans in Edinburgh, Glasgow and London.

"A youngster came into the shop last year and said to us: 'You've saved my life!' He came from London and before he left his friends told him: 'Don't forget to buy chocolates in Inverness or you are a dead man!'" Lucas laughed.

The Storeys have now been joined by oldest son Guntter, who plans on marrying and settling down in Scotland too.

Meanwhile, his parents form a successful creative partnership with Lucas responsible for the artwork as well as being the point of contact for the customers in the shop, leaving Ingrid to do what she loves best, creating the flavours.

At the moment the Storey's have 86 flavours to choose from, though even that is a reduction from the 105 the couple once offered.

Though they agree this is probably too much, Ingrid has no plans to give up creating new flavours and is already thinking about how to fulfil a request for a Guinness flavoured chocolate. However, she has no intention of emulating another chocolatier in Belgium who used chicken skin for one of his chocolate creations.

"I'm going to make one with pickled ants!" Ingrid declares in disgust, making it clear that, haggis centred chocolates aside, she does not want to create flavours just for shock value alone.

"There are so many beautiful flavours over here. Retirement? I don't think I will ever retire from chocolate. I have so many ideas!"

c.macleod@inverness-courier.co.uk

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The estimate was given as Ewan Kearney, director of Natural Retreats, outlined the firm's �6.5 million scheme to local community representatives on Thursday evening.

The Manchester-based firm is seeking grant aid from Highlands and Islands Enterprise for the redevelopment of the derelict John O'Groats House Hotel.

Natural Retreats intends converting the hotel into 16 luxury self-catering apartments and visitor centre. It is also keen to support moves to develop a network of coastal walks.

Mr Kearney is encouraged by the reaction to its plans to break the long-standing impasse over the famous but rundown end-of-the road site.

Speaking after the meeting with Dunnet and Canisbay Community Council, he said: "We got a lot of positive feedback from local people and public agencies and we're hoping to be in a position to submit a planning application in the next couple of months.

"We've put a lot of resources into this and are keen to get this up and running as quickly as we can, though we're keen to consult as widely as possible." Mr Kearney said a late 2011 opening was the "best case scenario" though it is more likely to be 2012.

The firm is hoping the process will be speeded up by the publicly-funded masterplan for Groats which was launched in September.

He claimed its scheme fits in well with the blueprint which is intended to help shape development of the village over the next 20 to 30 years.

Natural Retreats plans to create 16 luxury holiday apartments and a visitor centre at the John O'Groats hotel.

Mr Kearney said the scheme is designed to persuade more of the day visitors to the tourist mecca to spend longer in the area.

He said: "Too many people come, touch the signpost and move on. We're very excited about the opportunities in this area which we think are huge.

"We hope to emulate the success of our Yorkshire Dales site which has won awards for its environmentally-sensitive build whilst offering stylish, contemporary accommodation."

He added: "We envisage that this will deliver great benefits to the local community as well as attracting national and international visitors and promoting sustainable tourism."

He confirmed that the firm has had talks with HIE about support for the project.

Natural Retreats is going ahead with the plan as a joint venture with site owners Heritage Great Britain.

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My skiing is usually restricted to easy cross-country stuff near home, never having been one to frequent the commercial ski centres, or to enjoy long drives on slippery roads. But in these conditions, there is indeed no need to go far.

One of these days, if global cooling continues, I'll get a decent set of cross-country ski equipment. My skis, boots, cable bindings and poles are some 25 years old; the skis have lost the fish scales on the soles, the boots are worn out and the bindings so loose that the boots pull out when twisted - which certainly makes for safety but means almost no control on anything other than the gentlest of slopes.

A few years ago, I bought some more up-to-date gear from a catalogue but then found that the skis were so short as to be virtually useless for crossing deeply snow-covered Caithness heather and tussock, while the boots were so heavy I could hardly pick them up, let alone wear them. It was downhill gear in disguise - and so the most expensive footwear I'd ever bought languishes almost unworn.

But my ancient gear does fine on nearly level ground and allows outings into remote country which would be an impossible slog to reach on foot. First though to try out the skis and muscles from my back door, up onto the hill in icy conditions across which the skis rattled at speed. Indeed, the sunset views of the snow-covered North from Olrig Hill, as a severe frost set in were as good as anything I saw later from places further afield.

Christmas Eve gave a short morning's outing up the Broubster forest tracks, involving some mild adventure on very icy, rutted roads. Before the forests were planted, you could ski out across the moors to the Broubster lochs and beyond, in just a short distance you were into the best of the Flow Country and another world which could have been hundreds of miles from anywhere. Now it's all tamed and the track makes for smooth, easy progress up into the hills, I followed in the footsteps of the usual dog-walkers round the two lochs and finally encountered unblemished snow on the track leading to the higher Loch nan Clachan Geala. Frozen and snow-covered, surrounded by the silent spruce trees, it could easily have been Canada. Downhill was harder than climbing up, though a good deal faster!

More snow, more icy roads. I'd thought of Forsinard, but the snow would be very deep and soft and, after very nearly getting the car stuck there last year, decided on somewhere a bit more accessible - Reay.

It is the most suburban of the Caithness villages, yet every mile south takes you into remoter and remoter country. I have memories of, many years ago, seeing ski tracks disappearing tantalisingly down the Beinn Ratha track. With snow down to sea level, that would make as good an outing as any.

Nevertheless, I felt a little foolish parking by Beinn Ratha terrace and donning skis, boots and pack to head off down a track heavily trampled by half the citizens of Reay and their dogs. Yet it was remarkable how quickly the footprints thinned and by the locked gate, barely a mile from the village, everyone had turned back. Only the deer had been on south past the woods into the glen and now gathered in small herds on the flats below the forest. Suddenly this was Grampian scenery, with the snow-covered Beinn Ratha - less than a thousand feet high and a hill I've been known to nip up and down during a Dounreay lunch break - looking like an imposing Munro.

The frozen surface of one of the Broubster lochs.

A small stream proved an obstacle and I had to take the skis off to cross, normally you can manage to ski over quite big ditches. Beyond the end of the track I began climbing slowly towards the skyline. The skiing had initially been easy over an icy crust but as the snow grew deeper and softer the skis became little other than long snowshoes. Without them, though, it would have been a desperate wallow as the thick tussocks and heather had trapped the snow to a depth of a couple of feet.

Big snow showers had been building out over the sea and the occasional flurry blew over, but the skies remained mostly bright. It was amazing what a difference just being a few miles inland made, with the deep snow and temperatures well below freezing. Although it was only a climb of maybe 600 feet to gain the crest of the Flow-Country ridge, it must have taken me three hours from setting off to finally reach the little-visited trig point on Sean Airigh. There's a surprisingly remote feel to this country in such conditions.

As I carried on southwards, further and further from civilisation, there was nothing but miles and miles of snow and more snow, no birds, not even any deer.

Here was another Loch nan Clach Geala, frozen solid and the smooth skiing a nice change from all the hummocks and tussocks. I'd hoped to carry on to the binocular lochs in their deep rocky hollows but with short hours of daylight and possibly deteriorating weather, I chickened out and instead pointed the skis back down the gentle slopes towards Gleann Chorcaill below. No chance of a fast descent though - the snow was far too deep and soft, coupled with a certain lack of downhill control caused by the combination of old gear and a total lack of skill.

I was glad to encounter my old tracks, which gave much easier progress back to the glen where I could relax with just the easy track to follow back to Reay - there's a certain tension about venturing into even such well-known moors on your own in deep snow at the end of December. Being near civilisation doesn't mean it's safe and easy, after all, some of the wildest waters of the Pentland Firth are only just off the Caithness shore.

Nobody else had ventured out along the track all day. Back at Reay the sun had set, the frost had descended and the car had frozen up. A typical day's weather for the winter of 2009/10.

Footprints on the Beinn Ratha track which leads to remote countryside. The tracks of people and dogs gave way to that of deer.

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A new company has been formed to run the once prestigious, 22-bed hotel which overlooks the first tee of Royal Dornoch.

Up to 30 full and part-time jobs are expected to be created by the move which has been widely welcomed locally.

It is especially good news, coming in the same week as the town reels from the announcement of 29 job losses at the local abattoir.

The Royal Golf Hotel closed in December 2006 after parent company, the London and Edinburgh Swallow Group, went into liquidation.

It was bought shortly afterwards by international businessman Peter de Savary, who gained planning consent for a massive upgrade and extension, with the aim of turning it into a top class luxury holiday complex.

But Mr de Savary pulled the plug on the venture in May 2008 and put the 115-year-old building back on the market with an asking price of £5 million. It was then bought by a consortium of North businessmen including David Sutherland, chairman of Highland construction firm, Tulloch Homes Group.

Mr Sutherland is also part-owner of the Royal Marine Hotel in Brora and the Dunain Park Hotel in Inverness.

It emerged this week that Mr Sutherland and his business partner, George Fraser, have now joined forces with Grant Sword and American Mark Parsinen, developers of the Castle Stuart Golf Links in Inverness, which opened in July last year.

Mr Sword is well known in the Sutherland area as he previously owned and operated the Royal Golf for 12 years until 2002 when it was sold, along with another two, to Swallow Hotels.

He said earlier this week: "Castle Stuart has just been acclaimed as the best new course anywhere in the Highlands, so we're getting a lot of golf visitors to the Highlands.

"But whilst we have plans for a hotel on site, it's not going to come to fruition quickly enough.

"We have reached an agreement with David Sutherland whereby we will help him re-open the Royal Golf and the four of us have formed a small consortium to run it.

"I think it will help the whole of the Highland golf market because a lot of the feed back we are getting from golf operators is that Dornoch is still a huge attraction, yet there is a lack of accommodation."

The formation of the new company has now linked the Royal Golf together with Castle Stuart Golf Links, the Royal Marine and the Dunain Park Hotel.

Work is currently underway to prepare the Royal Golf for opening at the beginning of April.

But, according to Mr Sword: "Most of the hotel is actually in very good shape. There was a substantial £1 million investment made to it in 1999/2000 so it is in remarkably good condition.

"There has also been a caretaker there ever since it closed and he has looked after the place. Still, we do need to bring it up to speed.

"It is being totally re-decorated inside and out and new beds will be bought but otherwise it's just general improvements. Some of the flat roof extensions will be demolished.

"It'll be back to its former glory and we believe it will be a four-star standard facility when it opens on 1st April."

Mr Sword said he had recently contacted over 600 golf and travel agents worldwide to tell them that the hotel would shortly be back in operation.

"They are all delighted to have it back after a three year gap. The general consensus is: 'Hallelujah!' Dornoch and the whole of the Highlands have been a lot poorer for its absence. I'm going over to the annual PGA Golf Merchandise Show in Orlando, Florida, at the end of the month to sell our wares so will be talking about it there."

Chairman of Dornoch Community Council, Yvonne Ross, said she was delighted to hear the hotel was re-opening.

"It's brilliant news because we desperately need both beds and employment. As far as I am aware every establishment was booked out in Dornoch last August. You couldn't get a bed in the entire place."

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Perhaps I sit by the fire with a bottle of whisky and make it all up.

Or maybe, in reality, it's my wife who does all the outdoor stuff and I just do the writing, cutting the distances and speeds by half of course or everyone would think I'm exaggerating.

Truth is, sometimes I just haven't done anything particularly exciting. Sometimes it's just been a case of relaxing outings in well-known places. I can't really write about walking round Dunnet Head again.

Well, it was interesting to see how quickly the several square miles destroyed by fire are regenerating with probably at least a hundred million new little heather plants coming up.

And good to see that the otters have not been deterred from taking their little path from the sea, climbing steeply up the slopes of Ashy Geo and then heading on through the heather and rushes to the lochs.

And work in the wood needs to be done, and takes time from getting out anywhere else and is, well, work in the wood.

Cutting down leaning trees, cutting up fallen trees, gathering and stacking or burning brashings, planting new seedlings, trailering logs... one year much like the next.

But nice to see how the dead trees I've left standing, where the top has snapped off in a gale, are now being used as lookout posts by buzzards. And very encouraging to see some of the trees planted a few years ago now taller than me, with others beginning to burst out of their sheltering tubes.

And how many times have I cycled round Scarfskerry and John O'Groats and Freswick? Well, in December it's always good to make the most of daylight even on such an ordinary trip, to remind oneself of the beauty of low afternoon sun gleaming red on the cliffs of the Berry, across the firth. Or of the quiet beach at Scotland's Haven, with grey seals lying out on the rocks and other heads bobbing in the water.

Or of Stroma, suddenly illuminated in a patch of sunlight, or to watch the Merry Men of Mey becoming wilder and whiter as the ebb tide builds against a strong westerly. Or to climb up onto Warth Hill and look across the land of big sky to distant Spittal Hill and remember how this was a key stage in the Ordnance Survey triangulation of Britain - when men measured, on foot, the exact distance in a straight line between the two triangulation points to check that all the previous measurements and calculations were correct.

The ruins of Bleachfield close to the River Thurso's bank.

And to think how a few, against the wishes of the vast majority of local residents, wish to destroy this landscape with expensive, largely useless wind farms for the sake of the proverbial 30 pieces of silver.

Just one new thing I did, though hardly adventurous. The River Thurso, beyond some minor rapids at Halkirk, flows gently down the valley to Thurso, a passage which I'd been meaning to paddle for a while. I'd bought a new toy, a little river kayak, designed to cope with real white water.

Rivers can be graded on a scale of one to six, grade one being really smooth and easy and six being the limit of possibility with waterfalls and steep rapids. My new boat would, in the hands of a skilled paddler, happily cope with grade four. I have no intention whatsoever of ever doing anything beyond a grade two, and the northern stretch of the River Thurso is certainly no more than a nice grade one! Indeed the main difficulty of a river trip is organising it. First I had to wheel and drag the boat down, across the fields, to the river below Halkirk (not wishing to attempt the faster-flowing section at Halkirk on a first trip). Leave the boat, return to the car, drive down to Thurso with a bike on the roof, leave the car at the seafront, cycle all the way back, leave the bike and walk down to the boat - making sure I have all my gear such as paddle, buoyancy aid, waterproof bib, cagoule and spraydeck and get kitted up in the cold, late November, wind. (The fishing season largely rules out summer trips).

By now I'm feeling rather silly, equipped with over £1000 worth of gear to tackle a stretch of river which could probably be safely done in a £20 inflatable from Tesco. Having often smiled at those hill-walkers who set up some gentle Lake District fell on a nice day with more and better quality gear than Mallory and Irvine had when attempting Everest, I hope nobody is watching.

The trip took no more than a couple of hours, less than all the shuttling back and forth with car and bike. But it was a lovely, relaxing paddle along a stretch of river I've often walked. The boat is a tub, and it was hard work to paddle the flat stretches of river against a strong wind, however, for much of the way the river flows at a reasonable speed, and it was good to make fast progress here with little effort.

The recent floods had been high, very high, there was even debris washed up on the railway bridge, a foot below the track. I hope they weren't running the trains then! A whooper swan swum away then took off, wings flapping against the water. Ducks quacked and took to the air. A shower blew over, heavy rain and hail bouncing in the water. Rounding the big bends by the ruins of Bleachfield, now approaching the town, I made sure to paddle to the bank at the salmon pool, not wishing to attempt the weir.

Back in the water below this obstacle, and the first time I'd ever travelled into Thurso via the river, paddling under the new cemetery footbridge and then on under the road bridge and out to the harbour.

The final stage of my little trip was to try the boat out in the sea, just enough surf to make it interesting, with surfers out at Thurso East. As you paddle round towards the beach you just have to watch that break off the end of the harbour where a big wave can suddenly rear up from nowhere. I surfed into the shore a couple of times before beaching the boat, pleased that I'd managed to keep dry for once.

Then to change clothes again, put the boat on the roof, drive back to pick up the bike. It's a lot easier just to go for a walk or a cycle ride. But then I end up with nothing to write about... Yes, it was a lovely ride round Castletown this morning, in the grey light of dawn, to buy the papers, but when I'm doing no more than that, it will have been long past time to put away my keyboard!

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The local staff will be kept on at the exclusive retreat which will operate as a flagship property within the growing portfolio of Buckinghamshire-based Clarenco Properties LLP, one of the companies established by successful entrepreneur Mike Clare.

Mr Clare is delighted with the 15th-century castle, which was advertised for sale at £5 million.

He said: "When my wife Carol and I first visited Ackergill we totally fell in love with the place..

"The location is idyllic and the staff ensure that your stay is a truly memorable experience." The entrepreneur explained that the Caithness business has been acquired by Clarenco Properties on behalf of one of its divisions, Amazing Retreats, as the flagship for a growing portfolio of unique and spectacular venues aimed at attracting both consumer and business clients.

He said: "The business will continue to offer its renowned high level of service to guests, with all members of staff and management being retained." He stressed that the Amazing Retreats team would inject the investment required to maintain the core values and ethos of Ackergill Tower, which currently has around 40 full and part-time staff on the payroll..

During a presentation to the staff at the Tower, Mr Clare, who introduced himself as the chairman of the board and regular guest, made it clear that "it's business as usual at Ackergill".

Speaking to the Caithness Courier yesterday, Ian Richards, a director under the previous ownership, stated that he and his wife, Sabine, would be remaining at the Tower as part of the deal and would continue to manage the business.

Sabine's parents John and Arlette Banister, who plan to retain their Caithness connections, bought the building in 1986 when it was in a very poor state of repair and transformed it into a prestigious five-star venue for corporate entertainment, as well as a luxury retreat for celebrities.

They built up a successful business which they continued to run for over 20 years.

Mr Richards said: "Since 1986 the business has grown to become one of the world's top venues. We are delighted to pass it on to Mike and Carol Clare, who have clearly come along and fallen in love with the place.

"Their message is, 'change nothing, leave it as it is'. It really is business as usual. It is good news all round..

"I think the future for Ackergill is a very rosy one. We are really looking forward to the next stage of development." The Tower enjoyed one of it most successful years during 2007/2008, during which "business was absolutely fantastic", said Mr Richards.

He pointed out that although the past year had been difficult for businesses in general, he said he was pleased with what they had achieved.

He continued: "We are now seeing indications that the marketplace is recovering. Generally business is good. Everything is in very good shape.".

Ackergill Tower has plenty of bookings in the pipeline, with the usual Christmas and New Year parties going ahead as planned.

Mr Richards added: "We are moving on to the next level, it will be a whole new ball park. Ackergill Tower will be getting better and better." Forss House Hotel, which is owned and run by Ian and Sabine, is not affected by the sale and will continue as usual.

In the past the Ackergill Tower has provided the backdrop for many weddings and corporate events, and its secluded coastal location has also attracted celebrities, such as Sir Richard Branson, Billy Connolly and Philip Schofield. Over the years the venue has promoted the area's produce through its Food of Love weekends, and hosted music events.

The Tower is a historic building, dating back to 1476 when it was a Keith stronghold. The fifth Earl of Caithness took the premises by force in the late 1600s and held it for several years until Cromwell's troops sent the earl scurrying for safety to Orkney in 1671.

The house and grounds were duly returned to the Keiths, but by 1696 they sold it to Sir William Dunbar, of Hempriggs.

In 1845, Sir George Dunbar employed Edinburgh architect David Bryce to transform the castle into the finest gentleman's seat in the North of Scotland.

Last month Clarenco Properties purchased Spitbank Fort, one of four sea forts situated on the Solent, for £1m.

The old coastal defence, which was authorised for construction in 1860, was intended to protect Portsmouth in case of a French sea invasion.

Once developed, the fort will also feature in the Amazing Retreats portfolio as one of a number of unique properties designed to attract consumer and business clients looking for wedding venues, private house parties, filming locations, celebrity retreats, corporate hospitality and weekend sporting events, as well as rest and relaxation.

Most of the Amazing Retreats properties are based in the UK, but there are also some located in Europe.

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