Easter weekend fun in Lochaber

SPRING was in the air last weekend as various groups and organisations held Easter events for youngsters and the young at heart.

Lochaber Countryside Rangers held an Easter Family Fun Day on Saturday April 15.

Rangers Fiona MacLean and Michelle Melville, along with Louise Feldwick from Nevis Landscape Partnership, hosted a variety of games, craft activities and an Easter Riddle Hunt.

Around 60 children came along to the visitor centre in Glen Nevis and played giant kerplunk, took part in egg and spoon races and made shaving foam marbled eggs, hatching chicks, pop-up bunnies and chicks, bunny ear plates and paper daffodils.

Ms MacLean said: ‘It’s been pretty busy considering the changeable weather. The children solved a riddle to find pictures of eggs which all had letters that spelled out a word.

‘They had lots of fun and some even came back saying they had seen Philip Schofield while they were hunting.’

For information about upcoming events by the rangers, visit the new Highland Council Countryside Rangers new Facebook page, which is an amalgamation of all the council’s ranger services.

The Moorings Hotel also held a family fun day on Saturday, with face painting, Easter games, Easter colouring in and an Easter Egg hunt.

Eilidh Innes, one of the organisers, said: ‘The children paid £1 to hunt the eggs and they all got an Easter egg at the end. Around 50 turned up and they seemed to enjoy it. The face painting has gone down well.’

Also on Saturday, Duncansburgh Macintosh Church held a soup and sandwich lunch in the New Hall, offering a choice of soups and sandwiches, tea, coffee and biscuits.

Rev Morag Muirhead said: ' We had between 30 and 40 people on Saturday and we made just over £120.

‘We hold soup lunches throughout June, July and August each year and we begin this year on Saturday June 3 at noon.

‘Everyone is welcome. We look forward to seeing you all through the summer.’

Nevis Range had its Easter Event on Easter Sunday (April 16) when free hard boiled eggs were available from the Snowgoose Restaurant and Bar for rolling down the slopes.

There was also a chocolate egg hunt, face painting and badge making.

Heather Negus, marketing manager at Nevis Range, said: ‘ We were delighted that over the long Easter weekend we had more than 5,000 visitors take the trip up the mountain gondola.

‘The mountain bike trails and the high ropes courses in Leanachan Forest were open too.

Glencoe Visitor Centre and Glenfinnan Visitor Centre held the Cadbury Easter Egg Trail over Easter weekend.

A spokesperson for Glencoe visitor centre said: ‘All National Trust and National Trust for Scotland centres take part. It’s a self-guided trail with four different levels of clues depending on age group. All the children get a chocolate bunny. We’ve also had face painting.’

Photograph: Iain Ferguson, The Write Image. Glen Nevis Ranger Michelle Melville helps Joseph, 6, and Thomas, 4, Sanders find a clue in Sunday’s Easter Egg hunt around the visitor centre.

Photograph Iain Fergsuon, The Write Image. Iona Stirrup helped paint youngsters’ faces with an Easter-themed animal, as well as decorating hard boiled eggs at what must have been the highest Easter celebration in the country at the Nevis Range top station.

Photograph Iain Ferguson, The Write Image. Lucky young egg hunters, left to right, Kai Teressider and friends Fergus, Sophie and Mia Reid after searching the gardens of the Moorings Hotel for chocolate goodies.

Duncansburgh Macintosh church had a soup and sandwich lunch on Saturday.

Photograph: Abrightside Photography. Councillor Andrew Baxter on the Glencoe Easter egg hunt with his family.

Photograph: Abrightside Photography. Miles Attwood, 3, from London, gets his face painted at the Glencoe Easter event.

Photograph: Abrightside Photography. Left to right: William, 11, and Amy, 8, Penny from Peterhead at the Glencoe visitor centre easter egg hunt.

Photograph: Abrightside Photography. Left to right: Nancy, 11, and Rory, 8, Carr from Inverness all smiles at the Glencoe easter egg hunt.