Once again I have managed to accumulate plenty of material for this Newsletter.

However, we really do need to get some feedback from members as to whether this material is appropriate, interesting and/or useful. The newsletter, in colour, is fairly expensive to produce and if members do not think that this is an appropriate way of spending their membership fees then we have to be told so, so that we can re-think the whole plan.

Please let us know what you think –by letter, phone call, email or by means of the Forum on the Website.

Meanwhile, following the article about the goats last Autumn, I received a letter from John Groome of Gartocharn. Mr Groome, proud, I think, of his 98 years, wrote me a charming letter to forward to Tracy Livingstone. He had lived for 15 years at Cuilness, 2 miles south of Inversnaid, moving into a house which had been occupied by a farmer whose milking goat was kept upstairs.

The story goes that a boy working nearby looked up at the house and saw what he thought was the devil at the window and ran terrified to Inversnaid. Another story told of a goat captured in Rowardennan and ferried across to Luss. The school teacher kept it in her garden in Luss for a few years until it became a nuisance so she had it returned to Rowardennan and released in the woods there. The teacher got a shock a short time later when she found the goat in her garden scoffing her vegetables. Apparently it had got aboard the ferry unnoticed!

We will continue with the Goat theme in an outing to Inversnaid. On 3rd June at 10am, we will meet at Inveruglas Carpark and will be ferried over to Inversnaid Hotel for a talk about the Goats and coffee. This will be followed by a walk then lunch and another walk. The cost of this will be £7 and the first 20 who send in their cheques will enjoy the day out.

The next outing I have planned is on Sunday, 20^th August when there will be an expedition to search for the Rock of the British. Park at Falls of Falloch at 10.30am. No need to book – just turn up with appropriate boots, clothing, packed lunch and be prepared to climb.

My own photo of the Rock of the British

Information on the history of this Rock is difficult to find so if anyone can enlighten me, I would be grateful.

On 20^th September, I’d like to suggest a third outing to Gartocharn; meet 10am in the Millennium car park and a walk to the Nature Reserve. Bring your own picnic lunch.

Details of these walks will be posted in the Forum on the website.
Do you consider yourself computer illiterate? Do you not have a computer, or not one connected to ther world Wide Web (www)? Have you been afraid to ask?
Anyone who is not computer literate but would like to see our website www.lochlomond.org.uk should go along to their Local Library and ask for assistance.

I’m sure Library staff will be most helpful and, who knows, it might open up an interesting new diversion for you.

My sincere apologise to Michael Trubridge from RSPB for not acknowledging the help he gave me in allowing me to use information from his booklet on the history of Inversnaid Hotel.

I would like to thank Les Davidson for permission to use the photograph which won the Loch Lomond Through The Lens competition two years ago for our Christmas Card this year.

Page 2   Letter from the President

Page 4   Chairman George Boyd retires.

Page 5   AGM information and Quiz questions (NB Answer to Q1 is

Page 6   Colquhoun was drowned - Part 1

Page 7   Open letter about Jet-skis - Dave Bollard

             Progress of the Maid of the Loch - John Beveridge

Page 8   Diving in Loch Lomond - Bill Brysland

             Collaboration between FoLL and the Loch Lomond Association

Page 9   What a Lotter Nonsense - John Robins, Campaign Consultant for Animal Concern

Page 10/11  FoLL response to the Loch Lomond Byelaws and our proposals.

Page 13  View from a small boat - Jim Freeman

Page 14/15 Ross Priory

Page 15  Snippets - Stoneymollan Roundabout, West Highland Way, Seven Wonders of Scotland, The Legendary Lake, The Solar Boat.

The photograph shows Inchtavannach which lies just beyond Swan Isle and was taken from Aldochlay, near Luss.

And I would like to congratulate Les on winning the Salver again in 2006 making it a hat-trick!

I hope you enjoy reading this Newsletter.