Welcome to my Highland Travelogue Page. My passion is to explore the Scottish Highlands. When time permits, I will drive to a remote location, park the car, fasten on my backpack and trusty camera, and trek a few miles to, hopefully, discover a hidden Loch or Lochan. My pleasure is to explore the smaller, hidden Lochs and Lochans, rather than the larger, well known ones that are already well documented. Why I have suddenly taken to this pursuit, I do not know. All I know is that I am hooked. I think that certain places are "healing" , and I begin to understand why when I sit by a lonely stretch of water, with nobody and nothing around for miles. So far, most of my expeditions have been in Highland Perthshire, for logistical and economic reasons, but I hope to travel further as time passes. I think that maybe I am frightened that my Highlands are threatened and that they may vanish. Perhaps to record them on photograph is my mission? When I stumble unexpectedley on one of those jaw-dropping views, I have mixed thoughts - firstly, I want to share it with the world, then, when I think on, I selfishly want to keep it all to myself. Often I just stand a while in wonderment.
Many of our inland small Lochs and Lochans are in decline.
It depends on the water source and the sedimentary rock and mud as to how they are surviving.
Each has its own mini eco system, and it is the decay of this that is the problem.
Each eco system is made up of many interactive and interdependent parts - water,sediment,fish,insects,animals,weather.
All of these are affecting how these mini planets survive.
Its the Butterfly Effect in practice.
The decline of insect life affects the fish life, which affects the Lochan itself, which affects the bird and animal life.
This then causes (some) of the Lochans to be affected by Algae and Reed cover, which then affects light penetration, photosynthesis and the general "life" of the Lochan goes into a rapid decline.
This is happening now.
I dont know how long they will be there for us, but I have to record them as they are now.
I hope I am wrong.
Above all, I feel priviledged to be allowed the honour to walk on this sacred land - I am finite, my footsteps will soon vanish, but this wonderful place will stand for millions of years.
I judge my success in three ways:
1) The success or otherwise of my map reading
2) The number of people I meet - if its more than two, its a failure
3) How happy, or otherwise, I am with the resulting photographs (anyone who has ever walked the Highlands will know about the light - it is normally a shade of dull grey, with occasional brilliantly painted splashes)
Please feel free to write your comments below - I'd love to hear from you!
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| Return to Loch Ordie | 5:25 PM, Aug 14 2008 |
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Return to Loch Ordie - or "Woodsmoke or Midges". Thursday, August 14th, 2008. Weather: Overcast and mild. Temperature - 12 degress rising to 18 degrees pm. Wind: Negligible, freshening from the East pm. Light: Poor. Midge State: Moderate. Read More |
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| Children's Loch | 8:30 AM, Aug 09 2008 |
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Children's Loch, Friday Evening, 8th August 2008. Weather: Warm and overcast, thundery. Temperature: 18 degrees. Wind: Negligible. Midge Level: Severe. Fishing: Private but plentiful on both Lochans Read More |
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| Return to Oisineach Mor | 4:24 PM, Aug 04 2008 |
| Return to Oisineach Mor. Wednesday, July 23rd 2008. Weather: Warm and clammy, cloudy morning, sunny spells in the afternoon. Wind: Nairy a breath but breezy from the South in the afternoon (thank goodness!) Read More | |
| Loch Fender | 4:21 PM, Aug 04 2008 |
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Loch Fender. Sunday July 13th 2008. Weather: Overcast, heavy cloud, poor light. Temperature: 16 - 20 degrees. Height Gain: 2000 feet approx. Read More |
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| Nature Ramble and The Curling Pond, Logierait | 4:20 PM, Aug 04 2008 |
| Nature Ramble and The Curling Pond, Logierait. Saturday July 5th 2008. Weather: Overcast, sunny spells. Temperature: 16 - 18 degrees, mild. Wind: Easterly, stiffening. Read More | |
| Mill Dam | 4:22 PM, Aug 04 2008 |
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Mill Dam, above Peroch Castle, near Dunkeld. Saturday June 21st 2008. Weather: warm/cool (hey - its Scotland!) Sunny spells, clouding later. Temperature: 14 - 16 degrees. Wind: Neglible, veering SW later (I got smoke in my eyes and my tent) Read More |
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| Tomgarrow Loch | 4:17 PM, Aug 04 2008 |
| Tomgarrow Loch, Sunday, June 15th, 2008. Weather: 7/10ths Cloud, sunny spells, rain squalls. Temperature: 12 - 16 degrees. Wind: Light to moderate, NW. Read More | |
| Cardney Loch | 4:26 PM, Aug 04 2008 |
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Cardney Loch, Saturday June 7th, 2008. Weather: Warm and Sunny, clouding over pm. Wind: Nary a breeze: Temperature: 20 degrees Read More |
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| Two unamed Lochans atop The Sma' Glen | 4:14 PM, Aug 04 2008 |
| Two unamed Lochans atop The Sma' Glen. Sunday 31st May 2008. Weather: warm and sunny, cool breeze above 1500 feet. Temperature: 18 - 21 degrees. Read More | |
| Lochan a Choire Creagaich, and others | 4:13 PM, Aug 04 2008 |
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Lochan a Choire Creagaich, and others. Sunday, May 25th, 2008. Weather: sunny spells, pleasantly warm. Wind: gusting strong South Easterly. Temperature: Between 15 - 19 degrees, cooler in wind-chill. Read More |
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| Lochan Na Beinne | 4:09 PM, Aug 04 2008 |
| Lochan Na Beinne, Sunday May 18th 2005. Weather: Overcast, sunny spells, some showers, wintry above 1200 feet. Wind: Negligible at low levels, some gusts on higher ground. Temperature: Between 5 and 15 degrees. Read More | |
| Loch Hoil | 4:08 PM, Aug 04 2008 |
| Loch Hoil, Friday 9th May, 2008. Weather: warm, overcast. Temperature: 9 - 17 degrees. Wind: light to strong, gusting around 25mph, Southerly. Read More | |
| Loch Farleyer | 4:27 PM, Aug 04 2008 |
| Loch Farleyer. Sunday April 27th, 2008. Weather: Warm, sunny, some cloud. Temperature: 11 - 17 degrees - warm in the sun. Wind: Soft breeze - perfect conditions. Read More | |
| Loch Derculich | 4:06 PM, Aug 04 2008 |
| Loch Derculich - or "Dinnae Go Near The Fairmer!" Saturday April 19th 2008. Weather: Fair, patchy clouds, occasional sunny spells. Wind: Easterly veering Southerly. Temperature: 9 - 11 degrees. Read More | |
| Loch Broom | 4:05 PM, Aug 04 2008 |
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Loch Broom, Monday, April 14th, 2007. Weather: sporadic cloud, sunny spells. Temperature: 6 - 9 degrees. Wind: northwesterly stiff breeze, chilly. Read More |
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| The Griffin III - This Time its Personal! | 5:53 AM, Aug 04 2008 |
| The Griffin III - This Time its Personal!. Sunday 30th March, 2008. Weather: broken cloud, rain squalls, light Southerly breeze, sporadic sunny spells. Temperature: varying between 4 - 7 degrees. Comfortably mild. Read More | |
| Back To The Griffin - glorious failure | 3:26 PM, Aug 15 2008 |
| Back To The Griffin, Sunday, March 23rd, 2008. Weather: Cold, cloudy, sporadic snowshowers, 1" of snow underfoot. Wind: Cold Northerly 15mph gusting to 30 mph. Temperature around 3 degrees. Read More | |
| Loch Skiach and Little Loch Skiach | 4:28 PM, Aug 04 2008 |
| Loch Skiach and Little Loch Skiach, Friday, March 14th, 2008. Scattered clouds, light poor, temp 10 degrees, brisk westerly wind. Read More | |
| Loch Turret | 7:11 AM, Aug 03 2008 |
| Loch Turret, Sunday, February 17th, 2008. Weather - Sunny, 6 degrees, wind light Westerly. Read More | |
| Loch Tullybelton | 7:10 AM, Aug 03 2008 |
| Loch Tullybelton, Little Glenshee, Sunday, January 20th, 2008, high cloud, sunny spells, 4 degrees, wind strengthening from the West. Read More | |
| Loch Mullion | 7:10 AM, Aug 03 2008 |
| Loch Mullion - First Walk Of The New Year - Saturday, January 12th, 2008. Weather: Cold and clear, minus 2 degrees, snow on Northern hills, hard frost everywhere. Read More | |
| Loch Benachally | 7:08 AM, Aug 03 2008 |
| Loch Benachally, Sunday November 11th, 2007. Weather: Cold and bright, occasional rain squalls, biting cold Nor' Westerly wind. Read More | |
| Lochan Oisienach Mor | 7:07 AM, Aug 03 2008 |
| Lochan Oisienach Mór, Saturday, September 8th, 2007. Weather mild, Westerly breeze, mostly overcast. Read More | |
| Near Disaster in Griffin Forest | 7:06 AM, Aug 03 2008 |
| Sunday, September 2nd, 2007. Weather warm and overcast, light westerly breeze Read More | |
| To Errochty and on to Loch Con | 4:28 PM, Aug 04 2008 |
| Wednesday, August 22nd, 2007. Weather: Warm and sunny, Nor-Westerly stiff breeze a.m., calm afternoon, between 18 and 25 degrees. Read More | |
| Glen Quaich | 7:04 AM, Aug 03 2008 |
| My trip to Glen Quaich, Saturday, August 4th, 2007 Read More | |
| Auchentaple Loch | 8:35 PM, Aug 11 2008 |
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My recent trip to Auchentaple Loch, just off the Braemar road.
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