My Highland Travelogue

Welcome to my Highland Travelogue Page.   My passion is to explore the Scottish Highland Upland Lochs. 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 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. 

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.

I am no scientist, but many of our small inland Lochs and Lochans are in decline.
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. Eutrophication (chemical and acid pollution) is causing serious problems to our smaller Lochs and Lochans that do not get the same level of monitoring and protection as those larger and better known examples adopted by S.E.P.A.
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. Already, some of the large Raptors are coming down to road level to find food.

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 will try to describe my adventures as best as I can and I hope that I can share my wonderful Highlands with you.

"Enjoy Life's Journey, But Leave No Tracks" (Cherokee Wolf Clan, with thanks to Sue)

"Your travelogue helped to influence our choice of destination as your pictures and details are superb and really do give that `get away from it all feeling`- Martin Rutherford

If you have any questions about the places I visit, please e-mail me and I will do my best to help!

Checkout My Guided Photography Walks By Clicking Here

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Contribution from a reader in Canada
Posted by Graham Lumsden (highlandp) on Aug 04 2010 at 4:51 PM
Highland Travels >>

Hi Graham: Several years ago my son and I stayed at a B & B on a Loch to the North East of Dunkeld, quite close to town, and we visited a Wildlife Refuge on the west end of the Loch. They had arranged for a 24/7/365 watch over an Osprey nest and we got talking to a volunteer who had just driven 50 miles to take her turn watching the nest. All sorts of security surrounded the nest, we were advised it was to stop the eggs being stolen, presumably by collectors?

We live on the South Thompson River and it is a favourite nesting area for Ospreys, because of the abundance of fish. They love to nest on the top of power poles, oblivious to the danger of multi-thousands of volts of electricity. My son Ross took the attached picture near our home. If you are in the area, could you share this picture with volunteers please.

Andy McLaren

Chase, B.C.

Thanks for the contribution Andy - all contributions are welcome!

p.s. - you may be interested in this newspaper article from The Scotsman:

 

Published Date: 14 April 2010

By Frank Urquhart

THE grand old lady of Scotland's ospreys has astounded wildlife experts by returning to her summer home at a wildlife reserve in Perthshire and producing an egg for a record-breaking 20th consecutive year.

• The Dunkeld Osprey

The osprey is now 25 – over three times the normal lifespan for the bird, and well beyond the 14 years after which they are normally unable to produce chicks.

But any doubts about her fertility vanished yesterday after the bird was spotted protectively hunched over an egg at the Scottish Wildlife Trust's Loch of the Lowes reserve near Dunkeld.

It was also revealed yesterday that, after years of mating with a male seven years her junior, she has taken up with a "toy boy" lover who is only ten years old.

The female, who is the UK's oldest known breeding osprey, returned to Scotland on 23 March after completing a 3,000-mile migration from West Africa.

Emma Rawling, the SWT Ranger appointed to protect the osprey nest throughout the breeding season, said that the egg had been spotted on live online footage from the SWT's "osprey nest cam" at Loch of the Lowes.

She said: "The osprey faced persecution in the early 20th century and was very nearly driven to extinction by 1916. But our old girl seems determined to do her bit to help repopulate the species.

"This is the 56th egg she has produced, and so far 46 chicks have successfully fledged the nest over previous breeding seasons.

"We are jumping for joy here at Loch of the Lowes and from the comments on our blog those watching with us online are as delighted as we are. This individual bird is truly a wonder of nature."

She explained: "Since 4 April, we have been watching her use her extensive experience to train up a new young male mate.

"Identified thanks to a green band marked '7Y' around his ankle, this ten-year-old male was initially a bit confused about his role in the breeding process. We have watched our female show him the ropes – calling out repeatedly in displeasure to entice her young mate to work harder.

"To complete his duties in breeding, male ospreys must provide food for the female as she sits on the nest, bring sticks to maintain the nest's condition, and protect it from other males."

Ms Rawling added: "Now that we have an egg, the pair bonding behaviour between the two will increase, but it might not all be smooth sailing. If the usual mate of our osprey returns we could witness a battle in the skies as our resident male will try to chase away the young male and take his place in rearing any young.

"However, as the days pass by it is becoming more likely we won't see our resident male. We fear he has perished on the 3,000 mile migration from West Africa."

Fiona Hutton, Loch of the Lowes Visitor Centre Assistant, said: "The exact journey of an osprey might be one of the last mysteries of our natural world. Many are not tracked over winter when they migrate to Africa. We often don't know what happens to these creatures when they fail to return to their breeding ground."

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