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

Like a large Highland Loch on your wall?  - click here!

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

The Griffin III - This Time its Personal!
Posted by Graham Lumsden (highlandp) on Aug 04 2008 at 5:53 AM
Highland Travelogue >>

Yes - its The Griffin Forest again.
For those of you (?) who have not been following my Griffin Forest adventures and the search for Loch Kinnaird - here is a resumé:
I first attempted to find the mysterious Loch Kinnaird in the middle of the gigantic Griffin Forest between Dunkeld and Aberfeldy (The Griffin is visible from space).
On my first attempt, last year, I became disorientated and got stuck when I left the track (see previous log).
My second attempt, last week, was almost as bad.
The truth is - someone has moved the Loch! (either that or the signposting is wrong - cant be my mapreading!)
So - today, it was back up the A9 and onto the back road between Amulree and Aberfeldy.
Turn right in the Car Park at Loch Na Craige -over the stile and up the path.
The ingress takes around 25  minutes and is a steady climb through managed conifer.
This time I got it right!
The lovely loch soon came into view on the right.
A decent sized loch, I set a up a base on the South West boggy shore.



A few photos, a cup of tea, and I moved off along the West shore to the North end, where I set up camp number 2 and had my lunch.


The wind began to blow a hoolie at the windward end and the waves began to chop rough.


The only wildife I saw was a pair of Canada Geese, and a few families out walking.
The Loch has a tiny island in the middle.
Its very peaceful on a quiet day, and easy to find now that it has been returned to its correct place!


A nice day trip - and some Demons put to rest!

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Comments

well found ! By ANON on Apr 10 2010 at 8:33 PM
i used to fish up here as a youth ,it looked different then. myself and friends planted a fair few of the trees around... not looking too bad either.

I haven't fished it, or spoke to anybody who's fished it for 25+ years. the fishing was fine as i remember, once watched a friend take his first trout on the dry fly here, yowls of delight and tennants all round.

do you think the new forestry has improved the loch, made it richer or poorer ? the worry is the planned windmills will wreck this area cos of the road building and run off from the concrete needed for the windmill bases. do you know much about this?

redsalmon
Its the signposting By ANON on Jul 12 2010 at 10:01 AM
Read your disaster log from your previous trip. My wife and I set out for Loch Kennard on a recent holiday at Aberfeldy. We entered from The East - we had a map, and also spent quite a bot of time digesting the information board there including noting all the trails. We assiduously read every sign posting we passed and 2 1/2 hours later we were lost. Fortunately a landrover drew up - two guys from the windfarm company who showed us on their map where we actually were and we were able to work out where the turn for the loch was, and that we had to backtrack for a couple of miles, which we did and eventually found the loch, just at the torrential rain began.

Note for signposters - if there is a circuit/loop track, at the forks have signage for BOTH directions whether that is a simple North/ South signage or signing as to where that section leads and what if any landmarks it passes. (Simpler would have been a sign that said 'Loch Kennard') Also when you have information boards placed somewhere en route, please put a 'you are here' arrow, as a map is no bloody good unless you know exactly where you are to begin with.

We didn't make your previous mistake in heading into the forest, as 2 years before in Weem Wood, Aberfeldy following a vague sign we spent a delightful 2 hours nearly falling off disguised overgrown cliffs, getting our facial skin rippped off by branches, walking down dead end gorges - all with darkness impending. Luckily we saw some deer and more or less followed them out of the wood. Not only can nobody here you scream in the forest, fortunately no-one can hear your 2 1/2 hour uninterrupted tirade of foulest swearing or evil spell casting aimed at people who put up signs that really tell you nothing.

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