DATE: Thursday 17 August, 1995

PLACE: Derculich Farm, Strathtay

WEATHER: Hot

The Highlands call

REMARKS: A day of driving. We head for the Highlands proper by way of Spean Bridge and the Great Glen. Lovely hill country bedecked with heather and expanding pine plantations. We're 'strafed' by a fighter plane in training for low level-flying. First stop is Fort Augustus at the head of Loch Ness. I hadn't envisaged the Caledonian Canal opening a string of lochs for boating but the road crosses 2 locks.

The real Nessie centre is halfway along the loch at a place called Drumnadrochit, our next stop.

Here we 'see' Nessie - a model in a pond which, to the delight of the kids, actually moves. One of the competing displays has a video detailing 'the search for ...' but the static pictures are poorly displayed.

South for Glencoe, we pass Ben Nevis - to my surprise. While not very high, it is raw and rugged. The museum at Glencoe is amateurish but with lovely artifacts lovingly displayed. It uses cottages with thatched roofs, although these sit on sheets of what appears to be asbestos.

The landscape here, bathed in early evening light is intimidating and breath-taking. The Glen itself is a picture-postcard setting belying its infamy. Lush, rich pastures of the foot of steep slopes of granite with imposing summits. The valley crawls with walkers - indeed it seems to create this attraction.

At the head of the Glen we climb onto moor country of heather and bracken and pass a ski-slope - small by New Zealand standards, and we're driving on a main road at that height.

The road home takes us through Killin and Aberfeldy, from Glen to moor to loch-side.


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