DATE: Thursday 17 August, 1995
PLACE: Derculich Farm, Strathtay
WEATHER: Hot
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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