Friday 24 October 2014

A Walk to Glendrian

The forecast suggested we might have a few sunny intervals this morning so, having not had a good walk for some days, we set off for Glendrian, a deserted village in a beautiful setting in the middle of the peninsula.

This picture looks from the gate through the Ardnamurchan Estate's deer fence towards the township.  The stone houses, in today's grey conditions, were hardly visible, strung out as they are along the top of the grassy hill in the middle distance.

After days of rain, the land is sopping wet, so we veered off the track that runs from the Kilchoan-Achnaha road to climb and then follow the low ridge of Druim Liath, on the assumption that the top of a ridge would be relatively drier underfoot.  It also gave us a view the other way, back along the Kilchoan road, with Creag an Airgid to the left.

We then followed Druim Liath - liath means grey or blue - eastwards until we reached the banks of the Allt a Choire, one of the many small burns which cascaded off the steep ridge to our right.

We saw several hinds, escorted by this stag.  The rut continues, as does stalking on the Estate.

We then turned and followed the Allt a Choire downstream towards Glendrian, heading for the fording point where the burn crosses the Estate the track.  Shortly before this, it began to rain, not the sort of  passing shower of the forecast, but serious, heavy, and very wet rain.  The picture shows one of several beautiful falls and cascades along this section of the burn, something we would usually stop and enjoy - but not in those conditions.

From the ford we made our way back along the track to the car, faces into the wind and rain.  In the picture, which looks back towards Glendrian, the falls we passed are clearly visible towards the right, with the green fields below Glendrian to the left, and lots of rain everywhere.

Satellite photo, courtesy Bing Maps, shows the route we followed.

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