Off to The Cairngorms
Posted by jamesk | Filed under Stuff
Today is a day that I’ve promised myself for many years: I’m heading back to the Cairngorms.
I spent several happy summer holidays playing around the area bounded by the Cairngorms to the south, Grantown to the east, Kingussie to the west, and as far north as Nairn. The area was thick with relatives in those days.
I don’t feel much older now, but to my surprise 24 years has past since my last proper visit. How did that happen? It was a summer visit a couple of years after my grandfather died, who had made all our previous trips possible since we stayed in his house.
The house (“the manse”) is now owned by my uncle, so there isn’t the space for family to descend upon him, which is a shame as my own family is now growing and I want to give them the amazing gift of beauty and space that I received.
I managed a day-trip up from London last December for my grandmother’s funeral in the chapel beside the manse, sleeper-ing up and down either side of the day itself. We arrived to a biting minus 10 air that blew me away, had breakfast in the Cairngorm Hotel, and then wandered around Loch Morlich. It simply served to impress upon me the need to get back.
This is only a three-day visit, but I’m lucky enough to be going with my oldest friend who, like me, could do with some fresh air.
Tags: cairngorms
May 25th, 2008 at 3:45 pm
Wow! amazing images! I live in Inverness and I love going to the Cairngorms myself. (only 30 minutes away) Stunning scenery and area, your images capture it nicely.
When are you planning your visit?
Kind regards,
Rene
May 26th, 2008 at 12:03 pm
Wow what brilliant images.
We are an organisation that promotes the local area and was wondering if we may use the images you have posted above. I would love to hear from you.
Please let me know when you are planning to come up and I am sure we can help you find some accommodation to suit.
Regards
Alan
May 27th, 2008 at 9:31 am
@Rene: I went this weekend – lucky to have fantastic weather, and hopefully some good photos will come out.
@Rene and @Alan: sadly, these aren’t my photos – I found them trawling flickr for a flavour of what I was hoping to see. I’ve updated them with links to the originals. I’m not sure of the copyright status of these images, so please don’t assume that they’re publicly usable just because I’ve used them – I don’t want to get you in trouble!
We had a fantastic time – come back in a couple of days to see our images – and saw lots of wildlife including a ptarmigan hen trying to lure us away from her eggs (we were just about to step on them) on Braeriach, and a fawn sitting on a track in Abernethy forest as we cycled past.
There’s no better place to get a fresh view of the world.
June 18th, 2008 at 1:47 pm
Hi
I have been in touch with the photgrapher and he is ok for us to use his images. Please see http://www.visitaviemore.com and let me know if you are ok with us using your blog to let people see what a wonderful area we have here. You feature on the home page image gallery with a link to your blog
Regards
Alan
June 18th, 2008 at 5:27 pm
@Alan: that’s fine by me – glad to help.
June 19th, 2008 at 7:39 am
Brilliant!
Many thanks
A