Place Notes

Ready for Winter - Lairig Ghru V11


The November visit to the Cairngorms was to see a mountain ready for winter.  

The temperatures were bubbling around 10-12 C, and there was (usually) rain falling, but the overwhelming impression was that the landscape had been through its autumn retreat and was just sitting patiently waiting for the temperatures to fall and for the rain to change to snow.

Autumn Colours - just hanging on
Ready for Winter
On a couple of deceptively still days I walked from Loch an Eilein to Piccadilly and back in darkness (my claim to know the paths so well by this stage in the project that I could do the walk blindfold was put to the test) and then again from Loch an Eilein up to the Top Tree - the last big path-side tree as you climb up into the Lairig Ghru.

Top Tree - looking south into the Lairig Ghru
At the treeline
The lack of wind meant that a few of the tougher midges were still around - surely that’s the last of them for the season!


During the weekend the cloud level wandered up and down dramatically - at times dropping right down to loch-level and just (occasionally) lifting completely to let some late afternoon sunshine light up the little castle in the middle of Loch an Eilein. 

Loch an Eilein by torchlight
Clouds at Loch level
Loch an Eilein by afternoon sunlight
Loch an Eilein Castke




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