Walking Around Loch Monzievaird

Shortly before I went away to Serbia, a colleague told me that she hoped it would be everything I was looking for.  When I came home overwhelmed and exhausted, it made me think about exactly what I wanted from my upcoming holiday to Scotland.  I had an idea of greenery and wide open spaces, lazy afternoons reading books while I looked out on to the loch* and visiting places steeped in history.  My boss had a good old laugh at that as the week we were up in Scotland was meant to be rainy, cold and grey and to top it all off, it was midge season.

I am more than pleased to say that I got my wish and we had a full week of the most incredible late summer weather topped up with a life affirming dose of greenery, blue skies and incredible nature.

Now I know that other people’s nature photographs can seem a bit boring sometimes but I hope you’ll enjoy taking this photo walk with me.  This is a walk I took around Loch Monzievaird on the first afternoon after we arrived.  It took 75 minutes and the closest word I can find to describe the experience would be exhilarating. 

Before I embarked on my walk, I took a look back up to the cabin.  Doesn’t it just look like the archetypal holiday cabin in the woods?

I tried macro photography for the first time this holiday.  I did not realise how very hard it is and the two photos above are the only ones out of quite a few that came out reasonably well.  It makes me appreciate all of your macro shots so much more now!

I think it is pretty safe to say that I will never, ever in a hundred years tire of this view (and that I will be back to visit Loch Monzievaird).

I walked up a little hill and saw this ancient structure standing on it.  It looked like it was only about 15 feet by 10 feet in diameter.  We think it might have been where they lead their sheep at night.  The sheep would have stayed in the bottom and the men would have slept a level above them, benefitting from the warmth that the sheep would have emitted. It looks like wooden beams would have run into the wall in the third photo above and that was shot at an upwards angle.  Although crumbling at the top, it does look like there were some defensive structures built in and that would have been protection from marauders.  Due to the precarious state of the building, entry was prohibited but I’m sure you’ll be pleased to know that I had a run in with some stinging nettle in order to get you these photos.

I was quite enchanted to see how these stairs above seemed to disappear into nothing but lush, green forest.  It was really beautiful and green and abundant in the forest and soon I arrived again at the water's edge. 

I soon came to a fork in the path and decided to go right, along the path that was less travelled. 

It was a good decision as the path went back into the woods.  I soon came upon a tumbled-down house and a fence.

This massive tree had obviously fallen down on the house one stormy night as it looked like it had been quite intact before the incident with the tree.

By now, I was on the other side of the loch and all of a sudden, I was in a meadow.

Laugh, if you will, but I totally had an Edward and Bella** moment and laid back in the meadow watching the clouds go by for a good quarter of an hour.

Back on the path, I just loved how the edges of the path was dotted with little yellow flowers (you might need to click on the photo to see them).

I clowned around on those tree skeletons for a while, as I phoned Stephen and asked him if he could see me.  He made me jump up and down for quite a while before owning up that yes, he could see me very clearly.

All too soon, I was on the other side of the loch. Just right of centre in the photo above are the tree skeletons.

Then all that was left to do was to hop over the stream next to my cabin and then I was back ‘home’ again.  What a fabulous walk!  If you have ever been thinking of visiting Scotland, do not delay!

* Loch is the Irish and Scottish Gaelic term for a lake or a sea inlet.
** Twilight reference for non-Twilight readers.