Category: Kintail
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Loch Druich: the Lull Before the Storm
Last night, we found ourselves upon the shores of Loch Druich, that serene lull before the delightful chaos of Storm Ashley. One could not help but note the poetic irony of fleeing eastward from nature’s wrath, only to reflect on a past replete with violence. Loch Druich, naturally, is more than just a postcard. It…
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Dun Telve: An Ancient Scottish Broch
The Glenelg Brochs, so-called, are of course not actually in Glenelg at all. They are, if one insists on accuracy, in the smaller Gleann Beag, but such a trifling detail is likely of no interest to the modern tourist, who seeks spectacle over precision. Here, there are two of these ancient towers to be found,…
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Beinn Fhada
In spite of its Munro status, Beinn Fhada has been described as a boring mountain. The name translates as ‘the long hill’, being as long as the whole of its neighbouring Five Sisters ridge. However, the summit plateau, Plaide Mhòr, is significant. It is the largest extent of preglacial land surface surviving in the western Highlands.…
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Loch na Leitreach
Perfect reflections on a summer morning. One thing I love about Scottish place names is their meaning. Leitreach means slope, so Loch na Leitreach is slope loch. A strange meaning until I imagine the inhabitants of Carnach at its head naming their loch from this view. Dominating the scene is Carnan Cruithneachd, a mere Graham…