Glen Doll

Weather in Scotland is a funny thing. It tends to change faster than you can blink your eyes and you have just got to learn to venture out in any weather and always pack a change of clothes especially if going to walk in a nature reserve.

On Sunday we decided that the weather looked quite bonny or at least not as cold as it has been the last couple of weeks so we thought why not drive down to the Angus Glens. So off we set to go for a walk in Glen Doll (also spelt Glendoll) which can be found in the south-eastern corner of the Cairngorms National Park.

Glen Doll is a a nature lovers dream with six marked trails that walkers, hikers, horse riders and cross country skiers can experience. It is a U-shaped valley that was carved out by great glaciers giving it a dramatic beauty. Green forests lead the way to craggy mountainsides and valleys through which river and burns meander.

We decided to do the 3.5km walk to the bowl of Corrie Fee as it was already rather late in the day and in winter the number of daylight hours is quite limited. It was a little rainy when we left the car park but I should have known not to trust the weather to stay like that...

 

It was not long into the walk when the weather started to act like an annoying passenger who keeps changing the radio station as it would rain, then sleet then snow then rain again. I seriously considered walking turning around and walking back as my trousers were soaked through in the front and I could do nothing but look down at my feet to keep the rain out of my face and my feet from slipping on the ice/snow ground.

Yet we decided that we had come so far already that we needed to push through the last little bit. So we kept going through the Glen Doll Forest and follwed the trail to the end of the tree line where we emerged into the Corrie Fee entrance.

 

And it was breathtaking not just because the wind was howling through the valley at speeds that would put the concord to shame but also because even covered in snow the amphitheatre of Corrie Fee is gorgeous. It is one of those wow moments where nature just sits up and smacks you through the face. It made the snow, rain and wet trousers worth while and knowing now what lies at the end of the Corrie Fee trail I would walk it again anytime.

See here for maps and more information on the trails available at Glen Doll.

Parking can be found at the information and ranger center. Parking costs £2 for the enitre day, but overnights stays are not allowed.

What do castles, whiskey and dolphins have in common? the madness continues...

After leaving the Firth of Moray we decided to take a longer route back to Aberdeen and just see what adventures we could find. I as always was on the lookout for a castle - I seem to have quite a addiction to exploring them at present. So I considered it an early birthday present when on our way to the Glenlivet Distillery for some whiskey tasting that we noticed a castle on the map not far from the distillery. And that was us decided! It was off to the castle we went. 

Situated high on a bluff is the now ruined tower house known as Drumin Castle. With it's naturally strategic position and the fact that it overlooks the confluence of the Rivers Livet and Avon (pronounced A'an) makes it likely that there was some sort of fortification dating from the Iron Age located on this site. But Drumin Castle itself dates back to the 14th Century and has a rather unknown past, with what little is known being under question. 

Walking up the stairs from the rivers below you begin to catch glimpses of the house through the trees. 

It is thought that Drumin Castle was granted to Alexander Stewart on the 17th July 1372 by his father King Robert II. Alexander who was referred to as the 'Wolf of Badenoch' was known for his temper and is remembered for his sacking and burning of Elgin Catherdral. Although according to historians it is more likely that Alexander resided at one of his other estates and that Drumin Castle was held by one of his sons. 

Not much remains of the castle as it fell into despair around the early 1700's. 

As we were the only people at the castle and that it is not very big as much of it has been removed over the years we decided to play in the castle for a while (as you do). Hence Ceri, Luke and even myself feature in some of the photos. You can see through this gap in the wall that the walls were roughly 3m thick at the base.  

It had a single barrel vaulted cellar. 

Half of which is now gone, so when you stand in the cellar and look up you can see the railing from the first floor. 

Drumin Castle was rectangular in shape and consisted of four levels. 

Don't worry I'm not on the fourth floor, but it was snowing! Yes snowing, even though the sun was shining. For all the South Africans reading this is was the Scottish equivalent to a monkey's wedding (when the sun is shining but it rains). 

The cellar and first floor are the only two floors that are still semi intact. A small staircase allows you to climb to the first floor. 

A single placard on one of the only walls still standing states the castles name and echoes its undocumented history and lost memories. 

Snow Days

So for those that don't know yet I found a job and started roughly three weeks ago which would explain my lack of blog posts the last few weeks. But that is going to be changing soon as I am getting the hang of eight to five working days and I will find a way to get some photography in inbetween. I have plans this weekend to go visit Dunnottar Castle.

But in the mean time here are a couple more photos I took when it snowed.

Enjoy!

Not even snow can keep these rugby players from practicing on  the field below Broad Hill.

Flying South to warmer weather perhaps?

Now these guys were just plain crazy! It was snowing and they decided to willingly get into the ocean!

A Dust of Snow

This is a rambling of a few things - thoughts, feelings and mother nature. So with the big move to Scotland life has obviously been full of changes. And seeing as I can only spend so many hours sending out CV's and job hunting I find myself with quite a bit of free time on my hands. 

Camera in hand, I have taken to walking for extended periods of time - which basically means I walk until I am so frozen that if I don't head back to the flat I will be preserved in ice for future generations. 

On Sunday night it started to snow and it was like magic. I sat in my window sill and looked out at the blizzard of tiny crystal flakes so light and soft that they seemed to be coming from everywhere as the wind tossed them around like a tiny boat in an angry sea. The next day I went walking. 

And my feelings of change and wonder of which direction my life is heading were met by a dusting of snow that overnight and engulfed my new home. 

As I walked across the golf course painted white by mother nature the words of Ross Copperman's song 'Holding on and Letting Go' played on the radio.  

Is anybody out there?

Is anybody listening?

Does anybody really know if its the end of the beginning?

The quiet rush of one breath

Is all we're waiting for

Sometimes the one we’re taking

Changes every one before..

It's everything you wanted, it's everything you don't

It's one door swinging open and one door swinging closed

Some prayers find an answer

Some prayers never know

We're holding on and letting go

Like the old saying says when one door closes another door opens. Or was it a window? Well either way it made me realise that in order for your dreams to come true you need to make the best of what you have and  find a way to use it as a starting point. 

As there is always a different way of looking at any situation.