Scotland, June 2007

Page 1: Tyndrum

Wednesday 20 June

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The Blacksmith's coffee shop, Belsay, Northumberland, always the first stop when driving up to Scotland. I was on my way to the Tyndrum Lodge Hotel, where I stayed for three nights before joining the usual gang for a week in Glen Etive.

Thursday 21 June

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The view up Glen Cononish to Ben Lui just emerging from cloud.

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Cononish farm, half way along the glen. The buildings on the hillside behind the farm are the workings of Scotland's only gold mine (currently dormant, awaiting a rise in the price of gold).

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The view back along the glen, from the base of Ben Lui.

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The North-west Top of Ben Lui, seen from the main summit.

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I was hoping to find someone to take my picture on the summit of my 100th Munro. But there was nobody else on the mountain that day so I had to make do with a self-portrait.

Friday 22 June

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The path leading to Stob Ghabhar from the valley of the Abhainn Shira. I wanted to climb Stob Ghabhar, but the weather was so ominous that I decided to do a low-level walk instead, to Loch Dochard. (Good decision: there was a violent storm at lunchtime, with prolonged torrential rain.)

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The path alongside the Abhainn Shira.

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View across Loch Dochard to the mountains above Glen Etive. (I was hoping to climb some of these the following week, but in the event I never got to any of them.)

Saturday 23 June

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Waterfalls at Eas Urchaidh on the River Orchy.

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The picturesque single-track road through Glen Orchy.

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View up Loch Etive from its seaward end at Taynuilt.

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Dunstaffnage Castle, built on a massive outcrop of rock guarding the entrance to Loch Etive.