Earlier this week Betsy wrote about our first “hill walking” adventure here in Scotland. In an effort to share more of my images from our trip I thought I would share a few of my favorite pictures from the day and a bit of the story behind each. I hope you enjoy a different perspective on the experience.
After climbing for an hour, we reached an open field with this dam in the distance. With this picture you can see the size of the dam and the grade we are walking up. It is also a great example of just how green the grass is here in Scotland. While some may complain about the rain, the resulting colors are a photographers’ dream.
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The initial ascent above the dam was straight up but the benefit was the amazing view. I love this picture showing a few of our group to give you a bit of perspective of the incline and views of the lochs in the distance.
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After climbing to 900 meters (2,950 feet) we decided to pause for lunch before tackling the last few hundred feet to the summit. As we sat the clouds rolled across, making for wonderful pictures. I love the line in this picture down the group of people and up to the small hill we just came down.
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Occasionally I am able to capture a look on Betsy’s face that embodies why I love her. For me this picture is about the smile on her face, set amidst the rocks she is climbing over as she approaches the summit of Ben Cruachan. She can still find happiness in tough situations whether physical or mental, and I am lucky to be able to see this smile every day of our lives together.
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Without a doubt, this is my favorite picture of the day. In the distance you can see the peak of Ben Cruachan (our first munro of the day), which we had just completed climbing. When I looked back to take in what we had done the sun came out from the clouds and shone perfectly on the summit. I love the lighting in this image as well as the ability to see the vastness of this climb. On the left-hand side you can see two people climbing, the one in front is Betsy…can’t you see her smile?
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After 7.5 hours of climbing up and around the ridge of the horseshoe, we began the descent down to the Cruachan Reservoir below. The views remained amazing throughout the day, as you can see here. What I did not capture here is the relief on Betsy’s face knowing that the end was finally in sight (albiet 1.5 hours in the distance).
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For more pictures from our travels, click here to view our Flickr page. I’d love all your feedback (positive or otherwise) either in the comments below or on our Flickr page. I hope you enjoy this slightly different take on our first hill walk.
About Warren
We fell in love with Scotland the first time we came to visit - these pics reminded us of why. The landscape is breathtaking!
Jill, we agree 100%. This country is absolutely stunning and we have just seen a small part. We spend as much time as possible walking here as there is simply so much to see.
Wonderful shots.
When you get a chance . . . change “damn” to “dam.”
Thanks for the compliment. Yikes, about the spelling. Apparently I felt a subconscious need to slide in a few curse words. Good catch!
The Scots like their dams . . . and their damns:
My great-grandmother lived in the Highlands. Her son, my maternal grandfather, who had emigrated to the US in his early 20′s, visited her there when she was in her 90′s . . . old, but still agile and hardy, like many Highlanders.
My grandfather walked into the kitchen one morning in autumn and started shivering and rubbing his arms to warm up.
Seeing him, she snorted in disgust, jumped up on the counter, slammed down the window, and said in her strong Scottish brogue:
Och, ye damn yankees . . . ye cannae stand a wee bit of fresh aire!
It’s so weird that there are no trees so low down. Treeline around here is about 10000 feet…
Agreed 100%. It is odd to break through any trees after just a couple hundred meters and then hike without any cover at all. In some ways it is wonderful since you can actually see where you are going, at least when the clouds lift. It makes for dramatic views.
Interesting… from wikipedia (the source of all knowledge)..
Scotland 57°N 500 1,600 Strong maritime influence serves to cool summer and restrict tree growth.
Your photos are beautiful. We are heading to the UK next week for a month or so and hill walking just climbed to the top of our to-do list! Thanks for sharing!
Hi Kaitlin,
Where in the UK are you going to be? We will be here until July 26th. If you have any questions at all, please let us know. We’d love to help in any way possible.
We’re starting in London and planning to figure the rest out from there. We are looking for suggestions on how to get out of the cities and into the countryside. We may help exchange in northern England for a couple of weeks, but other than that we’re wide open. If you have any suggestions, send them our way!