Getting about in the hills on foot and by cycle.

 After the weekend rainfall in the Grampians we managed to see the big angry waters of the Bruar river at lunchtime on Monday. The paths beside the Falls of Bruar  are easily reached from the Parking at the Cafe/shops at the Bruar complex perhaps a major stopping place on the A9 road both North or South. Marif asked, why so much water here, just looking at the map the gathering area is vast stretching from the area of the Minigaig pass....used by the cattle drovers for several hundred years...and down to close to where the Bruar river joins the Garry/Tummel system prior to the Faskally Hydro generating works. Approach on the path to the lower bridge. The upper bridge is reached from a path on the opposite side of the river. A return down the path to the lower bridge using the path to re-join our original path. Marif has a firm grip on part of the Silver Birch. looking back from the Lower bridge.

My daughter took my wife and I for a camping trip to three islands situated a mere stones-throw from the 'mainland' South of Oban. Beginning on Seil island and then down to a ferry to reach Luing island where we had a camp at Blackmill Bay. On the way back to the ferry on the following day we made a wee trip down to Toberonochy where we had a lesson in successful vegetable gardening from a gentleman living there in retirement and with his precious sailing boat on a mooring within sight of his home. A further trip to the West coast on Luing to reach Cullipool, another area for the quarrying of slate in the past, and the wee .94 metre trig point above the village. Well worthwhile having a bowl of soup and home made bread in the cafe come visitor centre in the village. Back to Seil and then down to Easdale, a very small island off Seil, on the West coast of the island where slate quarrying must have been on the grand scale with around thirty-forty wee slate houses, now all rendere...