Tags
Avielochan, Cairngorms, Cairngorms National Park, goldeneye duck, Grant Arms Hotel, Grantown-on-Spey, Great black-backed gull, greylag goose, mallard, Slavonian grebe, willow warbler
Monday, 3rd June. I spent my final morning at Avielochan, on my way to Inverness Airport. The Grant Arms Hotel, where I had been staying for the four previous nights, has a hide there for the exclusive use of its guests, and indeed ask you that if the little car park already has its capacity of five cars to come back later. I was fortunate in that I was the only person in the hide for the full 90 minutes I was there.
I was fortunate also to have shelter – it was drizzling when I arrived, and for nearly all the time I was there. This was the general view from near the hide as I arrived.
Avielochan was another place where there was to be the chance of seeing Slavonian grebes, though, sadly, again they were not in evidence. But I enjoyed my morning, obsserving a variety of more common birds, some of which are featured below. For a short while, not long enough to get my camera to it, I caught sight of an osprey flying around against the background of the hills opposite.
There was short path beyond the hide, but I didn’t say long. By now I was perishingly cold, even though the rain had temporarily stopped.
And in the event, this was all I saw of the Slavonian grebes.
Despite the weather, and despite the underlying sadness over the very recent loss of my lovely Lulu, I did enjoy my short stay in the Cairngorms National Park. The hotel was a friendly, welcoming place and made me feel very comfortable and looked-after, which I’m sure helped my general satisfaction at the mini-holiday. But I was happy to get home to Bella in the early evening. I feel pretty sure I shall return to Grantown-on-Spey before too long.
Thank you for sharing the details of an area I claimed to know. Well there are parts I’ve never seen until now.
I do hope you return, and I can learn more.
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Thank you Bruce. I do hope to go back, as I said, but how about you doing so?
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As funds allow, I hope to be back later this year. Perhaps I’ll catch the Bog Asphodel at its peak. The Broom at its best was quite a surprise two years ago: hillsides I knew as green were a bright yellow. It outshone the Gorse, which is brassy by comparison.
The geology remains as a constant, Mountainbiking, which I do slowly with stops, is good at any time.
The number of times I’ve driven past Avielochan…
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Fingers crossed then.
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Thank you for putting up with chill to show us your interesting pictures, I enjoyed the video too.
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Being able to take photos is an important part of most holidays for me.
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Your picture of the hide reminded me that there is a major wildfowl sanctuary area near to where Helen lives and she and I spent an hour or so in one of those just beside Wexford town. What a shame the weather didn’t cheer up but so glad the hotel made you welcome when you must have been feeling so bereft.
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Thank you Olive. As it happens, I was much colder here in Somerset this Tuesday! A London friend had arranged to come down for the day, and we had planned an ‘outdoors’ visit, which we stuck to. Each of us regretted not having gloves with us. In June!
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It looks a lovely area. Glad you enjoyed your time in the hide. Excellent video adds to the atmosphere.
It was good that the hotel looked after you so well at a difficult time.
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Yes. I felt relieved of all responsibility for a few days – which I guess is what a good holiday is all about.
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I liked the goose movie. It was an impressive procession.
I am sorry about the cold weather which seems to have been worse in the north of Scotland than the south. I hope that it will be better if you visit again.
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When I heard yesterday’s weather forecast, it sounded as if yours was going to be the best in the whole of the UK!
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Merci pour la vidéo de famille nombreuse ! Et pour nous avoir fait partager ces quelques jours, où le temps s’était peut-être mis à l’unisson de tes sentiments ?
Voilà en tout cas qui confirme mon envie de me rendre un jour dans les Cairngorms. Je l’avais déjà noté à ton précédent séjour.
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Well I can thoroughly recommend the hotel – and they charge per person not per room!
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