Tag Archives: bucolic

Forest Trail, Great Glen Way

Forest Trail, Great Glen Way
“Forest Trail, Great Glen Way” — A section of the Great Glen Way trail passes through forest between Fort Augustus and Invermoriston.

One of the strongest impressions from our visit to Scotland in May was the color green. Lush, green growth was everywhere, at least by our California standards. Right now, with this summer’s heat in our state, those cool, damp, green days in Scotland are a very pleasant memory! This little section of the trail between Fort Augustus and Invermoriston is typical — green on the ground, dense green forest on either side, and fog and mist in the air.

This day’s Great Glen Hike hike was a bit surprising in that much of the first part was on alternate routes. One thing we learned about the “Way” is that it isn’t really a single trail like, say, our John Muir Trail. It is more of a general route, with lots of variations and sections that are closed for various reasons — always with alternatives provided.


G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” is available from Heyday Books, Amazon, and directly from G Dan Mitchell.

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Shoreline Trees, Loch Lochy

Shoreline Trees, Loch Lochy
“Shoreline Trees, Loch Lochy” Tall shoreline trees at Loch Lochy, Scotland.

To this Californian, familiar with rugged Sierra Nevada landscapes and the dry and golden terrain of Western summer, Scotland was a surprising contrast. With the exception of the high, open terrain, much of the country we visited was lush and green and downright bucolic. The closest American analog that comes to mind for me is some of the coastal sections of Washington state or even some areas of southern Alaska.

The Great Glen Way follows a historic system connecting long lakes (or “lochs’) with sections of the Caledonian Canal. This provides a water route between Inverness and Fort William. In this photograph we see Loch Lochy, the first of the three lochs along our northward walk. (The other two are the much smaller Loch Oich and the gigantic Loch Ness.)


G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” is available from Heyday Books, Amazon, and directly from G Dan Mitchell.

Blog | About | Instagram | Flickr | Facebook | Threads | PostEmail

Links: Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Info.

Scroll down to share comments or questions. (Click post title first if viewing on the home page.)


All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others as indicated. Any use requires advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.