Scotland 2019 22: Rannoch Moor

Having got cold and damp walking through the Mar Lodge Estate, the following day dawned with clear blue skies, virtually no wind and a predicted maximum temperature well into the 30s.  Given that we still needed to escape Pitlochry because of the Blair Castle Horse Trials, we decided to head west on the banks of Loch Tummel, Dunalastair Water and Loch Rannoch to one of the most remote tea rooms in the country at Rannoch Moor Station.  OK, so the official excuse was that we wanted to go for a walk on the moor and in the woods above Loch Laidon, but who can resist the Rannoch Station Tearoom?  It was so good that we had to visit it twice, in fact: once on arrival (when the cakes were still hot from the oven); and again after our walk for a belated lunch.

The last time we visited Rannoch Moor was by train back in 2004, when it was wall-to-wall low cloud and rain.  Fifteen years later, it couldn't have been more different.

Any hopes of capturing a picture with a train going over the viaduct were dashed when we spotted that the line was closed for maintenance work.

It was incredibly hot and very hazy for the walk, but the area was surprisingly free of midges - especially given the conditions.  Not ideal for landscape photography, unfortunately, but the lack of cloud made it obvious how close Rannoch Moor is to Glencoe, which was clearly visible in the distance.

There was some respite for the heat in the woods, but this was more than made up for by having to climb up a gradient.  No choice but to turn around and head for the tearoom.  Again!