Hills & Mountains
Loch Ness
*I am in the process of redesigning this section to include notes and many more high-res shots*
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MEALL FUAR-MHONAIDH (699m)
Tuesday 15 July 2003
Thursday 26 April 2007
Tuesday 15 July 2003
Thursday 26 April 2007
I`ve included Loch Ness in this section along with the big Glens of Affric, Strathfarrar and Mullardoch, all of which lie to the west of the home of Scotland`s world famous resident monster, Nessie. There is only really one hill of note overlooking the murky depths of the loch, and that is Meall etc* First though, a little information on the `Star of the Show` (or more likely `No Show`).
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Monsters, kelpies and other water beasts feature prominently in Highland folklore and are associated with numerous Scottish lochs and rivers. The most famous, however, is without doubt Nessie, a.k.a. the Loch Ness Monster.
Sightings over the centuries have been comparatively rare considering the vast amount of boats that have plied the loch, and now each year tens of thousands of vehicle-bound tourists scan the water as they travel along the A82, hoping for a glimpse. The first record of a creature in the vicinity of Loch Ness was in the 6th century when St Columba allegedly had to come to the rescue of local Picts who had been plagued by a water beast in the River Ness. Over the centuries that followed there were other dubious sightings which increased in the late 1800s. Modern interest in the monster was sparked in July 1933 when a Mr and Mrs Spicer saw `a most extraordinary form of animal` cross the road in front of their car and that August their story was corroborated by a motorcyclist who almost collided with a strange creature on a moonlit night near Abriachan on the loch`s northeast side. It was the following year, however, that the sensational `Surgeon`s photograph` was published. Rather than just showing bumps or disturbances in the water it appeared to show a creature with a head and neck. The image prompted a great deal of controversy over its authenticity but interest in the possibility of a prehistoric creature living in the loch`s deep waters soared. Various expeditions were mounted with `professional` Nessie hunters adopting various tactics to prove or disprove the monster`s existence once and for all. Despite, sonars, submersibles, and modern satellite technology no one has been able to capture the creature on camera - until now! I don`t know what all the fuss is about as Nessie happily posed for this photograph the last time I was heading up north! |
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Above: Looking south down the line of Loch Ness from the summit. Loch ?? lies west side etc*
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I first climbed this hill on Tuesday 15 July 2003 and took a few shots with my first ever digital camera, a Casio QV-4000 and was really pleased with the quality. This was one of only two 4-Megapixel digital cameras available then and followed on from the company`s very successful 3-Meg model. The QV-4000 had an 102mm optical telephoto zoom with a x3.2 digital option.
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It was an excellent day weather-wise for my initial ascent of Meall Fuar-Mhonaidh but the highlight for me was getting close enough to photograph a Ptarmigan that was enjoying the sunshine near the summit. I`d made an early start and had the top to myself for over half an hour, only meeting a few other walkers when I started the descent.