Alan Drury's photos

LMS class 7P Royal Scot 46115 SCOTS GUARDSMAN at S…

New DRS class 88 88002 PROMETHEUS +68025 SUPERB at…

20 May 2017 1 2 318
The Class 88 is a type of mixed traffic electro-diesel locomotive manufactured by Stadler Rail for Direct Rail Services in the United Kingdom. The design is part of the Stadler Euro Dual family. In January 2012, Direct Rail Services announced that it had ordered a total of 15 new diesel locomotives from Vossloh (now Stadler Rail). These locomotives, which entered service in the UK as Class 68, were part of Vossloh's Eurolight family, redesigned to fit the smaller UK loading gauge. In September 2013, DRS announced that it was procuring a further ten locomotives. Unlike the Class 68s, these new units would be electro-diesel locomotives, capable of operating either via OHLE, or by using an onboard diesel engine. However, the new locomotives would feature the same bodyshell, cab, brakes, bogies, traction equipment and control software as the Class 68. The new locomotives were announced as being Class 88. The first locomotive, no. 88 002, was delivered to the UK via the Port of Southampton and was transferred by road to Carlisle in January 2017. The Class 88 is part of the Stadler Euro Dual family. This is a range of dual mode locomotives that are fitted both with a pantograph, to collect electricity from overhead wires, and a Caterpillar diesel engine. The UK version will be able to run either on electrified lines using the pantograph, which will be the UK's standard OHLE current at 25kV AC, or away from electrified lines with the Caterpillar C27 950 hp (710 kW) engine. Dual mode locomotives have been mooted for freight use in the UK, using the "Last Mile" principle, where a primarily electric locomotive is fitted with a small diesel engine to allow trains to be delivered to unelectrified freight sidings.However, the Class 88 is intended as a fully dual mode locomotive, with the diesel engine powerful enough to haul a train on its own, although with only 20% of the power in electric mode.The Class 88s will be the first dual mode locomotives in the UK to use the 25kV AC electrification, as the only other electro-diesel locomotives to have entered service on the British network were the Class 73 and Class 74, which operated in the Southern Region using third rail electrification. Direct Rail Services has procured the Class 88 to serve as a mixed-traffic locomotive, capable of operating both passenger and freight services.[6] Primarily they will be used to enable DRS to haul freight using electric locomotives without the need to hire in electric traction from other operators.However, as with the Class 68, they will also be capable of operating passenger trains.

0010. DRS class 66`s 66431+66429 at Scout Green wi…

The Isle of Eigg and The Sgurr of Eigg from Mallai…

LMS class 5 45212 running round its Train at Malla…

Caledonian McBrayne M.V LORD OF THE ISLES with Bow…

CalMac ferry LORD OF THE ISLES arriving at Mallaig…

21 Apr 2017 5 11 499
MV Lord of the Isles is one of the larger Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited ferries, run by Caledonian MacBrayne and largely operating from Mallaig on the west of Scotland. Built in Port Glasgow, she is the most-travelled vessel in today's fleet. MV Lord of the Isles, affectionately known as LOTI, was launched on the 7 March 1989 at Ferguson Shipbuilders, Port Glasgow. Although based at Oban for most of her life, she is able to berth and load traffic all over the Clyde and Hebridean Isles network. At 85m long MV Lord of the Isles is one of the biggest ships in the fleet. Broadly similar to MV Isle of Mull at the forward end, while her aft end resembles that of MV Hebridean Isles. The car deck, open at the stern, is capable of holding up to 56 cars. She has a vehicle hoist to allow loading at the older piers. The passenger accommodation provides space for a maximum certificate complement of 506. It consists of lounges, cafeteria, bar and shop on one deck, with an aft observation lounge on the deck above.She is the last vessel in the fleet to have sleeping accommodation for the longer passages. Entering service in 1989 on the Coll / Tiree and Barra / South Uist routes from Oban, LOTI combined two previous timetables. This freed up both Columba (1964) and Claymore (1978) and allowed a cascade to take place within the fleet. She remained at Oban for nine years, occasionally switching places with MV Isle of Mull on the Craignure crossing and relieving at Uig and Ardrossan. In 1998 she was replaced by MV Clansman and transferred to Mallaig to replace the veteran MV Iona on the seasonal Skye service. During the winter months she returned to Oban in a relief role. From 2003 to 2016, LOTI returned to Oban, alongside Isle of Mull and Clansman, providing additional sailings on a wide range of routes. With seven islands appearing regularly in her routine, she is easily the most-travelled vessel in today's fleet. She served on the Ardrossan - Brodick route in 2012, while Caledonian Isles went for overhaul. LOTI was used to commence a trial winter service between Mallaig and Lochboisdale from 2013. Over half of the scheduled trial sailings were cancelled due to adverse weather and tidal conditions.[citation needed] Despite the apparent lack of success, it was announced in September 2015 that she would commence daily return sailings on the route from summer timetable 2016. For the first time, this means that LOTI is now based around Mallaig, not Oban. Lochboisdale no longer has a direct link to Oban, apart from two days a week in Winter, with Mallaig becoming the mainland port. "LOTI" also carries out extra sailings on the Mallaig - Armadale route[citation needed] alongside the 2016 season vessels MV Lochinvar and MV Loch Bhrusda, which had replaced MV Coruisk. This vessel reshuffling has been criticised for the reduced capacity and inadequate passenger accommodation of Lochinvar, with calls for Coruisk to return to Mallaig alongside Lord of the Isles. During the winter 2016/2017 period, she started serving Oban from Lochboisdale two days a week, alongside her thrice-weekly sailings to Mallaig. From March 2017, LOTI will be partnered on the Mallaig - Armadale crossing by MV Loch Fyne, the previous smaller vessels being cascaded elsewhere in the CalMac network until the new ferries for Arran and Uig are due in service in 2019.

LMS class 5MT 45212 stands at Mallaig after arrivi…

LMS class 5MT 45212 arrives at Mallaig with the Ja…

21 Apr 2017 1 2 408
The London Midland and Scottish Railway Class 5 4-6-0, almost universally known as the Black Five, is a class of steam locomotive. It was introduced by William Stanier in 1934 and 842 were built between then and 1951. Members of the class survived to the last day of steam on British Railways in 1968, and eighteen are preserved. This class of locomotive was often a favourite amongst drivers and railway fans. The Black Fives were a mixed traffic locomotive, a "do-anything go-anywhere" type, designed by Stanier, who had previously been with the GWR. In his early LMS days, he designed his Stanier Mogul 2-6-0 in which he experimented with the GWR school of thought on locomotive design. A number of details in this design he would never use again realising the superiority of details not used on the GWR. Stanier realised that there was a need for larger locomotives. These were to be the LMS version of the GWR Halls but not a copy, as the Hall was too wide to run most places in Britain. They shared similar cylinder arrangement (two outside), internal boiler design and size and 6 foot driving wheel diameters. In their early days the locomotives were known as the "Black Staniers" from their black livery, in contrast to Stanier's other class of 4-6-0, the LMS Stanier Jubilee Class, which were painted crimson (and known until April 1935 as the "Red Staniers"). Later on, the nickname of the former became "Black Five", the number referring to the power classification. This was originally 5P5F, but from 1940 was shown on cabsides as the simple figure 5 There were a number of detail variations in the locomotives and they did not all remain in the same condition as built. Some locomotives built under British Railways administration were used as test beds for various design modifications with a view to incorporating the successful modifications in the Standard Classes of locomotives built from 1951 onwards. These modifications included outside Caprotti valve gear, roller bearings (both Timken and Skefco types) on the coupled and tender axles in varying combinations, and an experimental steel firebox. Other locomotives had modified draughting to "self clean" the smokebox (thereby reducing turn-around and disposal times and eliminating or mitigating one of the most unpopular jobs). Only five Black Fives received names during their mainline working lives, a small percentage of the total produced, although seven more have been named in preservation (see below). All of those named in mainline service were named after Scottish regiments. Locomotive 5155 carried the name The Queen's Edinburgh for only two years during the Second World War. Some sources have noted that no photographic confirmation of this naming is extant, although this is neither unique to the class, nor unexpected given restrictions on photography during wartime. The evidence for the naming of the locomotive is set out in full in various sources. LMS No. BR No. Name Date named Name removed 5154 45154 Lanarkshire Yeomanry 1937 1966 (withdrawal from service) 5155 45155 The Queen's Edinburgh 1942 1944 (remained in service until 1964) 5156 45156 Ayrshire Yeomanry 1936 1968 (withdrawal from service) 5157 45157 The Glasgow Highlander 1936 1962 (withdrawal from service) 5158 45158 Glasgow Yeomanry 1936 1964 (withdrawal from service) Eighteen black 5's have been preserved with twelve of them being purchased directly from BR for preservation, the remaining six being rescued from Barry Scrapyard. Of the eighteen to be preserved fourteen have operated in preservation, the class members that haven't yet run being: 44901, 45163, 45293 & 45491. Twelve black fives have also been operated on the mainline in preservation: 44767, 44871, 44932, 45000, 45025, 45110, 45212, 45231, 45305, 45337, 45407 & 45428. Of these 44871, 45212, 45231, 45305 & 45407 have mainline certificates. 45212 went out on Fri 3 March for its light and loaded test runs, 45428 is to be re-certified for mainline use following the completion of an overhaul at Grosmont, 45428 will however only be certified for use between Grosmont and Whitby with Battersby occasionally visited & 44806 is to be mainline certified for use between Grosmont, Whitby & Battersby following her next overhaul.

M.V. CLANSMAN arriving at Oban 20th April 2017

20 Apr 2017 4 6 436
MV Clansman is a ferry owned by Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited and operated by Caledonian MacBrayne, operating from Oban on the west coast of Scotland. The present MV Clansman is the fifth vessel to carry the name in the CalMac fleet over the years. The most recent predecessor was the 1964 built hoist loading ferry. Launched on 27 March 1998 at Appledore Shipbuilders in North Devon, she entered service four months later. As the third largest vessel in the fleet, she brought new levels of capacity and passenger comfort to the routes. The main complaint passengers had was Clansman's lack of open deckspace. The design of the ship was such that exterior areas for passengers came at a premium. Calmac remedied this problem by adding an extension, above the area aft of the bar during her annual overhaul in 2003 Clansman has an almost identical sister ship, MV Hebrides, built in 2000 to a similar specification. In April 2016, Clansman currently serves Coll, Tiree and Colonsay from Oban, with MV Isle of Lewis operating a daily dedicated service to Castlebay. A new daily return service from Lochboisdale to Mallaig commenced in April 2016, thus ending South Uist's direct link with Oban. A cafeteria is situated at the bow, with an observation lounge directly above. Aft are a series of lounges, shop and bar. Above is crew accommodation and a relatively small amount of open deck space. She lacks a forward deck. The car deck has room for approximately 90 cars. It also has a mezzanine deck on the starboard side which can be raised or lowered to allow loading of up to 10 more cars. Recently, the upper deck was extended aft to allow for more open deck space and some deck space sheltered from the elements. Designed specifically for the Oban – Castlebay / Lochboisdale and Oban – Coll / Tiree services, Clansman replaced MV Lord of the Isles. At 99m in length, she is the largest vessel that can safely navigate the numerous channels on her routes. She was however too large to call at Tobermory which was dropped from the Coll/Tiree sailings on her introduction. Each winter since her introduction, Clansman has relieved the larger Calmac units for their annual refit, leaving the route she was built for with Lord of the Isles. She has seen service at Lewis, Uig, Mull and Arran. A breakdown on 17 June 2010 resulted in Clansman being taken out of service for crankshaft repairs, and problems found meanwhile reassembling the engine resulted in an extended disruption to services. CalMac tried to arrange for a replacement vessel, however none could be found available for lease.Out of action for six weeks, the Clansman returned to service later in the summer. After running extra services in August to cater for the Barra Fest music festival, she broke down again en route to Barra after the port engine developed a fault. The repair was effected quickly but the event caused further disruption during the busiest time of the year. From 30 September to 17 October 2016, Clansman relieved on the Uig triangle in place of the MV Hebrides, after the Hebrides was sent to dry dock to repair damage sustained in a collision in Lochmaddy Harbour.

NLV PHAROS at Oban 20th April 2017

20 Apr 2017 2 4 424
NLV Pharos is a lighthouse tender operated by the Northern Lighthouse Board (NLB), the body responsible for the operation of lighthouses and marine navigation aids around the coasts of Scotland and the Isle of Man. NLV Pharos and her sister ship, Galatea (2006) were built by Stocznia Remontowa SA, Gdańsk, Poland as part of a £38 million contract. Galatea serves the same role for Trinity House on the coast of England, Wales and the Channel Islands. NLV Pharos is the tenth NLB vessel to carry the name, replacing the ninth Pharos in March 2007. The first Pharos, which operated as a lighthouse vessel from 1799 to 1810, was a simple wooden sloop 49 feet long (approx 15 metres) and 18 feet wide (approx 5½ metres). Pharos was the great lighthouse of Alexandria, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World NLV Pharos is based in Oban and works mainly in Scottish and Manx waters, servicing over 200 automatic lighthouses, buoys, and beacons. She is also able to carry out hydrographic surveying and wreck finding and other commercial work under contract.

Cal Mac Ferry M.V. CORUISK leaving Oban 20th April…

20 Apr 2017 2 4 364
MV Coruisk is a Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited ferry built in 2003, operated by Caledonian MacBrayne and serving the west coast of Scotland. Following her launch at Appledore's yard in early 2003, Coruisk left on her delivery voyage on August 2. She carried out berthing trials on the Clyde before taking over the Mallaig to Armadale route on August 14. She was officially named at Armadale by Baroness Ray Michie of Gallanach at a special ceremony. Initial technical problems required MV Pioneer to resume the service for some time. On 24 August, Coruisk lost power and struck a reef at the Mallaig harbour entrance, losing one of her propulsion units. She went to the Clyde for repairs and did not return to Mallaig that season. The following winter season at Dunoon was only slightly more successful, with slow berthing and many passenger complaints adding to her worsening reputation.Subsequent seasons have been less eventful. A temporary modification is made for the winter seasons to accommodate the gangways at Wemyss Bay and Rothesay. The design of Coruisk is unique.As well as bow and stern ramps, allowing drive-through operation, she also has a port side ramp, allowing side-loading on the Clyde in winter months. The bow ramp is protected by an open visor, similar to those found on Orkney and Shetland inter-island ferries. Clearance on the car deck is 5.1m. Above the car deck are two passenger decks, one containing the main lounge areas with toilets and a small shop/kiosk. A small external deck area on the same level, both fore and aft of the lounges, has stairways leading to the open deck above. Crew accommodation is on the upper deck. Sitting even further up, the bridge gives the master a view down over bow and stern. Schottel electric azimuth thrusters incorporate rotating pods protruding beneath the hull, with two propellers on each. Although similar to Voith Schneider units, the vessel proved much harder to control and manoeuvre. Until 2016, Coruisk was the sole vessel on the Mallaig to Armadale service in summer, relieving on the Upper Clyde in winter (when MV Lochnevis adds Armadale to her Small Isles roster). Since 2011, when the company's Dunoon service became passenger-only, Coruisk mainly relieved at Rothesay. During the winter period, Coruisk often provides a support service for the Argyll Ferries service from Gourock to Dunoon.In March 2014 she ran into the pier at Dunoon sustaining serious damage but managed to make her own way to Greenock to be assessed for repairs. In 2016, Coruisk became the second vessel on the Oban - Craignure route alongside MV Isle of Mull during the summer timetable period. She was replaced at Mallaig for the 2016 season by the much smaller MV Lochinvar and MV Lord of the Isles (in between the latter's Lochboisdale - Mallaig sailings). This reshuffling of the Mallaig fleet has been largely criticised by campaigners calling for Coruisk to remain at Mallaig with MV Lord of the Isles. In January 2017, it was announced that Coruisk would remain on the Oban - Craignure route for a second summer season: the Skye crossing being operated by MV Lord of the Isles and MV Loch Fyne until the new ferries for Arran and the Uig Triangle are due in service in 2019.

Kilchurn Castle,Loch Awe 20th April 2017

20 Apr 2017 6 9 475
Kilchurn Castle is a ruined structure on a rocky peninsula at the northeastern end of Loch Awe, in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It was first constructed in the mid-15th century as the base of the Campbells of Glenorchy, who extended both the castle and their territory in the area over the next 150 years. After the Campbells became Earls of Breadalbane and moved to Taymouth Castle, Kilchurn fell out of use and was in ruins by 1770. It is now in the care of Historic Environment Scotland and is open to the public in summer. The Campbells of Glenorchy were the most powerful cadet branch of the Clan Campbell, and over two centuries from the 1430s came to dominate the central Highlands. The building of several castles, of which Kilchurn was the first, was a key part of their territorial expansion duing this period. Sir Colin Campbell, 1st of Glenorchy (died 1475), was a younger son of Duncan Campbell, 1st Lord Campbell, ancestor of the Earls of Argyll. Sir Colin was granted Glen Orchy and other lands by his father in 1432, and afterwards established Kilchurn around 1450.The first castle comprised the five-storey tower house, with a courtyard defended by an outer wall. At the time Kilchurn was on a small island scarcely larger than the castle itself, and would have been accessed via an underwater or low-lying causeway. Sir Colin's son, Sir Duncan Campbell of Glenorchy, built the 'laich hall' - a single-storey dining hall built along the inside of the south curtain. Sir Duncan was one of the many Scottish nobles killed at the Battle of Flodden in 1513. During the second half of the 16th century, another Sir Colin Campbell, the 6th Laird (1499–1583), further improved the castle's accommodation by adding some chambers to the north of the tower house, and remodelling the parapet. This included the introduction of the circular corner turrets adorned by corbels.Sir Colin also constructed Balloch Castle (now Taymouth Castle) by Loch Tay, to consolidate the Campbell's territorial gains in Perthshire, which had been achieved largely at the expense of their former allies, the Clan MacGregor of Glenstrae. Sir Duncan Campbell, (c.1550–1631), known as "Black Duncan", represented Argyll in the Scottish Parliament and was created a baronet, of Glenorchy in the County of Perth, in the Baronetage of Nova Scotia in 1625. Sir Duncan had the south range of the castle rebuilt and enlarged in 1614, and constructed a new range incorporating a chapel in the south-east part of the courtyard.The ambitious Black Duncan also began construction of Finlarig Castle at the west end of Loch Tay, and improved farmland around Finlarig, Kilchurn and Balloch Castles. In 1681 Sir John Campbell, 5th Baronet, was created Earl of Breadalbane and Holland. He took advantage of the turbulence of the times, negotiating with Jacobite rebels at the same time as serving William III. In the 1690s he promoted a scheme to pacify the Highlands, and as part of this he began conversion of Kilchurn into a modern barracks, capable of housing 200 troops. His main addition was the three-storey L-shaped block along the north side. In 1714, on the death of Queen Anne, Breadalbane held a conference of Jacobites at Kilchurn, and he subsequently joined the Earl of Mar's Jacobite rising of 1715. Following the failure of the rising he returned home to find pro-government members of his household had turned Kinchurn and Finlarig over to Alexander Campbell of Fonab, to whom Breadalbane was obliged to surrender in February 1716. He remained under house arrest at Taymouth until his death the next year.Kilchurn was also used as a government garrison during the 1745 Jacobite rising.The Campbells attempted, unsuccessfully, to sell Kilchurn to the government after they moved in 1740 to the reconstructed Taymouth Castle. In 1760, the castle was badly damaged by lightning and was completely abandoned; the remains of a turret of a tower, still resting upside-down in the centre of the courtyard, attest to the violence of the storm. The castle was unroofed by 1770. J M W Turner painted the castle on one of his tours of Scotland in the early 19th century.In 1817 the water level in Loch Awe was altered, so that the castle now stands on a long peninsula. MacGibbon and Ross surveyed the castle in about 1887, after which restoration works appear to have altered some of the castle's original features. The ruin is now in the care of Historic Environment Scotland, and is open to the public during the summer. Access is either by boat from Lochawe pier, or on foot from the A85 near Dalmally. The access is under the railway viaduct that crosses Loch Awe, and access is sometimes restricted by higher-than-usual levels of water in the loch, at which times the site effectively becomes a temporary island.The castle is a scheduled monument.

Beinn Dorain with it's top in cloud 3530Ft 20th Ap…

20 Apr 2017 3 6 359
Beinn Dorain (Gaelic: Beinn Dòbhrain 'hill of the streamlet' or 'hill of the otters'), is a mountain in the Bridge of Orchy hills of Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It is the subject of Duncan Ban MacIntyre's best known Gaelic poem, "Moladh Beinn Dòbhrainn" (English: "In Praise of Ben Doran"):; MacIntyre had worked as a gamekeeper in these parts. The mountain is easily accessible from the Bridge of Orchy railway station, from where a path leads up to the bealach separating Beinn Dorain from Beinn an Dothaidh: the two hills are frequently climbed together from this point. The Scottish composer Ronald Stevenson composed a work for full chorus, chamber chorus, symphony orchestra and chamber orchestra based on MacIntyre's poem, entitled Moladh Beinn Dobhrain (In praise of Ben Dorain) in 2007. In this lyrical, tonal work, Stevenson used the original text and Hugh Macdiarmid's English translation of the verse. It was premiered on 19 January 2008 in Glasgow with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Scottish Opera Chorus, Glasgow University Chapel Choir and The Edinburgh Singers.

Loch Tulla 20th April 2017

20 Apr 2017 2 4 327
Loch Tulla (Scottish Gaelic: Loch Toilbhe [lˠ̪ɔxˈt̪ʰɔlɔvə]) is a small loch at grid reference NN293428 near Bridge of Orchy and Glen Coe in Scotland and in the central highlands. It contains salmon some of which are bred locally. It lies north-east of the Inveroran Hotel, a popular West Highland Way stop off point close to Bridge of Orchy.

Gearr Aonach & Aonach Dubh,Glen Coe 20th April 201…

20 Apr 2017 5 8 451
Glen Coe (Scottish Gaelic: Gleann Comhann,pronounced [klan̪ˠˈkʰo.ən̪ˠ]) is a glen of volcanic origins, in the Highlands of Scotland. It lies in the north of Argyll, close to the border with Lochaber. It is often considered one of the most spectacular and beautiful places in Scotland, and is a part of the designated National Scenic Area of Ben Nevis and Glen Coe. The narrow glen shows a grim grandeur. The glen, approaching from the east on the main A82 road, is surrounded by wild and precipitous mountains. Further west at Invercoe, the landscape has a softer beauty before the main entrance to the glen. The main settlement is the nearby village of Glencoe located at the foot of the glen. near the site of the 1692 Massacre of Glencoe. The Glen is named after the River Coe which runs through it. The name of the river is believed to predate the Gaelic language, and its meaning is not known. It is possible that the name stems from an individual personal name, Comhan (genitive Comhain). The glen is U-shaped, formed by an ice age glacier, about 16 km (9.9 mi) long with the floor of the glen being less than 700 m (0.4 miles) wide, narrowing sharply at the Pass of Glen Coe about halfway along. The entrance to the glen from above is on Rannoch Moor to the east, below the mountain of Meall a' Bhuiridh; Glen Etive runs to the south from nearby. The entrance to Glen Coe is marked by Buachaille Etive Mor, "the great herdsman of Etive" at the 'junction' with Glen Etive. Glen Coe then runs roughly west for about 12 km (7.5 mi) before turning north-west towards Loch Leven. The south side of the glen is marked by a succession of distinct peaks: Buachaille Etive Mòr is followed to the west by Buachaille Etive Beag, then by the Three Sisters, shoulders of the Bidean nam Bian massif, subdivided by Coire Gabhail (the Glen of Capture or Lost Valley) and Coire nan Lochan. The third sister, Aonach Dubh, marks the western end of the glen. By contrast the north side of the glen is a stark wall of mountain, the Aonach Eagach ridge. The Ridge is crossed at the eastern end by the Devil's Staircase, an old military road opposite Buachaille Etive Mòr. To the north of Buachaille Etive Mòr, there is Beinn a'Chrulaiste. The western end terminates with the conical Pap of Glencoe (Sgùrr na Cìche), above Glencoe village, at the point where the glen opens out to Loch Leven. The River Coe itself — Ossian's "dark Cona" — rises at the north-eastern base of Buachaille Etive Beag and flows west along the glen, with dramatic waterfalls at the Pass of Glen Coe. It then runs through the small Loch Achtriochtan before it turns north west. It then passes through Glencoe village, shortly before flowing into the sea loch of Loch Leven (a salt-water arm of Loch Linnhe) at Invercoe. Loch Achtriochtan is Loch Trychardan (three friends or relatives) in Timothy Pont's map of the area. In the glen to the east of Buachaille Etive Beag, the River Coupall runs north to the head of the glen, but it swings east round the Buachaille Etive Mòr to join the River Etive running south. Geologically speaking, Glen Coe is the remains of an ancient supervolcano.It is considered to be one of the best examples of subsidence calderas. The eruption happened about 420 million years ago during the Silurian period, and the volcano has long since become extinct. The landscape was further shaped by the processes of glaciation during the last ice age, 10,000 years ago. Glen Coe was once part of the lands of Clan Donald, though since the ending of the clan structure they have progressively sold off their estates. The land was purchased by the National Trust for Scotland in the 1930s using money donated by the Scottish Mountaineering Club. It was later found out that most of the money came from the SMC's then chair, Percy Unna. He laid out a number of conditions, known as the "Unna Principles" regarding how the NTS should manage the estate with regards to Access and maintaining the wild nature of the land. The building of a visitor centre caused some controversy, as some felt this to be a contravention of Unna's "Principles". The original centre was later closed, and a new one built further west, down the glen on land not part of the original purchase. The last area of Glen Coe to be owned by the MacDonalds was the area around Invercoe. In 1894 Donald Alexander Smith, 1st Baron Strathcona and Mount Royal purchased this area and built a stately mansion, Mount Royal. In 2002 Alistair MacDonald of Glencoe made a successful eleventh-hour bid, and purchased the remaining lands of Lord Strathcona from his descendants. Alistair received unsecured loans from just six donors, and immediately set up the Glencoe Heritage Trust, a non-profit-making charitable trust, to secure the heritage of Glen Coe. Most of the Glen is now owned by the National Trust for Scotland whose visitor centre has displays about both the natural and historical significance of the glen. Lord Maurice Hurrell F.C.I.I, was a certified [part] owner from December 2012 and also part owner of the land around Dunans Castle, Glendaruel, Argyll and Bute.

Beinn Fhada & Gearr Aonach,Glen Coe 20th April 201…

Glen Coe 20th April 2017


1074 items in total