Strathspey is a beautiful place to visit ...
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... and an even more beautiful place to live.
Strathspey is an area of the valley of the River Spey, one of Scotland's best salmon fishing rivers, in the Highlands of Scotland. There is also a traditional Scottish reel named after the area.
Over a period of time I'll fill this lens with photographs I have taken around Strathspey so check back frequently to see what's new.
Pictures of Strathspey in the Scottish Highlands by Katherine Carington Smith is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 UK: Scotland License.
Based on a work at www.squidoo.com.
First Snow of the Winter 28th October 2008
Winter has definitely arrived - 21st November 2008
Winter has arrived this morning and is looking very pretty (but cold).
And we can't see the mountains at all, they're completely hidden by low snowclouds.
The Weather
... updated when there's weather worth talking about :-)
Looking South-west
1st October - yuk.
Photos taken c 10.30 am.
It actually tried to snow on the 3rd of October but came to nothing.
Looking north-west
1st September and the sun was shining.
Photo taken c 11.30 am.
The Weather "Yesterday"
... some of the weather pics I like
It can't seem to make its mind up what today is going to be. Occasionally we get a little glimpse of sunshine then back to grey and windy.
I fully expect to get more rain today.
Photo taken c 11.30 am 24th August 2008.
Today it has rained and rained and then rained some more.
I understand there are some areas suffering from flooding across the North of Scotland and we have a 'severe weather' warning. Fortunately it isn't really all that severe here.
Photo taken c 3.30 pm 21st August 2008.
I got so bored with the raindrops I decided to play with them ... sort of. I quite like the tweaked picture but it still doesn't make the rain look any better really.
And today we can't even see the mountains.
Oh well, could be worse I guess.
Photo taken c 10.30 am 6th August 2008.
Typical of the recent Summer weather.
Summer or Winter
... Strathspey is always beautiful and there's always something to do
Whether you choose to visit Strathspey in the Winter, either for skiing or to experience the Scottish Hogmanay, there is always something going on.
Of course, there are times when everything comes to a standstill, like the day the first couple of pictures were taken following a dump of snow overnight which left everything pristine under about a foot of snow.
When it drifts up on the moors no-one gets in or out of the valley.
Of course, there are times when everything comes to a standstill, like the day the first couple of pictures were taken following a dump of snow overnight which left everything pristine under about a foot of snow.
When it drifts up on the moors no-one gets in or out of the valley.
Winter is beautiful when the sun shines
... and often extremely cold
Broom flowers May / June
... lighting up the Strath
At the end of May and into June, the Broom bushes are in flower, making a glorious splash of colour against the lush new green foliage and grass.
These pictures were taken a few years ago. Broom is a very hardy shrub which, given favourable conditions, can grow to several feet in height. Occasionally we get sustained Winter temperatures here down to -26 degrees and lower, this can wipe out swathes of Broom but there will alway be enough seed waiting to germinate or those few which survive beneath the shelter of their more mature neighbours and repopulation doesn't take long.
The River Spey at Boat of Garten
... looking towards the Cairngorm Mountains
This is another picture from a few years ago, taken from the bridge just outside Boat of Garten on the road to Nethy Bridge in the month of June.
If you look closely, you'll see there is still snow on the Cairngorm mountains in the far background.
The River Spey nearer its source
... a tributary joins amid gravel banks
A photo snapped from the bus as we were travelling back home, this shows the River Spey above (south of) Newtonmore where it is joined by one of its many tributaries.
The Spey Valley is more than simply 'Strathspey', as the river travels from its source it passes through Badenoch before reaching us. The River Spey is the second longest river in Scotland.
You can see how well wooded the banks of the river are and also the endless supply of gravel and stones to be found there too.
Autumn colours Anagach Woods
... by Grantown-on-Spey
The Anagach Woods surround the town of Grantown-on-Spey and in Autumn the colours are spectacular.
This picture was taken on the road into town from the East with the Spey Bridge roundabout at my back.
Grantown-on-Spey
... the Town Square, centre of the community
This is the Square in Grantown, photo taken 8th June 08 - a day of slightly hazy sunshine.
Grantown-on-Spey as a town dates from the 1760's and was built as a planned town with a regular layout, centered around The Square.
The Strathspey Steam Railway
... one of the area's popular attractions run by volunteers
Photo taken 8th June 08 - a day of slightly hazy sunshine.
I was on my way home from Grantown and stopped just above Broomhill Station to take a picture of the snow still clinging to the shaded corries on the Cairngorm Mountains, when I heard one of the steam trains coming along the track.
The Broomhill Station was used in a recent TV series as "Glenbogle Station"
The Strathspey Steam Railway runs from Aviemore to the Broomhill Station close to Nethy Bridge. It is planned that the line will be extended to Grantown-on-Spey.
Oh, yes, and the snow hanging on the mountains ... you might have to look closely.
River Spey at Broomhill Bridge
... a popular fishing spot adapted for disabled anglers
Heading towards Nethy Bridge from the Broomhill station, just a couple of hundred yards away you will cross the Broomhill Bridge over the River Spey. Above is the view from this bridge looking upriver.
Close by this spot is an area set aside and specially adapted for disabled anglers.
Nethy Bridge - The Forest Village
... magnificent trees bring the countryside into the heart of the village
Nethy Bridge is also called "The Forest Village" because mature woodlands extend throughout the village.
The picture above shows one end of the walk which extends from the heart of the village, opposite the Community Centre, to the top of the village.
Quite an easy walk through beautiful countryside in the middle of our village.
The drinking fountain in the centre of Nethy Bridge.
9th August 2008 Abernethy Highland Games
... second weekend in August every year is the timing for this event
Each year we have the Highland games in Nethy Bridge. Held on a field in the centre of the village this is really an all day event in that the after games dance and parties will go on into the small hours.
Below are a few snaps and vidoes I took there.
Below are a few snaps and vidoes I took there.
Highland Dancers
Throwing the hammer.
All the fun of the fair as well.
Huntly District Pipe Band warming up with a little last minute practice.
Abernethy Highland Games 9th August 2008 Pipes and Drums
... next year there will be sound
There is no sound on this video ... everbody has sore heads after the celebrations of last night.
Highland dancers
... I need to try and get closer to the events somehow
Attempt at throwing the weight
... an oops moment
Success!
... a winning throw of the weight
Strathspey Sunset
... stunning sunsets are not too unusual here
I'll be adding more Strathspey Sunsets as I manage to catch them.
Curious clouds
... an interesting mix of cloud types
Just to prove I still have a primitive heart, I'm fascinated by clouds. Granted, they're usually at their most spectacular at Sunset but if I ever get enough clouds to make a whole lens about them then I hope I would convert some folks to raising their eyes in wonder.
Being surrounded by mountains we get some strange arrangements. I think if you saw this in an artwork you might be forgiven for thinking the artist has made an error somewhere.
Don't you almost expect to see some angelic figure standing atop those wispy spreading clouds in the distance?
Floods in Spring
... fortunately the flooding doesn't happen too often
When the thaw comes after a Winter of heavy snowfall, the Spey Valley can become extensively flooded.
These pictures were taken some years ago, during the last heavy flooding. On average this happens about once in ten years (in my experience). Along with other areas of the country we have some new houses which have been built where flooding is guaranteed to happen.
All along the banks of the river there are flood banks, designed to keep most spates at bay.
Both of these photos were taken close to where the river Dulnan flows into the Spey. You can see below there was still plenty of snow on the mountains.
The Heather Covered Hills
... one of the most abiding memories folks carry with them from Scotland
On a trip back from Edinburgh the other day I shot this picture of the purple hills.
The location is between Dalwhinnie and Newtonmore, up in the countryside where the River Spey rises.
Photo taken in August.
Nearing Home ... Dalwhinnie Distillery
... a picture postcard view
Another photo taken from the bus heading back North.
Many people think of the Drumochter Summit as the entrance to the Spey Valley area but for me, the sign I am nearing home is the sight of the Dalwhinnie Distillery off to the left of the road.
It was looking particularly nice in the mid-August sunshine on the day of this photo, with the backdrop of heather on the surrounding hills.
I will use this photo as a postcard.
Loch Garten and the Ospreys
... the RSPB Abernethy Reserve
Above is Loch Garten where in Summer you may see ospreys fishing.
There is an RSPB reserve at Loch Garten which has been in existence for a good number of years. More recently the RSPB bought an extensive estate bordering the Loch Garten reserve and much work has been done to improve the habitats for local wildlife.
Below you can see the original osprey nest at Loch Garten reserve. Ospreys return every year to the same nest and add a little more to it. You might wonder why this tree seems to be bolted together with reinforcing strips etc, this was a repair undertaken by the army after the tree, which held the only osprey nest in Scotland for a number of years, was vandalised. You probably can't see the barbed wire around the base of the tree.
These days quite a few pairs of ospreys nest in Scotland. They seem to prefer good vantage points for their nests, which are either in the tops of trees or atop ancient ruins etc.
There is an excellent hide on the reserve, where you can watch the ospreys and their chicks from a distance. There are usually CCTV cameras set up around the nest as well, these feed into the hide too.
Local schoolchildren were given a close up view of the nest while maintenance was being carried out nearby before the birds return in Spring. Interestingly, we noticed that a wren had taken up residence in the lower part of the nest, as it were, the basement.
Village websites
... Strathspey on the internet
Many of the local villages have their own webpresence, here are a few to be going on with.
There are a huge number of sports and other entertainments all year round in our area and I certainly can't get to all of them so if anyone local to my area would like to contribute any photos of events, I would be pleased to receive them.
Grantown-on-Spey and Cromdale
Dulnain Bridge
Carrbridge
Nethy Bridge
Boat of Garten
Aviemore
There are a huge number of sports and other entertainments all year round in our area and I certainly can't get to all of them so if anyone local to my area would like to contribute any photos of events, I would be pleased to receive them.
Grantown-on-Spey and Cromdale
Dulnain Bridge
Carrbridge
Nethy Bridge
Boat of Garten
Aviemore
Aviemore
... a very modern village
The Ski industry is an important Winter trade, well catered for in Aviemore. It's also a great centre from which to explore not only Strathspey and the Cairngorm National Park but most of the Highlands of Scotland.
Aviemore and its immediate area offer a diverse selection of entertainments from snowboarding, husky racing and climbing to bird-watching, fishing and montain biking to name just a few.
The main railway station forms one part of the transport exchange in centre of Aviemore - where the long-distance coach is parked in the photo - I need to try and find a position to take a photograph of the railway station but it has a forest of signposts of one kind or another outside it. Not easy to photograph.
Being quite a tourist centre, there is an abundance of holiday accommodation in Aviemore. Many conferences, trade shows and other gatherings are held in the various hotel complexes in and near Aviemore.
The Lairig Ghru
... a wild and high place, not for the weekend rambler
Cutting through the high plateau of the Cairngorm Mountains, the Lairig Ghru is popular with walkers but can be strenuous.
In the Cairngorm range, the weather can turn in a moment to winter at any time of year, even in the middle of Summer. Sadly, it seems every year there are tourists who go unprepared into the mountains without realising that if the weather closes in, you are suddenly no longer a short distance from safety but isolated in a desolate place.
The route takes you over the mountains to Braeriach.
Snow on the mountains.
... and blowing in plumes in the wind
I hope you can see from this photo a phenomenon frequently observed here.
Taken from the A96 road into Grantown-on-Spey about a couple of miles from the town, as the sun was setting behind the Cairngorm range, we could clearly see how windy it was on the tops from the great plumes of snow being blown up into the sky.
Christmas celebrations
... Santa and his reindeer drawn sled
These pictures were taken in Grantown-on-Spey just before Christmas one year.
Santa visits annually shortly before his big night and is preceded up the street by pipes and drums.
The sleigh is, of course, drawn by reindeer and Santa hands out sweets for the children.
The whole procession rests a while in The Square, where there are refreshments available.
Santa visits annually shortly before his big night and is preceded up the street by pipes and drums.
The sleigh is, of course, drawn by reindeer and Santa hands out sweets for the children.
The whole procession rests a while in The Square, where there are refreshments available.
Winter Afternoon
... by the River Spey
This picture was taken at about 3 in the afternoon, as the sun was beginning to set behind us.
The location was down by the Inverallan Churchyard outside Grantown-on-Spey, down by the River Spey on a day when the whole valley had been cut off by snow.
Since this photgraph was taken, a new bypass road has been built along the left (as you look at the picture) bank of the river. Although the road swings away before it gets near the churchyard, the landscape in this view is somewhat changed since this picture was taken. In time, there will be regrowth of the trees etc and it should again return to a similar view.
Good morning World
... from my doorstep
This is what greets me at my door, above is an evening shot in Springtime, below was taken on a Winter's morning.
Useful information from around Strathspey
- Tourist Information
- Visit Scotland's tourist information for the Strathspey area.
- Ski Scotland
- Ski Scotland's information.
- Information on Aviemore
- There are a number of sites which give more information on the area.
- Boat of Garten
- All about the village of Boat of Garten.
- Nethy Bridge
- All about the village which sits on the River Nethy.
- Grantown-on-Spey
- Information on the small town of Grantown-on-Spey.
- Strathspey in May
- One of the events which takes place in the warmer months.
- Grantown-on-Spey
- More information on Grantown-on-Spey.
- The Cairngorm National Park
- Much of Strathspey is within the boundaries of the National Park, which covers a large part of the Highlands of Scotland.
- The Strathspey Railway
- This steam railway runs from Broomhil near Nethy Bridge, through Boat of Garten to Aviemore. There are plans to extend the route to Grantown-on-Spey.
- The Strathspey and Badenoch Herald
- Our local newspaper.
- The Badenoch and Strathspey Conservation Group
- Our local conservation group.
- Strathspey Wildlife
- More on the wildlife of the area.
The Strathspey and Badenoch Herald
... otherwise known as The Strathie
This is our local newspaper, reporting on events as they affect the local people.
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0ctavia's Scotland
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This is 0ctavia's Scotland There will be more lenses added here as time goes on, I already have several more planned and, since there is so much to say about Scotland and the Scots, there is an enormous number of lenses to be made. If you like...
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- grannysage grannysage May 14, 2009 @ 6:53 pm
- Beautiful pictures. Many of them remind me of my home, the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, especially the snow and the fall colors. But we don't have heather. A trip to Scotland is in our future, I hope, for my husband is of Scottish ancestry. We also go to the local Highland games...aah, manly men in kilts!
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- Wysiwigs Wysiwigs Apr 24, 2009 @ 4:31 am
- Your photographs are AWESOME! I particularly liked the Broomstick Flowers. 5* for an absolutely beautiful lens :o)
http://www.squidoo.com/ConnieCrankpot
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- catherine_de_ryck catherine_de_ryck Apr 16, 2009 @ 8:06 am
- Fantastic ! Thank you for sharing your "little part of the universe" !
I would love to visit this part of Scotland one fine day, I only know the major cities and Paisley.
I love your country and its cultures and I would like to learn more about it. So, I'm going to check your lensography !
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- tandemonimom tandemonimom Feb 18, 2009 @ 2:05 pm
- What a stunning lens - and that sunset picture! Beautiful! I would adore to visit Scotland one day. 5* and sincere thanks for sharing your lovely photos.
And thank you so much for the Angel Blessings!
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- Family-Legacy-Mom Family-Legacy-Mom Oct 28, 2008 @ 12:57 pm
- What beautiful photos! It makes me want to visit Scotland and listen to the bagpipes and feel the spirit of the country.
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