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After five days of continuous rain we got to our last day staying in Glencoe - and for a few hours it actually stopped raining. I wanted to take Pete to Glencoe Lochan which I'd visited in June 2013 - but first we nipped along to the Co-op in Ballachulish to pick up a paper, stopping to photograph the first glimpse of sun we'd seen all week. Looked like things were set to improve (which I later heard they did and Sunday was a glorious day, after we'd gone home).
Loch Leven looking west
We parked in the Glencoe Lochan car park and headed for the lochan, passing a pond with water lilies which was partially frozen.
The dogs trying to decide if it was worth taking a dip
When the resident ducks saw us they flew over from the other side, obviously used to being fed. When Jack saw his favourite fantasy dinner practically landing on his plate his indecision about whether or not to take a dip was clinched in an instant. He was in there! He's an old dog now and has never been successful in catching a duck, which he has tried to do for the past 11 years. You have to give it to him he doesn't allow past failures to get him down and when the opportunity comes he takes it with as much gusto as he did in his youth. The funniest thing to see is when he gets too close and the duck takes to the air, the way Jack tries to raise himself out of the water and fly after it!
The eternal optimist
These ducks didn't seem bothered by him at all, letting him get quite close before flapping off and landing just out of reach, as if they were teasing him. If he'd been with me on my previous visit here in June 2013 I would have put him on the lead as there were ducklings on the path.
Ducklings
Since I have photos from both visits I'll use some from each to compare the beauty of the different seasons.
The lochan in June
Same view in November
Beinn a Bheithir beyond the lochan
When we reached the far end a lone duck flew the length of the lochan and plonked himself down in a tantalising way. You could see the old dog watching and sizing up his chances and I said to a passing local that it's almost as if he feels obliged to give it a go even when the odds are stacked against him. His comment was "It's his job isn't it" and I suppose there's some truth in that. The basic instinct to retrieve a duck is there - even though he hasn't been trained to the gun.
Come and get me if you can!
Looking west in June
Same view in November
My friend's son in law manages the forestry in Lochaber (and in the course of his work has even been spotted on TV up a tree with Bear Grylls!) and this is part of his patch, so it was interesting for us to be here. Much of this woodland was originally created by Lord Strathcona in the 1890s - a landscape planted with North American trees in the hope it would comfort his homesick Canadian wife and help her to settle here. But this exquisite woodland around a pretty lochan with a backdrop of pointed mountains wasn't enough and the couple later emigrated to Canada.
The rhododendron - not a native species and it has rampantly colonised the west coast
Pap of Glencoe in June
Pap of Glencoe in November
Lochan in the fresh green of June
Lochan in russet hues of November
After leaving the lochan we drove east to pay our respects to Buachaille Etive Mor
Glen Coe
Glen Etive
Two of the Glencoe Sisters
All in all a stunningly beautiful glen which with a hint of Macdonald blood will always be special to me.
