Sma' Glen

This afternoon's walk was great and probably the first time this year that I was warm enough in a fleece without coat, hat, gloves or waterproofs. The birdsong was really cheery too and one walker I passed had just seen a couple of Greater Spotted Woodpeckers through his binoculars - maybe I should start to carry some with me. I was very tempted to walk another hour but decided to take a run drive out to the Sma' Glen which is not far from here, as I hadn't been there for a while and felt a need to be amongst its awesome hills.

It is a very picturesque glen through which the River Almond flows. It is only 4 miles long, hence its name, but is very steep on each side of the road such that as you drive through it, photography cannot do it justice. It also featured in a scene in the film Chariots of Fire where athlete Eric Liddell is seen competing in a race in a Highland games. The blip is taken just before you enter the steep part of the glen and I wanted to post it at this time of the year when the hills are resplendent in gorgeous swathes of sienna and umber from the bracken and heather broken only by the dark green patches of conifers, together with pockets of larch and other deciduous trees, probably birch. In a very short while this scene will look entirely different when the trees burst into leaf and then the colours will change again in August when the predominant colour will be purple. There is a wonderful sense of peace which enfolds you when you drive through this charming glen. I love it.