Heavy Rain

I have spent a long time in Lochaber so am well used to the often sustained precipitation of our temperate west coast climate. However this Speyside shower is the heaviest I can ever recall, and it was forecast.

I am standing at the side of Loch Vaa in my shorts as it was so warm and clammy when I set off. It started raining as predicted almost to the minute and I thought that was heavy (pictured) then all hell broke loose.

The water in front of me looked like it was boiling in fury and the trees swayed in the wind, The sky lit up almost continuously with lightning and each flash was followed, within about 10 seconds, with a deafening initial crackle then a resounding boom which resonated around the mountains for about another half a minute. Caley didn't bat an eyelid in the storm.

Trudging back to the holiday cottage the water streamed off my drenched jacket down my bare legs and filled my boots. The dry track I had followed earlier was now running like a river and there was little point in avoiding the deep lochs forming everywhere.

Back at the digs I thought I would get a quick shower and change of clothes but the boiler had broken down. I resorted to a shallow stand up bath with a couple of kettles of hot water.