Badenoch: last of the snowy sunsets for a while...

Photos from yesterday between Aviemore and Newtonmore on the last day of the recent cold spell. Photos taken from a moving car during the approach of dusk. Overnight it has thawed the ice and snow at lower levels gone and much reduced on the hills.

Frozen over Loch Alvie looking westwards 

 Icy trees

Traffic on the A9 

Trees near Kincraig

(above and below)

Horses and trees in the gathering gloom

near Kincraig

Looking southwards towards Dalwhinnie

Cycling the Gaick Pass

North of the Gaick Lodge close to a barrier

Today I enjoyed the longest cycle ride for a number of years riding the Gaick Pass through remote parts of the Scottish Highlands. I set off from Newtonmore just before 10.30am and returned to the village about 15.40. I headed north to Glen Tromie and then travelled the whole length – some of it metalled, a lot a passable farm track with several small rivers to ford. Eventually well to the south of Gaick Lodge the farm track comes to an end leaving just a narrow footpath perched up a little above a loch. At the end of the loch you pick up another farm track that eventually leads to the A9 at the turn off to Trinafour, From there I picked up the Route 7 Sustrans track that heads through the Highlands taking me up the Drumochter Pass onto Dalwhinnie and to Newtonmore. 

 

I wasn't able to be in London last weekend for the 100-mile cycle so this ride will just have to make up for it.    

 A little further on: the Loch heading towards Gaick Lodge

 The track to the south of the Gaick Lodge

 The track to the south of the Gaick Lodge (vehicle in view)

The loch where it is down just to a narrow footpath, I preferred to walk it 

but doubtless some fearless bikers would ride it (above and below)

Hills in the background are beyond the A9

More views from the A9 and at Kingussie

Train approaching Kingussie with the hills in the background

A few more photos taken while travelling on the A9 plus some taken during a short visit to Kingussie yesterday. 

 A9 heading towards the hills (above and below)

 

 

 Cairngorms

 

Kingussie: the railway, trunks and hills

+ an additional utility post

Kingussie: view towards a corrie

Exhibition of local art@the iona gallery Kingussie

Newtonmore: light on leaves and a pond

Monarch Country Apartments in the centre of Newtonmore

Formerly the Craig Mhor Hotel

The Monarch Country Apartments used to be the Craig Mhor Hotel. The hotel closed in 2001 and was then converted into apartments – some of them are rented as holiday accommodation. It was built in 1875 and was one of the first railway hotels in the Highlands. Newtonmore is on the Perth to Inverness line, which opened in 1863.