Heather in Bloom

[Retsum]

The heather is covering many hills and moors just now. I expect Fairlie moor will be like this.

[michaelm]

Very appealing photo's Retsum. I presume taken somewhere up north in your own neck of the woods?

[Retsum]

Yes Michaelm, it my neck of the woods. There is a high, vast moor that runs south to north from Rhynie to Dufftown. There is a road the A941 which runs across it and is one of the first roads to close if we get any snow. Another road, the A920, skirts its eastern flank running from Huntly to Dufftown and it was just off this road that I took some of these pictures. Up here, and for that matter in many areas of Scotland, there are great views but the roads are so narrow and twisting that it is difficult to find somewhere to park the car. I think we don't exploit the landscape enough. I would like to see people encouraged to visit these areas and to take photographs by creating laybys at vantage points. What do you think?

[John Donnelly]

Hi Retsum,

I completely agree with you. I was there the other week visiting my cousin in Urquart, near Elgin. One day, we went over the famous road from Cockbridge to Tomintoul, over the devil's elbow.
The views are stunning. They compare tae oor Arran views; -well nearly

JD.

[michaelm]

Up here, and for that matter in many areas of Scotland, there are great views but the roads are so narrow and twisting that it is difficult to find somewhere to park the car. I think we don't exploit the landscape enough. I would like to see people encouraged to visit these areas and to take photographs by creating laybys at vantage points. What do you think?

I agree on the whole there Retsum, although I can't comment with any great knowledge here.

Maybe the powers that be think that it's not a good idea to have lay bys on stretches of narrow twisting roads purely from a safety perspective.

Who knows, but power to your elbow if you feel strongly enough about it.