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Rannoch Moor | Scottish Landscape Art - Scottish Landscape Paintings

Posts Tagged ‘Rannoch Moor’

Ghlas Bheinn – what a difference a few months make!

It has all been work, work, and work these last few weeks and so it was great to have an excuse to stop for a couple of days last weekend.  Some friends of ours from Germany are over visiting Scotland for a couple of weeks and have hired a camper van for the duration.  On Saturday we drove up into the Highlands with them and did a gentle tour up to Arrochar, over the Rest and Be Thankful, past Loch Fyne and on through Tyndrum and Bridge of Orchy to Rannoch Moor.   Our visitors first few days in Scotland, spent exploring Edinburgh, were spent under cloudy skies and in wet conditions but on Saturday the conditions in the West Highlands were superb ….hot and sunny and the landscape looked at its very best.

vacation in Scotland

Andrea, Rudi and Nita on Ghlas Bheinn

Andrea and Rudi were keen to do some walking so long as it wasn’t a huge mountain hike and so our first thoughts were to take them for a wander along the Bridge of Orchy to Victoria Bridge section of the West Highland Way.  The path climbs a little but not much and reaches the most magnificent view point high above Loch Tulla…..we thought that this would be ideal.  And it would have been except that the annual West Highland Way race was taking part that weekend and as we arrived at the Bridge of Orchy…..the runners were passing through.  There were dozens of cars and vans and numerous people and stewards ….all very exciting but not the peaceful place we’d imagined we’d be able to show our friends from Germany!  We extricated ourselves, the camper van and our car from the mayhem and after a short re-think drove the few miles further on to the big view point on the road leading up onto Blackmount.

vacation in Scotland

Away from the crowds, a perfect summer evening in the West Highlands

We normally park here for our annual winter wander along the undulating little ridge leading to Ghlas Bheinn and this suddenly seemed to be the perfect solution for a walk now.  And so it was, with huge views and a good cooling breeze to keep the midges away, this short walk gave Andrea and Rudi a chance to experience a little bit of the Highlands off-piste as it were ….no paths and no other walkers.  For Nita and me it was great to see this familiar place under beautiful summer conditions with different colours and light.  We got back to the vehicles around half past eight in the evening and drove back to the Bridge of Orchy Hotel for food and refreshment ….a perfect end to a very enjoyable day.  My thanks to the staff at the hotel.  They must have been completely shattered by the time we wandered in at just after nine in the evening ….but they very kindly agreed to fix us some food despite us arriving after they had officially finished serving.  Great service and very friendly and if you are heading up or down the A82, this hotel is highly recommended.

A day exploring Beinn Toaig in the Blackmount, West Highlands

About 10 years ago, my good friend Guy, led me on a walk up the Munro Stob a’ Choire Odhair in the Blackmount region of the Scottish West Highlands.  Guy, never one to just follow the standard routes up hills, suggested we climb this Munro by way of its neighbouring top, Beinn Toaig.   We did this and it made for a very good route, but on that day, it was a very good route in thick cloud and we didn’t see very much.  Since then Nita and I had been back on two or three  occasions, and on one of them, we enjoyed hot clear conditions ….but still didn’t see much  because of very thick heat haze!

scottish mountains

‘In the Blackmount, the Scottish West Highlands’

Yesterday, with the weather once again set fine for the West Highlands of Scotland, we decided to go back to Beinn Toaig, but this time, spend a few hours exploring it and enjoying the fine views we expected to get.    That said however, it didn’t look too hopeful as we drove up the side of Loch Lomond at about eight o’clock yesterday morning.  There was thick dark cloud and it all looked very dreary.  We shouldn’t have worried however, the folk at the Mountain Weather Information Service had got it right and by the time we’d had a coffee and breakfast at the Green Welly, the thick cloud was breaking up and clear blue skies were taking over.

scottish mountains

‘In the Blackmount, the Scottish West Highlands’

We parked the car at the end of the road near Victoria Bridge on the West Highland Way and following the broad track through the trees until we reached the open moorland.  The views were already stunning and our hill, Beinn Toaig, looked very inviting with plenty of snow still on its steep upper slopes.   We weren’t really sure what the conditions would be like higher up as, after many weeks of freezing temperatures on the mountains, spring had suddenly arrived and the temperatures were quite high.   After a couple of kilometres on the WHW we turned off and made our way across the edge of the moorland, heading for the lower end of the broad ridge leading from the summit of Beinn Toaig.  I can’t quite say how wonderful it was to be out here with the mountains all around and the huge space of Rannoch Moor stretching out  below us.  Wow!   There was a lot of snow higher up but despite this there were still areas of snow free ground and for the most part we were able to follow these up the steep slopes leading onto the ridge.  By the time we needed to get onto the snow, the slopes were very gentle and the snow underfoot, fairly soft.

scottish mountains

‘In the Blackmount, the Scottish West Highlands’

I had hoped before setting out, that the views from the ridge into the heart of the Blackmount, would be good.  When we gained the height and could see into the main group of mountains ….well, it was just breathtaking, especially so in this clear crisp spring light.  We spent so much time just stopping and looking and taking photographs and our lunch spot was one of the most enjoyable and spectacular we’ve had for a long time …..and that says something.  We could hear the distant roar of the river rushing through the glen below heading for Ba Bridge and Rannoch Moor and there were the occasional sounds of Raven, Plovers and at one point, high up, two Golden Eagles.  Nita watched them for quite a while but they were too high up for me to make out ……but it was great to know they were there.

scottish mountains

‘In the Blackmount, the Scottish West Highlands’

We didn’t quite reach the summit of Beinn Toaig in the end.  We carried on until about three o’ clock and still a short distance from the top, decided it was probably sensible to start heading back ….I really am very slow on the descent!  It was probably a good decision as in the end we only got back to the car at about half past six and the sun was down by then and everything was getting a little dark.  What a day though …… my jaw was aching from smiling so much!

scottish mountains

‘In the Blackmount, the Scottish West Highlands’

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‘Squall, on the edge of Rannoch Moor’

355 'Squall, on the edge of Rannoch Moor', Acrylic & Pastel, 2015, 30 x 30 cm

‘Squall, on the edge of Rannoch Moor’, Acrylic & Pastel, 2015, 30 x 30 cm

Price £675

As anyone who reads my blogs will know, we walk bits of the West Highland Way quite regularly…..usually to get to or back from a hill.  I’m hoping this year to put together a series of paintings based on views from, or above this famous long distance path.  I have a number of works already completed that could be included and this painting is one of them.

It is based on a view we had as we were walking back along the WHW between Ba Cottage and the Glencoe ski centre.  We had  been walking the hills to the west of the path and were at the end of what had been a long day when we saw this heavy shower moving towards us across the edge of Rannoch Moor.

The painting is one of ten works  currently showing in the Winter Exhibition at The Biscuit Factory in Newcastle upon Tyne.  The exhibition runs until the end of February so do call in to see it if you live in the city, or are visiting the area.  There is so much to see at The Biscuit Factory that it makes a great day out.  I hope you can get along to see this painting.

‘From Ghlas Bheinn, Rannoch Moor, winter’

Art Exposure Gallery, Ghlas Bheinn, Rannoch Moor

‘From Ghlas Bheinn, Rannoch Moor, winter’

‘From Ghlas Bheinn, Rannoch Moor, winter’, Acrylic & Pastel, 2015, 30 x 30 cm

This is one of two 30 x 30cm paintings that I have showing in the Christmas Show at Art Exposure Gallery on the Great Western Road in Glasgow.  The gallery represents a great selection of artists, so it’s good to be invited to show a couple of works with them this Christmas.

This painting is based on a walk we did back in February on the wee hill of Glas Bheinn.  It was a day of frequent snow showers that swept in on a strong wind, but cleared through quickly to leave bright low sun-light.  Made for great views and at times amazing colours.

Anyway, I hope you can get along to Art Exposure Gallery to see this little painting…..full gallery details included in this week’s blog.

Diary of a trip to Assynt – week 1

Saturday 23rd May 

Had the perfect start for our trip and drive north, with clear blue skies and the hills of the Southern Highlands looking stunning in their spring colours.  Warm too, it being 17 C when we stopped for breakfast at the Green Welly in Tyndrum.  But the bright conditions weren’t to last, even by the time we were a few miles up the road driving across Rannoch Moor, we could see the high grey cloud moving down from the north west.  By the time we were in Glencoe village it was grey all over and just 9°C!  Little did we know that this was a taste of things to come?  The remainder of the trip north to Assynt was under increasingly dark skies and the final few miles along the single track road to the cottage we’d booked for the first week on the Storr peninsular, saw the rain start falling.  We’d picked a beautiful spot to stay all the same and even in the gloomy light and rain of the first evening, Nita could see wild geese grazing the rough pasture outside the cottage window.

Sunday 24th May 

Woke to bright sunlight and beautiful views across the land to the sea.  In between, in the hollow in these small hills, lay a wee loch and a short wander from the cottage took us to its shore.  I was surprised to find small banks of reeds growing around the edge which made for interesting patterns and possibly, some drawings in the future.

Monday 25th May  

Quinag, Assynt

Below Quinag, heavy shower

Heavy showers and high winds forecast, so decided on a lazy day checking out access to the ground leading up to below Sail Gorm on Quinag.  I’ve wanted to try and get up to below this part of the hill for some years in order to do some sketching and perhaps make a recording or two.  We found a convenient parking place and access, at least to start with seemed good …..we just needed a little dry weather.  Even the water proof drawing pen my colleague Alex Boyd had given me, would not do too well in the very  heavy showers that kept racing in from the north west.  Got some great views of Quinag as it was engulfed in one of these showers.  Time to head for lunch at the Scourie Hotel!

Tuesday 26th May

Assynt, Sutherland

The Old Man of Storr

More heavy showers and strong winds and so not a day for the high tops.  Instead, Nita suggested we walk the few kilometres from the cottage, out to Storr Head and the Old Man of Storr.    The 1:25000 map showed no fences all the way from the road near the cottage but we soon found  our way blocked and we had an annoying  hour and a half trying to find our way as two more tracks were blocked by fences and gates.  We did finally get to the open ground and had a fine walk out to Storr Head via a small hill that even at I think, 169m, gave impressive views.  The Old Man of Storr, a huge sea stack, was well worth seeing and the roar of the sea crashing against its base, made for some interesting recordings hopefully.  We returned along the cliff tops to the Storr lighthouse and then back to the cottage along the single track road in bright early evening sunshine.  Despite a few heavy showers early on, we arrived home dry!

Wednesday 27th May

Heavy rain and gales all day.  Feet up, heaters on, food, drink and much reading  / listening to books.  It finally eased around 21.00 and a few bursts of late sun had us driving the couple of miles to the nearest beach.  Big waves and very strange light …but good to get an airing.

Thursday 28th May

Scotttish Landscape

On the lower slopes of Canisp, 28th May 2015

No let up in the cold, showers and wind ….but it did seem that conditions would be a little better, so we decided to go for a proper walk and we headed for Canisp.  We’d done two big walks on this hill in the past.  One of them, on a fine hot day, saw us reach the summit of this fine hill.  The other attempt saw us do a circular walk up to a point about 600m on the hill before being turned back by high winds.  It seemed that conditions would be similar today and so we planned to walk the same route.

Sutherland, Scottish Landscape

Between showers, Canisp, 28th May 2015

This involved crossing a large footbridge over one of the streams flowing from below Canisp.  When we got to it though ….well, it was there ….but not crossing the stream.  At some point in the past it had been swept away and was left high and dry on the bank of the stream!  All was not lost though as we were walking in one of Scotland’s finest limestone areas ….and this stream simply disappeared underground a few hundred metres up-stream!  With the water levels being so high, it hadn’t completely disappeared and we spent quite a time picking our way through and across small but luckily narrow rushing streams.  Back on course we had a fabulous walk.  At first, enjoying some bright patches of sunlight but then becoming engulfed by a series of huge hail showers that blasted down with real force.  The landscape around Canisp is so wild and rough  and these conditions really made you feel quite isolated …..there was no-one else stupid enough to be out  that day, not on this hill anyway.

Friday 29th May

Suilven, Scottish Landscape

Suilven from the near the Stoor lighthouse, 29th May 2015

After the long walk the day before, we decided to head back to the Storr lighthouse so that I could do some sketching and try and make some more sound recordings.  It was still cold but the sun was shining and the cliffs and churning waves looked great.  Had a well earned cup of tea at Living the Dream …. sat with our mugs of tea looking out over the sea…. a magnificent end to a very enjoyable first week in Assynt.

We headed a few miles south for our second week, staying in one of the caravans close to the beautiful beach at Achmelvich.  More about this second week in Assynt in my next blog.

‘Winter, Blackmount’

142 'Winter, Blackmount', Acrylic & Pastel, 2010, 76 x 23 cm.jpg

‘Winter, Blackmount’

 

 ‘Winter, Blackmount’, Acrylic & Pastel, 2010, 76 x 23 cm

If you’ve read this week’s blog you will see we were out walking on Ghlas Beinn, on the edge of Rannoch Moor last Sunday.  It’s a short walk we do most winters and so I thought I’d use this painting as my Artwork of the Week this week.  I did this picture after our first ever visit there.  The mountains on that occasion had a lot of snow on them and the conditions were quite wild……making for very dramatic views of the Blackmount.

A short walk, but very, very good

This isn’t going to be a long drawn out blog as I’ve described this walk on several occasions in the past. It’s a short walk we do almost every winter, but it’s just so good that we have to keep on going back again and again!

Blackmount and Rannoch Moor

Blackmount and Rannoch Moor

The wee top of Ghlas Beinn on the edge of Rannoch Moor isn’t a major hill, it isn’t even a Graham and it could and I’m sure does, get over looked by many a hill walker. That said however, it is a superb little top and as they say…..it’s all about location, location, location.

Towards the Blackmount

Towards the Blackmount

As much as I like to be right up high on one of the big Munros, I do think you get much more exciting views when you’re on a small hill surrounded by bigger ones. This little top is all about this. From its meagre height of just under 600m the ground drops away in all directions with the huge area of Rannoch Moor stretching out below, whilst not far away, the higher summits of the Bridge of Orchy Hills dominate one view and the even higher summits of the Blackmount dominate the view to the west.

Passing snow shower

Passing snow shower

All you really need to enjoy this place is a temperament that doesn’t always demand the huge walk, or the biggest mountains, and a willingness to just spend a bit of time strolling slowly along just enjoying where you are and the fact that you don’t have to rush to get anywhere quickly! Oh yes, it also helps to have some interesting weather about too.

From Ghlas Beinn

From Ghlas Beinn

Interesting weather is what we got on Sunday when we visited this place. For five hours as we wandered along, the scene around us changed almost constantly. A continuous stream of snow showers bobbed in and obliterated the views from time to time. In between the snow showers however, the sun came out and the big mountains threw off the cloud to reveal spectacular views of snow and rock. The colours were wonderful and it seemed like the straw colours of mid winter were starting to change…..to a slightly more olive kind of green…..signs of new growth?

Towards the Blackmount

Towards the Blackmount

We’re hoping to get out again next week with a bit of luck. We need to get some fitness back into our legs after all this time away from the hills. We’ll probably head back to another old favourite … Beinn Dubh and the Luss Hills. We’ve walked this route so many times over the years but the views are superb and the steep slopes make it a good test for un-used legs!

Breaking cloud....

Breaking cloud….

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‘On Rannoch Moor’

203 'On Rannoch Moor', Acrylic & Pastel, 2011, 76 x 23 cm

‘On Rannoch Moor’

 ‘On Rannoch Moor’, Acrylic & Pastel, 2011, 76 x 23 cm

We had wonderful views out over Rannoch Moor last Saturday as we were driving home after our holiday in Assynt.  I could have happily stopped and gone for a wander but time was pressing and we still had a couple of hours to drive.  Even so, it’s great to know this wonderful landscape is so close to us and that we can get to see it and explore it whenever we have a day free.  We’re hoping to get up to this area again soon as there are a number of hills we would like to visit while the long summer daylight is available. …..hopefully this will lead to some new paintings. 

It’s amazing what you can do if you get up at 03.45!

Corrour Station, 09.15 Friday

Corrour Station, 09.15 Friday

Yesterday evening at 18.20 we were stood in a very cold shelter on Corrour Station watching the snow fall heavily and peering north through the whiteness hoping to see the lights of the Glasgow train.   It had been a day of very heavy snow showers but just when we thought they had finally fizzled out for the day, it started snowing again and this time just continued.  It was wonderful standing there watching the snow fall in almost complete silence …..with just a little concern that the train might be cancelled.  Those of you who don’t know Corrour, well, it’s the highest station stop on the West Highland Railway line and sits on the edge of Rannoch Moor at a little over 400 m above sea level.  The nearest main roads are the A82 …. a long way to the west and the A9 an even longer way to the east.  There is a small public  road that goes to Rannoch Station, (the next stop to the south) but even this is quite a few miles away across wild and unforgiving country ….especially so when it’s snowing hard!  The only vehicular access is by way of the estate road / track from I think near Dalwhinnie.   Suffice to say that if the train hadn’t arrived, there would be no way of walking out at that time of the evening and it would have been a very cold night huddled together in the open fronted platform shelter.  But I needn’t have worried of course ….at a couple of minutes to 18.25, we heard  the sound of an approaching train and soon Nita could make out its lights through the falling snow.   I guess when you live in the Highlands you get used to this type of weather and just get on with it, but as someone who lives by the coast and sees very little actual falling snow ….well, it was all kind of exciting.

Corrour Station, a wild location

Corrour Station, a wild location

Anyway, the reason we were stood on Corrour platform at 18.25 yesterday was of course because we’d gone walking again.  We’d originally planned to head for a hill somewhere but the winds were still very high and they were forecasting these very heavy snow showers …..sounded a bit out of our league.  So then, we needed to decide on a low level route, somewhere that the predicted high winds and heavy showers wouldn’t matter.

Ten or so years ago I went to Corrour with a group from Air na Creagan, our local mountaineering club.  At the time, the old signal box had been converted into a wee bunk house containing six bunk beds, a small kitchen and loo and a fantastic wee sitting room upstairs in the top of the signal box.  It was great and over the two weekend visits we made there, we walked several of the hills  and on one occasion when the weather was really vile, three of us did the walk around Loch Ossian.  Nita had been working on both occasions and so had never been to Corrour before…..  it seemed like a good option for our low level walk yesterday.

Heavy snow shower, Loch Ossian

Heavy snow shower, Loch Ossian

Of course with any day walk at Corrour, you need to fit it into the train times.  The first train north arrives at 09.00 and the next south bound trains are either around 12.30, 18.25 or 20.30 ish I think.  The actual walk around Loch Ossian isn’t too far …probably about 12 kilometres I guess and so with nine hours or so between arriving and catching the 18.25 back, we’d need to do a bit of exploring to use up the time.

Of course, the other decision to be made was whether to catch the train all the way, or to drive part way and pick it up at one of the stations adjacent to the A82.  Which ever we chose, it meant an early start and when the alarm went off at 03.45 neither of us was too convinced that our plans were particularly sensible, ‘whose  stupid idea was this’ sprang to mind as I dragged myself out of bed!  We decided to go for the drive / train option  and headed up to Crianlarich to meet the train north at 07.45.  Have to admit that we rather over did the ‘giving ourselves plenty of time’ bit  and arrived there almost an hour early ….but heck, we didn’t miss the damn train!

Corrour on our return at 17.30

Corrour on our return at 17.30

The West Highland Line really is a spectacular  railway and the section we were doing from Crianlarich past Tyndrum, Bridge of Orchy and up over Rannoch Moor to the lonely platform that is Corrour ….well, it’s just spectacular, especially so yesterday morning with the snow low on the mountains.  If you ever get the chance to ride this train ….go for it, it’s a visual feast.

We'd hoped to get back to Corrour dry!

We’d hoped to get back to Corrour dry!

The day was everything we’d hoped for …and a bit more ….snow too.  The conditions really were quite unpleasant at times but it was a wonderful way to see this remote and beautiful place.  The surprise though was at the end.  After a series of heavy snow showers interspersed with just brief brighter spots, the weather did start to improve by mid afternoon.  We’d started making our way back towards Corrour and were both thinking that we might make it back to the station in a reasonably dry state.  Big mistake!  At about 16.30 it suddenly started to rain and this quickly turned to snow again.  We thought it was just another shower but by the time we reached the station an hour later it was still falling hard  and well, it just kept on falling.  It didn’t look like it was going to be a pleasant drive back to Irvine from Crianlarich but as luck would have it as quick as it started, it stopped… shortly after setting off south on the A82.  We were back home by 21.30 after an amazing little adventure.  It’s amazing what you can do if you get up at 03.45!

Pieces from pieces

Although nearly all my paintings are based on the Scottish upland landscape I do like to try and find new ways of interpreting it. I’ve spent nearly all of the last week working on an 80 x 80 cm canvas in oil.  It’s quite a loose piece and I’ve just used the large horse hair house painting brush to create the marks on it. 

Work in progress, February 14 2014 - Oil on Canvas

Work in progress, February 14 2014 – Oil on Canvas

The starting point for the piece was a section of a painting I did several years ago about the peaks of the Blackmount, in particular Clach Leath and it’s wonderful southern face that always seems to catch the snow .  In the winter months it stands out from most vantage points to the east, especially as you drive across the edge of Rannoch Moor on the A82 and in particular from the gentle ridge of Ghlas Bheinne.  I’ve taken numerous photos of it over the years as it always grabs your attention and in spring 2012 we walked right underneath it on two occasions as we headed up the glen from Ba Bridge.

Since starting to work once again in oil on canvas, I’ve wanted to try and create much more abstract paintings.  I want them still to be about the wild Scottish landscape but in a much looser way. I’ve created a number of these oil on canvas paintings over the last couple of years and am always trying to develop them.   I decided therefore to start from a slightly different place with these new paintings ….instead of using photographs and sketches I’ve selected a section from one of my earlier paintings.  This gives me a far more abstract starting point but one that is still landscape based.

As I say, the new painting is being created using just one brush ….a large coarse haired house painting brush approximately 7 inches wide and at least an inch thick.  I’ve been building the painting up using quite thick oil paint and putting it down in rough, raw strokes and a very limited palette.  This coarse haired brush leaves fine textures in the wet paint that once dry, gives an interesting surface over which to put down the next stroke.  The painting is still not finished but I think it is starting to go in the right direction.  The problem, as always, is trying to get the balance between the need by me to create a landscape painting as well as one that is abstract too……this can so easily lead to a painting that looks false and awkward.  Oh well, I’ve just ordered a load more paint so it’s just a case of keeping on painting and hopefully learning.  That I guess, is what painting for me is all about.