Cairngorms - 40th Birthday Celebrations (February 2024)
Nestled amidst the majestic Scottish Highlands lies a realm of natural beauty, with rugged mountains, ancient forests and tranquil lochs. The Cairngorms National Park, a haven for adventurers, nature enthusiasts, and, of course, landscape photographers like myself.
I embarked on the 8 hour drive north, armed with my camera gear and hopes for some good winter conditions in the mountains. Our base was in Aviemore, a resort town that has become somewhat of a regular holiday location for us despite the lengthy drive from Barnsley. Another reason for week long trip was that I celebrated my 40th birthday whilst we were away, a step into the next chapter of my life.
Loch Vaa, near Aviemore
As we ventured around the Cairngorms throughout the week, we experience all weather types. The weather in the Highlands is as unpredictable as it is breathtaking. Throughout our trip, we experienced a rollercoaster of conditions – from gentle rain to bursts of sunshine mixed with snow and morning mist hanging over the locations of the rivers and lochs. There was plenty of snow higher up on the Cairngorm Mountain range but none at lower levels. We didn’t manage to go skiing on this trip due to the lack of snow higher up the mountain leading to incomplete uplift and runs. We therefore, stuck to walks around the lochs and forest and of course the traditional trip to the Ski-ing Do bar.
Glenmore Forest
I always find the clean air invigorating, the pace of life in the highlands is much more to my liking and I hope to make another trip next winter with the hope of a little more snow!
