Loch Treig

On our recent visit to beautiful, if rather damp Lochaber we walked along the western shore of Loch Treig. We've seen this loch many times before as the West Highland Railway, which we have often used as it connects Fort William to Glasgow and Euston, runs along the length of its eastern shore - the line can be seen in this photo cutting through the trees on the far side of its waters.

In 1929, as part of the Lochaber hydro-electric scheme, the loch was deepened by building a dam at its northern end, its water then used to supply the power for Fort William and its aluminium smelting works.

There was a price to pay: the rising waters submerged the hamlets of Kinlochtreig and Creaguaineach at the loch's southern end, the West Highland Line had to be diverted, and an ancient drovers' road was lost. The scheme had a long-term effect as water was also taken from many local streams so they now run with much lower volumes; the Spean has suffered from this.

It was a beautiful walk through much softer countryside than the previous day's hike along the River Roy, and for the occasional moment the sun even appeared; and we found far more wildflowers in bloom. While along the Roy we found only lousewort, along the banks of Loch Treig we also found....

....eggs-and-bacon, milkwort and butterwort (above).

Only on our last morning in Lochaber did the weather finally relent, reminding us of the pellucid sunlight that is so typical of Scotland's west coast. This view of the Grey Corries was taken from our hotel's car park just before we set off home.