We leave early for a 1,5 hour drive to Loch An Alein (loch of the island), famous for winning the public award of Brittain’s favourite picknick spot.
We arrive at 10. It’s a 5KM hike in an old pine tree forest around a lake. In the middle of the lake is an island with 14th century castle ruins. The castle was build against marauding clan war bands, who used the so-called ‘Thieves’ Road’ along the eastern shores of the loch to descend on Strathspey in search of plunder.
Hills rise on the horizon. It’s a sunny day and it’s still quiet. We look for the red squirrel and we think we hear it every now and then, but we don’t spot it. We just see dozens of ducks. We have some sandwhiches with us that we eat half way at a scenic spot indeed.
We’re back at our car at 12, still hungry as the single sandwhich was not enough, but it’s all we have with us and there are no supermarkets nor bakeries nearby. The next stop is closeby, RSPB Loch Garten Osprey Centre, another pine forest but now with many information signs explaining wild life we normally would not notice, like mushrooms, lychen, types of heather or signs on small trees explaining they can be hundreds years old but still small because of the poor soil.
After a short walk we arrive at the visitor center where we see the Ospreys through telescope lenses and on live screens (you can also check them out here). One on the nest and one guardening the nest. There are also precise biographies on the white board explaining how the nesting and flirting went in the past months. Unfortunately there is no offspring this year.
There are also many other birds: woodpeckers, finches, doves, tits, but no red squirrel. We drink a cup of tea, take some more pictures and go back home.
We pass by the most beautiful distellery of Scotland on our way back to buy a birthday present for Opa Jan, and are back home at 17, just in time for a swimming pool session before dinner time.
