Our next journey was to my absolute favourite place, Glencoe. I've always loved visiting this beautiful area and it's filled with memories of all my previous holidays. It also reminds me of my granny who passed away when I was wee. She loved the west coast and I remember my holidays with her to this area. Every time I return it brings forth all these memories. Here she is in the photo above, fishing in Glencoe with the cottage in the background that I drew for my most recent drawing, 'The Keeper's Cottage'. It really is a very special place for me.
Our first stop was to the Glencoe Lochan which I have walked around many times over the years. It's an incredibly peaceful place full of wildlife including some ducks who gave us a friendly welcome.
It was a lovely still day and the water reflected the scenery around it beautifully. I loved the reflections of the reeds in the water as they looked like scribbly pen drawings.
The woodland here reminds me of the Forbidden Forest in Harry Potter. Some scenes from the Harry Potter films were actually filmed in Glencoe and I remember being very disappointed having missed seeing the cast and crew by a couple of weeks when on holiday one year. I very much wanted to meet my favourite character, Draco Malfoy played by Tom Felton and I was even more disappointed to hear that the staff from Glencoe Visitor Centre had met him! I still keep an eye out for the areas that I know they filmed in, including the hill where Hagrid's Hut was built.
I took lots of photos of the plants surrounding the walk for some drawing and painting reference. I didn't alter any of these photos as all the vibrancy was natural and didn't need altered at all. I have so many ideas in my head for future drawing work which is a great feeling.
The lochan itself was created by Donald Alexander Smith who was the 1st Baron Strathcona and Mount Royal. He acquired the Glencoe Estate in 1895 and moved across from Canada with his wife. Unfortunately she was incredibly homesick so he created the lochan and replanted plants brought from Canada to try and make her feel more at home.
It's a really beautiful spot for a walk and I really recommend taking some time out and having a wander here if you're passing through the area.
We then headed to the mountains and sat taking in the wonderful views. I could sit and look at the mountains of Glencoe forever. The atmosphere is incredible, whether sunny or rainy. To be honest, I love it when the weather closes in and the wind howls down the misty glen. The sunny day we had there was perfect for capturing photos though.
The sun really brought out the detail in the rock face. I took lots of photos of the mountains for future drawings as I'm planning on doing more and this time even bigger! I better start ordering new pen refills...
Above is my favourite part of Glencoe as I've always imagined walking up the centre next to the waterfall. There is a path which you can see on the left and one day I'd love to do this walk. I just need to get my knees fixed first as dislocating knees on a mountain wouldn't be a good idea.
I hope you've enjoyed looking at these photos and taking in the detail. I'd be repeating myself if I kept telling you how beautiful I think Glencoe is. The photos don't even do it justice as you really need to be standing at the foot of these mountains to really feel the atmosphere. I hope to return again very soon.
If you missed out on my other holiday posts you can see part one here, part two here and part three here. Part five will be coming soon!
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