A ride to Loch Ossian offers great scenery, some challenging terrain… and a chilling sense of isolation
IT was as calm a moment as I’d everexperienced. Arriving at Corrour Station,I’d gone for shelter to one of the platform benches for my sandwich, but it wasn’t strictly necessary – the air was still, and nothing was falling from the sky, despite its grey heaviness.
Niall was crunching through the thin snow nearby, exploring the quirky signs and photo opportunities at this famously remote spot. The sign with onward travel information was emphatic in its affirmation of our isolation. Taxis? Nope. Buses? Nope. Just a freephone helpline. We were adrift in a sea of scrubby white.
At this furthest point of our ride to Loch Ossian, we must have been about 25km from where we parked up on the A86. I’d told Niall that the whole ride would be little more than 35km, but I think I’d made that number up. Not being deliberately deceptive, I just couldn’t remember – but I did know that it would take us less than four hours, and at this time of year that was what mattered most.
It felt foolish to stop moving. Maybe because the silence was so overwhelming. Maybe because you could feel the danger signs of your body cooling almost immediately. Maybe just because on short days in big country, the whole thing feels like a race against time.
Denne historien er fra March 2018-utgaven av The Scots Magazine.
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Denne historien er fra March 2018-utgaven av The Scots Magazine.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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The Bliss Of A Bothy
After a strenuous walk, a mountain shelter can offer all you need
The Long Way Round
When you can only just see the stepping stones under a river in spate, it's time to re-think the route, as two Highland adventurers found out
The New Oyster Cult
A community is helping to restore the once rich biodiversity of Loch Craignish, one species at a time
A Poet's Sanctuary
Hidden on a hilltop, writer Dominic Cooper is inspired by the wild, stormy winters of the Ardnamurchan peninsula
A Rural Housing Crisis
Across Scotland, locals are being priced out and crowded out - but communities are now working hard to address the issue
A Historic Centre
Glasgow's Mercat Cross may not be as old as it appears but it's still seen many changes, along with an ebb and flow in prosperity
A Bird With A Brain
Jim's encounters with the raven in several northern countries have only increased his respect for its intellect and ingenuity
The Warrior King
On the 750th anniversary of his birth, Robert The Bruce's legacy as cultural keystone and historical enigma continues to fascinate
All Going Swimmingly
From Tutti Frutti to Shetland, Monarch Of The Glen to Granite Harbour, Dawn Steele's heart will always be in Scotland - and the sea
Following The Coos
The latest charity art trail aims to a-moos-e and delight visitors to Perth and Kinross this summer
