15th May

In a previous post (sometime way back in April!) I discussed the twisty little thread of a road that leads south from Lochinver to meet up with the Achiltbuie and Summer Isles road about 15 miles to the south. This road is so small that it does not even warrant a B road designation of Google Earth. I drove along this road on my way to Stac Pollaidh thinking that it would be a 30 minute jaunt. It actually took me about 1.5 hours and that was not even counting the stops for photographs!

The photo stops were well worth it however leading me to wonder what else is to be found along some of these tiny roads that criss-cross all parts of Scotland. For the next few posts I will assail you with some images taken while travelling along this road but tonight I will start off by showing some images of what I call the 'Forest Grotto' which is located a few miles before reaching the parking lot that marks the start of the Stac Pollaidh walk. This is a beautiful and atmospheric little depression at the side of the road that caught my eye as I drove past because of its fairy tale like quality. It looks like it could have come straight out of a Tolkien book and I can imagine elves dancing here in the dead of night (this is what happens when one spends too much time alone). See if you agree with me. The photos I took, interestingly enough, show me getting more and more 'into' the grotto, starting from the outside then homing in on more detailed views. It's certainly one way to get to know a place. From outside to inside, these are the images: