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Duke's Pass campsite of 1961
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One of my rituals most weeks in recent years has been to drive over the Duke's pass on Sunday to collect Ellie, my 92 year old mother in law, and bring her over for lunch. It is a pleasure on days like this when the traffic and even the cyclists have hibernated for the winter and the bright noon sunshine brings out the late autumn colours. Today brought back childhood memories as I drove over the Duke's pass that I first visited on a family holiday in 1961 when we camped above Aberfoyle to split the 2 day journey home from Lovett Bridge at Beauly after a fortnight's tour of the north of Scotland.
I took some time out from the usual trip today and stopped by Loch Venachar. I walked along the shore mesmerised by the clarity of the views and the shadows cast by the oak and birch woodlands that stretch down to the Loch. When I picked up Ellie, she was elegantly dressed and greeted me as always with a hug. Our usual easy chat was put on hold as we absorbed the views and landscapes that changed with every twist and turn of the journey. Despite having made this journey with Ellie on hundreds of occasions, today seemed very special. We were at one with each other and with the stunning scenery that made the journey memorable.
Postscript: And so it was, it turned out to be the last time we travelled over the Duke's Pass. We made another trip in December on the longer route through Callander, she thought the Duke's pass would be too dangerous in the icy conditions. But after two spells in hospital immediately after Christmas Ellie died peacefully in hospital on 11 January 2014.
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| Loch Venachar |
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| View of Ben Venue |
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| Oak woodlands |
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| Winter water |
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| Winter Noon December |
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| Foothills of Ben Ledi |
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