Hills of Britain and Ireland
OS Map of Creag nan Calman
Height: 661m / 2169ft • Prominence: 65m / 213ft • Summit : cairn on outcrop • Trip reports (hill-bagging)
Beautiful morning in Glen Affric, Inverness-shire, Scotland.
Poem. This place is magical, It draws me back like a magnet. Its beauty, peace, wildlife, trees, lochs, islands and vistas are mesmerising and enchanting. Soon, I know the place, I will travel there again and capture the most beautiful of all my images. This is just an hors d’oeuvre, a small, modest starter, to tease the eye and ache the soul. Heaven awaits the click of the shutter.
05-Aug-16 • Scotland by NJC. • flickr
tomich scotland unitedkingdom 53968378565
On the track from Cougie to Affric Lodge, this view northwards takes in some of the Munros on the northern side of Glen Affric, Glen Affric National Nature Reserve, Inverness-shire, Scotland.
Poem. Untamed. Raw. Pristine. Unspoiled. Grand. Remote. Peaceful. Sobering. Magnificent. Awe-inspiring. This is Glen Affric. This image was taken from a hill to the north of the path from Cougie to Allt Garbh, already 1,300 feet up. Peaks here rise to nigh on 4,000 feet, the greatest elevation in the North-West Highlands. But it is the lochs, tantalising pine-laden, fresh-water islands, trees, rivers, hills, mountains, waterfalls, tracks and abundance of superlative wildlife, that makes this glen, irresistible. A stunning, fabulous and quite unforgettable place.
05-Aug-16 • Scotland by NJC. • flickr
54225616166
The remarkable beauty of Loch nan Gillean on the track from Cougie to Loch Affric in Glen Affric, Inverness-shire, Scotland.
Commentary. There must be thirty thousand lochans like this, and smaller, across the Highlands. But on this day at 07:27am, in early August, this one seemed like mine. Three-quarters of the way to the West coast and nearly twenty miles beyond the last “proper” road, at Cannich, the footpath beyond Tomich, Plodda and Cougie leads here. Seemingly, this is nowhere. Pure wilderness. And yet this place fringes the southern flank of Glen Affric National Nature Reserve, a magnificent and resplendent location for wildlife and scenery. Repeated a hundred times in this glen, Loch nan Gillean, presents this tantalising view. What the hill Creag nan Calman lacks in height, compared to the peaks north of the glen, it makes up for in symmetry and the beauty of its heather-clad lower slopes interspersed with new stands of spruce pine. The shallow reed-laden lochan reflects a summer sky, and a verdant landscape of total serenity. It demands that you stop, drink, eat, photograph and ponder how lucky we can be to share this breathtakingly simple, but exquisite scene.
05-Aug-16 • Scotland by NJC. • flickr
beauly scotland unitedkingdom 54341099226
The remarkable beauty of Loch nan Gillean on the track from Cougie to Loch Affric in Glen Affric, Inverness-shire, Scotland.
Commentary. There must be thirty thousand lochans like this, and smaller, across the Highlands. But on this day at 07:27am, in early August, this one seemed like mine. Three-quarters of the way to the West coast and nearly twenty miles beyond the last “proper” road, at Cannich, the footpath beyond Tomich, Plodda and Cougie leads here. Seemingly, this is nowhere. Pure wilderness. And yet this place fringes the southern flank of Glen Affric National Nature Reserve, a magnificent and resplendent location for wildlife and scenery. Repeated a hundred times in this glen, Loch nan Gillean, presents this tantalising view. What the hill Creag nan Calman lacks in height, compared to the peaks north of the glen, it makes up for in symmetry and the beauty of its heather-clad lower slopes interspersed with new stands of spruce pine. The shallow reed-laden lochan reflects a summer sky, and a verdant landscape of total serenity. It demands that you stop, drink, eat, photograph and ponder how lucky we can be to share this breathtakingly simple, but exquisite scene.
05-Aug-16 • Scotland by NJC. • flickr
54151868507
The remarkable beauty of Loch nan Gillean on the track from Cougie to Loch Affric in Glen Affric, Inverness-shire, Scotland.
Commentary. There must be thirty thousand lochans like this, and smaller, across the Highlands. But on this day at 07:27am, in early August, this one seemed like mine. Three-quarters of the way to the West coast and nearly twenty miles beyond the last “proper” road, at Cannich, the footpath beyond Tomich, Plodda and Cougie leads here. Seemingly, this is nowhere. Pure wilderness. And yet this place fringes the southern flank of Glen Affric National Nature Reserve, a magnificent and resplendent location for wildlife and scenery. Repeated a hundred times in this glen, Loch nan Gillean, presents this tantalising view. What the hill Creag nan Calman lacks in height, compared to the peaks north of the glen, it makes up for in symmetry and the beauty of its heather-clad lower slopes interspersed with new stands of spruce pine. The shallow reed-laden lochan reflects a summer sky, and a verdant landscape of total serenity. It demands that you stop, drink, eat, photograph and ponder how lucky we can be to share this breathtakingly simple, but exquisite scene.
05-Aug-16 • Scotland by NJC. • flickr
53982298370
The remarkable beauty of Loch nan Gillean on the track from Cougie to Loch Affric in Glen Affric, Inverness-shire, Scotland.
Commentary. There must be thirty thousand lochans like this, and smaller, across the Highlands. But on this day at 07:27am, in early August, this one seemed like mine. Three-quarters of the way to the West coast and nearly twenty miles beyond the last “proper” road, at Cannich, the footpath beyond Tomich, Plodda and Cougie leads here. Seemingly, this is nowhere. Pure wilderness. And yet this place fringes the southern flank of Glen Affric National Nature Reserve, a magnificent and resplendent location for wildlife and scenery. Repeated a hundred times in this glen, Loch nan Gillean, presents this tantalising view. What the hill Creag nan Calman lacks in height, compared to the peaks north of the glen, it makes up for in symmetry and the beauty of its heather-clad lower slopes interspersed with new stands of spruce pine. The shallow reed-laden lochan reflects a summer sky, and a verdant landscape of total serenity. It demands that you stop, drink, eat, photograph and ponder how lucky we can be to share this breathtakingly simple, but exquisite scene.
05-Aug-16 • Scotland by NJC. • flickr
53901727195
OS Map
This is OS mapping. In some areas, OpenStreetMap shows more footpaths
Spatial NI has online OSNI mapping. Click "Basemap Gallery" (4 squares icon at the top).
Now would be a good time for a cup of tea.
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Photos
Please tag your photos and upload them to the British and Irish Mountains group on Flickr
The other photos have been geo-tagged as on or around the summit. For less busy mountains, it can be a little hit and miss.
Beautiful morning in Glen Affric, Inverness-shire, Scotland.
Poem. This place is magical, It draws me back like a magnet. Its beauty, peace, wildlife, trees, lochs, islands and vistas are mesmerising and enchanting. Soon, I know the place, I will travel there again and capture the most beautiful of all my images. This is just an hors d’oeuvre, a small, modest starter, to tease the eye and ache the soul. Heaven awaits the click of the shutter.
05-Aug-16 • Scotland by NJC. • flickr
tomich scotland unitedkingdom 53968378565
On the track from Cougie to Affric Lodge, this view northwards takes in some of the Munros on the northern side of Glen Affric, Glen Affric National Nature Reserve, Inverness-shire, Scotland.
Poem. Untamed. Raw. Pristine. Unspoiled. Grand. Remote. Peaceful. Sobering. Magnificent. Awe-inspiring. This is Glen Affric. This image was taken from a hill to the north of the path from Cougie to Allt Garbh, already 1,300 feet up. Peaks here rise to nigh on 4,000 feet, the greatest elevation in the North-West Highlands. But it is the lochs, tantalising pine-laden, fresh-water islands, trees, rivers, hills, mountains, waterfalls, tracks and abundance of superlative wildlife, that makes this glen, irresistible. A stunning, fabulous and quite unforgettable place.
05-Aug-16 • Scotland by NJC. • flickr
54225616166
The remarkable beauty of Loch nan Gillean on the track from Cougie to Loch Affric in Glen Affric, Inverness-shire, Scotland.
Commentary. There must be thirty thousand lochans like this, and smaller, across the Highlands. But on this day at 07:27am, in early August, this one seemed like mine. Three-quarters of the way to the West coast and nearly twenty miles beyond the last “proper” road, at Cannich, the footpath beyond Tomich, Plodda and Cougie leads here. Seemingly, this is nowhere. Pure wilderness. And yet this place fringes the southern flank of Glen Affric National Nature Reserve, a magnificent and resplendent location for wildlife and scenery. Repeated a hundred times in this glen, Loch nan Gillean, presents this tantalising view. What the hill Creag nan Calman lacks in height, compared to the peaks north of the glen, it makes up for in symmetry and the beauty of its heather-clad lower slopes interspersed with new stands of spruce pine. The shallow reed-laden lochan reflects a summer sky, and a verdant landscape of total serenity. It demands that you stop, drink, eat, photograph and ponder how lucky we can be to share this breathtakingly simple, but exquisite scene.
05-Aug-16 • Scotland by NJC. • flickr
beauly scotland unitedkingdom 54341099226
The remarkable beauty of Loch nan Gillean on the track from Cougie to Loch Affric in Glen Affric, Inverness-shire, Scotland.
Commentary. There must be thirty thousand lochans like this, and smaller, across the Highlands. But on this day at 07:27am, in early August, this one seemed like mine. Three-quarters of the way to the West coast and nearly twenty miles beyond the last “proper” road, at Cannich, the footpath beyond Tomich, Plodda and Cougie leads here. Seemingly, this is nowhere. Pure wilderness. And yet this place fringes the southern flank of Glen Affric National Nature Reserve, a magnificent and resplendent location for wildlife and scenery. Repeated a hundred times in this glen, Loch nan Gillean, presents this tantalising view. What the hill Creag nan Calman lacks in height, compared to the peaks north of the glen, it makes up for in symmetry and the beauty of its heather-clad lower slopes interspersed with new stands of spruce pine. The shallow reed-laden lochan reflects a summer sky, and a verdant landscape of total serenity. It demands that you stop, drink, eat, photograph and ponder how lucky we can be to share this breathtakingly simple, but exquisite scene.
05-Aug-16 • Scotland by NJC. • flickr
54151868507
The remarkable beauty of Loch nan Gillean on the track from Cougie to Loch Affric in Glen Affric, Inverness-shire, Scotland.
Commentary. There must be thirty thousand lochans like this, and smaller, across the Highlands. But on this day at 07:27am, in early August, this one seemed like mine. Three-quarters of the way to the West coast and nearly twenty miles beyond the last “proper” road, at Cannich, the footpath beyond Tomich, Plodda and Cougie leads here. Seemingly, this is nowhere. Pure wilderness. And yet this place fringes the southern flank of Glen Affric National Nature Reserve, a magnificent and resplendent location for wildlife and scenery. Repeated a hundred times in this glen, Loch nan Gillean, presents this tantalising view. What the hill Creag nan Calman lacks in height, compared to the peaks north of the glen, it makes up for in symmetry and the beauty of its heather-clad lower slopes interspersed with new stands of spruce pine. The shallow reed-laden lochan reflects a summer sky, and a verdant landscape of total serenity. It demands that you stop, drink, eat, photograph and ponder how lucky we can be to share this breathtakingly simple, but exquisite scene.
05-Aug-16 • Scotland by NJC. • flickr
53982298370
The remarkable beauty of Loch nan Gillean on the track from Cougie to Loch Affric in Glen Affric, Inverness-shire, Scotland.
Commentary. There must be thirty thousand lochans like this, and smaller, across the Highlands. But on this day at 07:27am, in early August, this one seemed like mine. Three-quarters of the way to the West coast and nearly twenty miles beyond the last “proper” road, at Cannich, the footpath beyond Tomich, Plodda and Cougie leads here. Seemingly, this is nowhere. Pure wilderness. And yet this place fringes the southern flank of Glen Affric National Nature Reserve, a magnificent and resplendent location for wildlife and scenery. Repeated a hundred times in this glen, Loch nan Gillean, presents this tantalising view. What the hill Creag nan Calman lacks in height, compared to the peaks north of the glen, it makes up for in symmetry and the beauty of its heather-clad lower slopes interspersed with new stands of spruce pine. The shallow reed-laden lochan reflects a summer sky, and a verdant landscape of total serenity. It demands that you stop, drink, eat, photograph and ponder how lucky we can be to share this breathtakingly simple, but exquisite scene.
05-Aug-16 • Scotland by NJC. • flickr
53901727195
The remarkable beauty of Loch nan Gillean on the track from Cougie to Loch Affric in Glen Affric, Inverness-shire, Scotland.
Commentary. There must be thirty thousand lochans like this, and smaller, across the Highlands. But on this day at 07:27am, in early August, this one seemed like mine. Three-quarters of the way to the West coast and nearly twenty miles beyond the last “proper” road, at Cannich, the footpath beyond Tomich, Plodda and Cougie leads here. Seemingly, this is nowhere. Pure wilderness. And yet this place fringes the southern flank of Glen Affric National Nature Reserve, a magnificent and resplendent location for wildlife and scenery. Repeated a hundred times in this glen, Loch nan Gillean, presents this tantalising view. What the hill Creag nan Calman lacks in height, compared to the peaks north of the glen, it makes up for in symmetry and the beauty of its heather-clad lower slopes interspersed with new stands of spruce pine. The shallow reed-laden lochan reflects a summer sky, and a verdant landscape of total serenity. It demands that you stop, drink, eat, photograph and ponder how lucky we can be to share this breathtakingly simple, but exquisite scene.
05-Aug-16 • Scotland by NJC. • flickr
53757997026
The remarkable beauty of Loch nan Gillean on the track from Cougie to Loch Affric in Glen Affric, Inverness-shire, Scotland.
Commentary. There must be thirty thousand lochans like this, and smaller, across the Highlands. But on this day at 07:27am, in early August, this one seemed like mine. Three-quarters of the way to the West coast and nearly twenty miles beyond the last “proper” road, at Cannich, the footpath beyond Tomich, Plodda and Cougie leads here. Seemingly, this is nowhere. Pure wilderness. And yet this place fringes the southern flank of Glen Affric National Nature Reserve, a magnificent and resplendent location for wildlife and scenery. Repeated a hundred times in this glen, Loch nan Gillean, presents this tantalising view. What the hill Creag nan Calman lacks in height, compared to the peaks north of the glen, it makes up for in symmetry and the beauty of its heather-clad lower slopes interspersed with new stands of spruce pine. The shallow reed-laden lochan reflects a summer sky, and a verdant landscape of total serenity. It demands that you stop, drink, eat, photograph and ponder how lucky we can be to share this breathtakingly simple, but exquisite scene.
05-Aug-16 • Scotland by NJC. • flickr
53618847280
The remarkable beauty of Loch nan Gillean on the track from Cougie to Loch Affric in Glen Affric, Inverness-shire, Scotland.
Commentary. There must be thirty thousand lochans like this, and smaller, across the Highlands. But on this day at 07:27am, in early August, this one seemed like mine. Three-quarters of the way to the West coast and nearly twenty miles beyond the last “proper” road, at Cannich, the footpath beyond Tomich, Plodda and Cougie leads here. Seemingly, this is nowhere. Pure wilderness. And yet this place fringes the southern flank of Glen Affric National Nature Reserve, a magnificent and resplendent location for wildlife and scenery. Repeated a hundred times in this glen, Loch nan Gillean, presents this tantalising view. What the hill Creag nan Calman lacks in height, compared to the peaks north of the glen, it makes up for in symmetry and the beauty of its heather-clad lower slopes interspersed with new stands of spruce pine. The shallow reed-laden lochan reflects a summer sky, and a verdant landscape of total serenity. It demands that you stop, drink, eat, photograph and ponder how lucky we can be to share this breathtakingly simple, but exquisite scene.
05-Aug-16 • Scotland by NJC. • flickr
53478923381
Beautiful reflections in the shallow, reed-laden Loch nan Gillean, Glen Affric, Inverness-shire, Scotland.
Commentary. There are several routes into Glen Affric. This one started at Cannich, on a single-track road to Tomich. After a couple of miles, the gorge into which Plodda Falls plunge, appears on the right. The road ceases soon after and a footpath/bridleway continues for another few miles to a farmstead called “Cougie.” Westwards from here the path is in the wild, but, actually, enters Glen Affric National Nature Reserve. Through forest and moor, deer-fence gates, across burns and bridges, the path veers northwards towards the main glen. Small foothills, Loch Beinn a’ Mheadhoin and Affric, eventually come into view. The mountains on the northern side of this stupendous glen stand timeless and imperious. Loch nan Gillean, in shot, is just one of many lochs and lochans in the area. On this clear, blue-sky morning this shallow, reed-laden, stretch of water reflected the astoundingly beautiful hillsides of Spruce, Pine and Birch in its still and silent waters.
05-Aug-16 • Scotland by NJC. • flickr
54220139127
Videos
None found
Notes
- Data: Database of British and Irish Hills v18.2
- Maps: We use OS mapping for England, Scotland, Wales, and the Isle of Man. Sadly, Channel Islands, Northern (OSNI) and Southern Ireland (OSI) mapping isn't available online, so we use Openstreetmap.