A Wood in Winter

The day did not go entirely as expected.

After a fascinating  start  at Cruachan helping to re-open their upgraded visitor centre now that the power station has been taken over by Drax (and visiting the turbine hall under the mountain for a second time, on a day when they were about to re-fit one of the massive turbine blades) I was meant to be going on to Kerrera with Paul Wheelhouse, the Islands and Ferry Minister.  

However the weather which was bad enough early on had deteriorated even further and the ferry had been cancelled.   Moreover a couple of people from the island who had suggested they came over to Oban to see us instead decided (quite rightly) that conditions were even too bad for that.

So eventually I made my way  home through what was a wet, blown about landscape though one not without beauty, as this picture of an old wood in Cowal shows.

On of my extra photos is  from the inside of Cruachan and shows the turbine housing waiting  for the refurbished  blade to be fitted.   The other is a sign that would have been seen everywhere across the north and west of Scotland today.