The Hollow Mountain

Our drive today took us down to Kilmelford for lunch at the little old Cuilfail pub. Nice lunch, would have been better if the fire had got going to warm us up. Then a drive over the old track to Loch Avich, and eventually Loch Awe. The sun shone all day! At times we were driving under beech arches, like a tunnel of gold light.

We had tea at the Tay Creggan Hotel on the shores of Loch Awe, empty of guests and the receptionist was taking the opportunity to paint the dining room! She was willing to break off and serve tea and shortbread, lit the fire for us and generally looked after us, charging us very little because she said she was out of uniform for serving.

Absolutely stunning views all the way, but the best was as we turned towards home and saw the amazing Ben Cruachan, (Cruach na Beinne in Gaelic), which lies to the east of Oban at the head of Loch Awe, at 1126m the highest point in Argyll.

“Situated amongst some of Scotland's most beautiful scenery, lying deep within Ben Cruachan is one of the country's most amazing engineering achievements.”

It’s the main peak in a ring of mountains known as the Cruachan Horseshoe surrounding the hydro power station resevoir. At the centre of the mountain is a massive cavern, big enough to take the Tower of London, where turbines convert the power of water into electricity. A-Ma-Zing.