Rannoch Moor and the river Ba

Although everyone stops on the A82 to get their photos of the Blackmount Estate, few people venture far from the road.

Over the years, I have walked and even cycled over most parts of the moors. I have attached some photographs of a favourite walk beside the river Ba, which crosses the West Highland Way at Ba bridge then continues deep into the heart of Coireach a’ Ba, one of the largest Coires in Scotland. The waters of the river Ba eventually meet the sea at Dundee because it’s a tributary of the river Tay

The walk follows the edge of Lochan na Stainge and heads towards the mountain of Clach Leathad



Ancient tree stumps are often brought to the surface of the peat bogs by the torrential rain and then washed into the river Ba. Here one is frozen in the ice of Lochan na Stainge



Across the river, the steep snow covered slopes of Stob a Choire Odhair and the Aonach Mor ridge form the south western walls of the Coireach A Ba



The early morning mist clearing from Stob a Choire Odhair and the Aonach Mor ridge form the backdrop to this photograph of Lochan na Stainge



Following the river , you eventually come to Ba bridge which is where the old drove road, now part of the West Highland Way Walk, crosses the river Ba.



Heading into the coire from Ba Bridge, the river tumbles in little waterfalls and fast flowing rapids



You can follow the river further into the Coire but it gets very boggy and wet in there. You can disappear without a trace in the deep dark peat pools if you didn’t watch where you were standing. I shall post some photos shortly to show what it’s like walking in the heart of “The Moss” where few people venture.



It was the photograph I took of Ba Bridge that inspired me to do this watercolour painting