On a sunny Friday afternoon my husband – a passionate railway enthusiast – and I, set off for Loch Rannoch. Situated about 20 miles from Pitlochry, this is a strikingly beautiful area, with stunning mountain views, dense woodlands, meandering rivers and sparkling, clear lochs. Just east of Loch Rannoch, you can see one of Scotland’s most easily recognisable mountains, Schiehallion, with its distinctive conical peak. When translated the name means ‘The Fairy Hill of the Caledonians’. To the distant west is the awe-inspiring Glen Coe range. Loch Rannoch is over 9 miles long, running east to west. At its foot lies Kinloch Rannoch, a small, pleasant village steeped in history and very popular both with tourists and back packers as it offers a wide range of outdoor activities. At the head (west end) of the loch is an old mansion known as The Barracks, built after the Jacobite rising of 1745, the Braes of Rannoch parish church, and nearby, Bridge of Gaur.

Wildlife

Looking to the southern shore, there is the Black Wood of Rannoch. This is a remnant of the ancient Caledonian Pine Forest that once extended over vast areas of northern Scotland, and it has an abundance of wildlife, which includes pine martens, red squirrels and capercaillie. A Clan Trail, which recounts the history of the many clans who lived in this locality, encircles the loch. Our hotel was situated on the northern side of the loch. This side is known as An Slios Min – ‘The side of the gentle slopes’. Our room had fabulous views of the loch, and surrounding mountains and forests. After dinner, we strolled down to the shoreline, where the only sounds were the breeze moving through the trees and the gentle lapping of the water. Next morning, weighed down by weatherproof clothing, hiking boots, cameras, and tripods – not to mention the threatening, black rain clouds gathering overhead – we drove west along the northern shore, heading for Rannoch Moor. Towards the west end of the loch is ‘Eilean nam Faoileag’. This is an ancient crannog (an artificial island). Built entirely from stones, on a sandbank base, it is 17m long and 10m across – though originally it was much larger. It was accessed from the southern shore by a curved causeway. However, this can no longer be used because the level of the loch has been raised by about 2m in the last 30 years.

The tower on it is thought to have been built during the 19th century by a Baron Granbley. With the loch behind us, the scenery changed dramatically into untamed, exposed countryside and tumbling, rock strewn, rivers and streams. From this point, the narrow road continues on to Rannock Station, which sits in the middle of Rannoch Moor! The railway over Rannoch Moor took 5,000 men almost 5 years to build. This is the longest stretch of railway to be constructed all at once, and also one of the most difficult. The main problems were peat bogs and water. They covered the peat with brushwood, tree roots and thousands of tons of ash so that rail tracks could be floated across. Just north of Rannoch Station, where the bog was over 20 ft deep, a viaduct had to be built. It was slow, complex work, in the harshest of conditions, but Rannoch Station was finally opened to passengers in August 1894.

All mod cons

Today the station’s amenities include a very welcoming tearoom, and an interesting and informative visitor centre, which was opened by David Bellamy in September 2005. The station also provides free parking, toilets – and a telephone box. You may well find that your mobile phone does not work out here! Strapped into rucksacks full of heavy photographic equipment, we trudged off, through the mist and drizzle, in a murky daylight that, at 10.30 in the morning, was something more akin to dusk. After about half a mile, we left the rutted track we were following and clambered under shadowy, dripping wet, pine trees, their lower branches whipping my face, as we stumbled our way through. Eventually emerging from the trees, on to rough, saturated moorland we finally located the position from which to photograph the steam train. Very important this; you have to make sure that you will not be shooting into the sun when the train comes. We huddled together for warmth, ears straining for the sound of a whistle that would herald an approaching steam train. Happily, the train was only two and a half hours late! As we waited, the weather improved, and the delay also gave us the opportunity to enjoy some of the wildlife, which included a rather disgruntled barn owl. It had been roosting in the girders of the viaduct and was disturbed by people walking along the rail track – apart from being dangerous and foolhardy, this is also a serious offence.

The owl circled slowly around us, its underside glowing luminously white in the misty conditions, before finally returning to its roost. Next we saw a female hen harrier, identified by a dark brown back, with lighter markings on the wings and a conspicuous white patch, just above the tail feathers. She flew low over the ground, at times remarkably close to us, landing and taking off again as she hunted for prey. The distant rumbling of the train could be heard for some time before it eventually came into view. On arrival at the station, some of the passengers got off the train and milled around the station platform. We could see the bright flashes of light from their cameras as they took photographs of the train.

A toot of the whistle warned everyone to climb back on board. Then with a hiss of steam, another toot of the whistle and a plume of black smoke, the engine slowly pulled the train out of the station, struggling on the steep climb towards the viaduct. As it came past us, we shot our photographs – in black and white because of the gloomy conditions – and then waved to the passengers who’d spotted us on the hillside. Our rucksacks re-packed, we trailed back across the isolated moor, returning to Rannoch Station, cold, tired, hungry and reeking of insect repellent, and enjoyed what seemed at the time to be the most welcome and delicious tea and sandwiches we’d ever tasted. Sunday dawned bright and breezy. And the sun was shinning.

The heather was displaying itself outrageously and extensively, in vivid and vibrant hues of pinks and purple. What a transformation! It was so beautiful, and so difficult to believe that this was the same ‘dreich’ setting we’d been standing in yesterday. The weather certainly dictates the mood of this landscape. Ranging from brooding to a fantastic sense of beauty and wide open space on brighter days. There is something truly indefinable about Rannoch that reaches in to your soul and leaves you yearning to return.

field facts

For details of the Jacobite Steam Train. Tel: 01524 732 100 www. westcoastrailways. co.uk