IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
High Street, ABERLOUR, AB38 9QD

The River Spey flows for 107 miles northeast across the Highlands of Scotland into the North Sea. It rises at about 1,150 feet in the Corrieyairack Forest and derives tributaries from the Monadhliath Mountains, the Grampian Mountains, and the Cairngorms. In its wider, lower valley of Strathspey, it swings between great sweeps of terraces and finally enters the sea by a shifting mouth across a shingle spit between Buckie and Lossiemouth. It is famous for salmon and its valley is known for high-quality whisky distilleries. Donated to the village of Aberlour in 1980 by Sydney Littler, the Alice Littler Park is the site of the annual Aberlour Highland Games.

This was originally the rectory of St Margaret's Episcopal Church next door.

It's worth toiling up the brae from the suspension bridge to enjoy the views over the River Spey, but next time I am going to do it in the afternoon so that I can photograph the whole view without looking straight into the sun!

When Charlestown of Aberlour was founded, it is said, the residents used stones from the bed of the River Spey to build their houses. This alley seems to bear this out, being built of irregularly shaped rounded stones of a variety of rock types and colours.

A fish has taken the fly and here we have the early stages of the fight. At this stage the angler wonders if it is a fresh-run salmon or a kelt. It turned out to be a kelt but this does not detract from the joy of the true salmon angler where the initial pluck of the fly by the salmon or kelt makes the heart race.

This was the gate lodge to the Aberlour Orphanage. The development was completed between 1896 and 1906 and, as well as the orphanage, included a church (Image), a rectory (Image) and a school. The orphanage was closed in 1967 when there was a move towards smaller group homes for the children. The school and orphanage have been demolished and now there is housing and a care home on the site. Only the orphanage's clock tower remains (Image).

This cottage next to Image], the former St Margaret's Rectory, has a carving of a bishop's mitre in the centre of the gable.

The struggle is over and once the ghillie is certain that the fish has fully recovered it is released to complete its downstream journey to the sea and hopefully make a return to the river once again. Bon voyage!!