Loch Kinord and Burn O'Vat

Yesterday, I went on a 4 mile walk/hike. I joined the walkabout group to the Muir of Dinnet, a nature reserve that has a trail around Loch Kinord which leads to Burn O'Vat.  The reserve is about 45 minutes west of Aberdeen.  The drive was scenic.  We passed a few small towns, I guess they would be suburbs of Aberdeen, that were cute.  I need to convince Ram to drive out there so we can golf and then have high tea:)

The term "loch" refers to lakes.  There were some interesting facts I learned about this place.  Loch Kinord and Loch Davan, are a product of the last Ice Age.  When the glaciers melted, the lochs formed in the dents that the glaciers left behind.  This was over 10,000 years ago! The loch trail leads to the Burn O'Vat, a large rock amphitheatre carved out of rock by glacial activity from the last Ice Age.

That Vat is a cauldron-shaped pothole, wide at the base and smaller above.  This is possibly the finest meltwater-carve feature in Britain.  Over centuries, the Vat has been visited by rogues and royalty.  Queen Victoria even managed to scramble inside the Vat.  When we arrived at the Vat, however, the water was so high, I was unable to cross over the rocks to the place where the natural cave-like formation was created.

The entire trail was rocky and muddy but the views were picturesque.  It took us 2.5 hours to make the journey, despite the weather.  It rained constantly and we also encountered a bout of hail (brrr).  But when the rain stopped periodically, out came a bright rainbow.  That was the second one I saw that day. I felt like I was in a movie.

I'm glad I had on my rain jacket but wish I had invested in some water proof pants and shoes! Despite the bad weather, I completed the walk without falling! (Though  by the way my clothes looked afterwards, you wouldn't have been able to tell).  Over here the rain doesn't stop anybody from doing anything.  It's not a reason to stay home.  I'm slowly learning to just embrace the rain and get on with it.  No point in staying home when there's so much to see!

Loch Kinord

Do you see the rainbow? 

                                         

Getting closer to the Burn O'Vat

                                         

Some of us were trying to get through the water inside

                                                 

Played it safe and took a pic near the mouth of the cave-like formation

                                   

New Friends! 

Awesome view from the top