Views from the A822

The A822 forms a relaxing and scenic alternative to the A9 if you’re travelling from Auchterarder to Dunkeld. Despite it being the height of the summer the traffic along the road on a weekday was very light though I needed to watch out for HGV’s and Coaches on the narrower sections. It passes through Sma’ Glen which is a popular stop off point beside the River Almond – here’s a shot I took seven years ago at Newton Bridge with Meall Reamhar standing bold against the skyline…

Moving on to photos taken this year. At the southern end of Sma’ Glen there is a parking area that I think the highways agency keep closing off and the locals keep re-opening as it gives beautiful views across the valley – from evidence on the ground it is a popular spot for young lovers 😉 This is a view of Dallick House from beside the A822. The foreground is populated by a Rowan tree, Heather and Rosebay Willowherb, which hide the River Almond in the valley below. The hills behind the house are Botich with Craig na Hash beyond…

Epi occasionally plays with a camera too – here she is not very well camouflaged in the bracken with Botich behind…

And this is the view that had captured her attention. Looking across the valley towards Stroness. The curve of the River Almond is marked by the trees in the left foreground though you won’t see the river itself. The van in the middle distance is on the B8063 heading towards Buchanty. If you open this photo in full view you can just make out some sheep grazing below Stroness – where there are remains of a Roman Fort……Where we are standing is close to the location of a Roman Signal station though there’s nothing to see here now. There is a very well preserved Roman Fort over at Braco which we visited on another day – to be posted about soon.

At the northern end of Sma’ Glen is the village of Amulree. Once again, there is a small layby which gives the opportunity to take a break and enjoy the view. This shot is looking across the valley of the River Braan, the path of which is marked by the heather and trees in the middle distance. Dalreoch Hill (left) and Creag Bhiorach (right) form the distant horizon…

And in this shot the houses of Amulree can be seen standing out in stark white against the summer greens and browns of the highlands. A pick-up drives south along the A822 on the right. The course of the River Braan passes in the dip beyond the field out of sight. On the extreme left of the photo the Ghirron Burn is just visible as it joins the Braan and its path can be traced across the photo to where it meanders behind the stand of trees in the middle distance. The distant horizon consists of Crom Chreag on the left and Glen Lochan with the steep slopes of Meall nam Fuaran glowing in the sunlight…