Mar Lodge Estate National Nature Reserve
Mar Lodge Estate National Nature Reserve is a stunning natural wonderland located in the heart of the Cairngorms National Park in Scotland. This vast estate covers over 29,000 hectares of pristine wilderness, including ancient forests, rugged mountains, and sparkling rivers. It is home to a diverse range of wildlife, including red deer, golden eagles, and otters. For photographers, Mar Lodge Estate offers a wealth of stunning locations to capture the beauty of the Scottish Highlands. From the dramatic peaks of the Cairngorms to the tranquil waters of the River Dee, there are endless opportunities to capture breathtaking landscapes and wildlife in their natural habitat.
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Glen Lui is one of the major glens on the Mar Lodge Estate, Braemar, Scotland. Its main watercourse is the Lui Water a tributary of the River Dee, which it joins about a half-mile downstream from the Linn of Dee.
This is a close up of the top of the Linn of Quoich in the Cairngorms, Scotland. A Linn is narrow, steep sided groove that a watercourse has cut through a shelf of hard rock. The river Quoich flows down from it's source high on Beinn a Bhuird in quite a gentle way (unless it is in spate after heavy rain), until it reaches the Linn. Here all the water rushes through a deep slot in the rock that is only a couple of feet wide, before calming down again to join up with the River Dee a bit further downstream. I decided to go for the close up of the top of the Linn as I rather liked the dappled effect of quite strong sunlight breaking through the surrounding trees - sunlight being a bit of a novelty on this trip....
Glen Lui is one of the major glens on the Mar Lodge Estate, in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. Its main watercourse is the Lui Water a tributary of the River Dee. This is a great walk up through the Glen to the now disused Derry Lodge, once the accommodation and hunting ground’s of the Royal Family.
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The river Quoich flows down from it's source high on Beinn a Bhuird in quite a gentle way (unless it is in spate after heavy rain), until it reaches the Devil's Punchbowl and the Linn of Quoich. This is the waterfall alongside the Devil's Punchbowl, which is a circular hole cut into the rock (behind me in this picture) by the rushing water when the river is in spate. Just downstream from here the water rushes through a deep slot in the rock that is only a couple of feet wide, the Linn of Quoich, before calming down again to join up with the River Dee a bit further downstream. I decided to go for the waterfall as I rather liked the dappled effect of quite strong sunlight breaking through the surrounding trees - sunlight being a bit of a novelty on this trip....
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The Victorian Derry Lodge built around 1859 lies to the north west of the “Linn of Dee” in "Glen Lui" near Braemar Scotland, and is in the Cairngorm National Park. It was used by the late Queen Victoria and Prince Albert as a Hunting Lodge where guests could spend overnight stays with them whilst on shooting parties in the local Glens. It has been unused for a number of years and in badly need of repair. There is an excellent walk to the Lodge, which can be extended over the 19mile long “Lairig Ghru” mountain pass to Coylumbridge in Aviemore. This photo only shows an east view of the Lodge which is quite an extensive building in itself.
Thanks to all Phoide contributors to Mar Lodge Estate National Nature Reserve!
Most notably Quentin 'Q' Thompson, The Jacobite and Clive Griffiths.