The view from The Cairn looking north into Glencoe Glen
This View has been written by Joe Gilhooley LRPS Award winning and Licentaite of The Royal Photographic Society from Loanhead
Many know that I love Scottish Landscape Photography. I watch the weather forecast for days in advance daily. Watching for clear sky days with hopefully little wind. Ringing days in my diary.
I have had one scenic Scottish landscape location in mind for about two years. Either the weather has not been right when I was free. Or, on other occasions, I have arrived there and not found a parking space. Frustrating. Area is popular with Mountaineers.
I am talking about the Ralston Cairn in Glencoe Glen.
A wee bit history:
The Ralston Cairn is dedicated to Ralston Claud Muir, a train driver on the West Highland Line and avid hiker, especially within the Glencoe Glen.
Sadly Ralston fell ill on Christmas day 1999 and died 16 days later on the 10th of January 2000 from multiple organ failure caused by Leukaemia, a rare form of cancer. He was only 32 years old.
The Glencoe Glen was his favourite place to hike; his friends and brother Trevor/family saw it fit to erect an everlasting monument to his memory. His ashes are also interred at this spot.
His friends and family still visit the monument, often with a wee dram of whisky to toast to his memory.
While the Cairn itself is not on a formally named mountain, it offers panoramic views of these iconic Glencoe mountains and the valley glen below, making it a popular spot for hikers and photographers.
It stands on the lower slopes below Am Bodach, on the Aonach Eagach ridge, beside the Old Military Road in the Pass of Glencoe. With a spectacular view to the North into Glencoe Glen. The best view is of the notable peaks of the Three Sisters and the Bidean Nam Bian range.
Monday 13 th July 2026 showed the perfect weather conditions for my planned visit to Glencoe. I set off from Loanhead, Midlothian at 4am . Arriving in Glencoe at The Three Waterfalls carpark layby on the A82 about 7.30am. I got the lone parking space just north of this layby. Where I needed to park. A good start finding the parking space.
I set off with my heavy camera bag, lenses and tripod. Climbing the old Military Road onto below where I anticipated the Ralston Cairn to be, It was well hidden until I was within metres of it on the edge of the crag. Last 50 metres were a tough climb.
Oh just wow !! what a view I was met with. Weather in early morning had a blue sky. The heat haze had not yet developed. Perfect.
Looking north into Glencoe Glen. The Three Sisters Mountains were on my left. They were majestic and looked so powerful.
The Ralston Cairn is in the prime position for this view.
I set up my tripod and camera. Taking a series of images. I have to say. It was worth the wait. I punched the air at what has to be the most beautiful Scottish Landscape view I have witnessed in my photography travels.
The photo here might not do the view justice. I stood there proud and in awe. I knew I had to drag myself away. I could have stayed there for hours watching it all.
Some readers may have witnessed this view from The Ralston Cairn. I wonder if any had such perfect weather there to take a photo ? I was so lucky, but planning went into the day.
I was done by 10.30am. The heat haze was arriving. Home in Loanhead so happy by 2pm. Itching to get my photos onto laptop.
Now, where do I find a Scottish Landscape location to better the one from The Ralston Cairn?
Local coach Kate Flory on her recent holiday to the Tatra Mountains near Zakopane
This article has been written by local coach Kate Flory
Have you ever stopped in your tracks by a spectacular sunset, hearing your child’s laughter, or the smell of honeysuckle on a summer evening? These brief moments of wonder do more than lift our mood, they can have a surprisingly powerful effect on our wellbeing.
A BBC article recently discussed the importance of the golden hours of sunrise and sunsets on your wellbeing. And how being witness to a natural awe-some event can help move your mind.
Awe has a remarkable way of interrupting our busy minds. When we’re caught in negative thoughts, worrying about yesterday or imagining tomorrow’s problems, a moment of wonder can gently pull us back into the present. Even a few seconds of noticing something beautiful can shift our perspective from negative to postive.
Researchers have found that awe can reduce our anxiety, as well as depression, boost our memory, creativity, and have a positive benefit on our sleep. When we stop to wonder at something that can make us lost for words or that takes our breath away, it changes us both mentally and physically.
As a busy mum and business owner, I know that don’t have time to do it all. The reality of getting up at 4.45 am in the morning to watch a sunrise or remembering to go outside at 9.45 pm to watch a sunset, is simply not going to happen. What I can do is set an intention to notice moments of awe throughout my day.
As a coach, I often encourage clients to work with setting intentions rather than focusing on goals. As an intention gives us something gentle to focus on without feeling we’ve failed if we forget. As I know I’m not likely to be regularly scheduling a sunrise or a sunset anytime soon, I can aim to simply notice moments that make me pause, smile or feel inwardly grateful.
Finding awe-inspiring moments in your life doesn’t have to come from walking on far- away white sandy beaches or climbing mountains. It can come from catching the scent of dogrose on an evening walk, seeing the first smile from your child / grandchild, watching your dog having it’s mad-half hour, tasting your favourite meal cooked by someone special, or watching someone you care about achieve something they’ve worked hard for.
These moments of awe are closer than we think. They may only last a few seconds, but they are a gentle reminder of what else life has to offer us.
So today, keep all your senses open and notice something that makes you stop, smile or quietly say wow. And if today doesn't offer you any awe-inspiring moments, then revisit a treasured memory that takes you back to when did.
Have an awe-some day!
Midlothian Council Fairfield House
Reader Dean Wight writes a letter to the Editor
What is happening at Midlothian Council?
Instead of working with the local community and approaching Edinburgh Councillors to assist them with looking to get the 46 and 48 routes reinstated, they have totally undermined the local campaign.
Last weeks announcement of new services to the Royal Infirmary, while welcomed by some, does little for the majority of Midlothian residents affected by the removal of the 46 and 48 routes, undermines the ongoing campaign led by our local MP and rewards Lothian Buses with £245,000 of tax payers cash. Even worse this will make it nearly impossible to convince Lothian Buses to reinstate the 46 and 48 routes.
I would point out the obvious that this new service will not run for the majority of the day for any of us that need to travel to the Royal Infirmary or Community Hospital and will not alleviate the packed, late running afternoon buses between Musselburgh, Mayfield and Bonnyrigg that the withdrawal of the 46 and 48 has caused with Lothian Buses blatant profiteering.
All that is required would be to reinstate the routes and make the 46 hourly along with the 31 giving all residents a direct route to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary providing an improved service for all of us.
Too simple, not enough profit and now they would lose £245,000 !
They have been allowed to withdraw a vital direct transport link to our community hospital, Dalkeith, Royal Infirmary, Kinnaird Park and Musselburgh affecting thousands of residents of Midlothian without any consultation or impact assessments and with total disregard for the vulnerable, our elderly and our disabled.
The contempt Lothian Buses have treated and shown the community has been truly disgusting especially the contempt they shown to our local MSPs and MP even refusing to share the data that is blamed for the withdrawal. This will not have been the first time they have done this to a community but due to the severity and nature of this one it must be the last.
I would like to appeal to everyone affected with the withdrawal of 46 and 48, to take a couple of minutes out of their day to email their councillors, to demand that Lothian Buses reinstate the routes and adopt a formal consultation process with impact assessments carried out for future withdrawals of vital direct routes which involve removal of direct access to healthcare facilities.
Our councillors must appeal to their Edinburgh colleagues, who have majority control of this despicable company, to begin urgent talks with Lothian Buses management to adopt a consultation process so that communities have a right to be heard and one that Lothian Buses will have to follow. Viability not profitability.
Never again should Lothian Buses be permitted to put profit before community and treat any other community with this level of contempt,
Yours sincerely,
Dean Wight.
