Here we are near Blair Castle about to venture out into the hills of the estate. Below, our intrepid adventurers, our guide with the herd, and views of the now-docile deer.
One might assume this is the Alpha Male with his young sons and daughters...but there were several with equally magnificent antlers...and they appeared to be quite peaceful with the herd, or perhaps that was just for the purposes of the hand-outs. The fence keeps them from accessing the parking lots but be assured they have thousands of acres of freedom once mealtime is over.
Above two photos from the Blair Castle website...since I forgot to photograph the vehicle and the deer were all hungry enough to stay at the fence instead of posing in the river. However, there was no shortage of material for my own camera.
Please don't forget to click the small photos to see larger versions.
At Blair-Atholl, we are on the edge of the Highlands, into the foothills of the Grampian mountains, where the sun teased us all afternoon. While long stretches seemed without animal life other than the high-flying raptors, from time to time we came across workers, both human and equine. The Highland ponies, once loosed from their duties, make their way home unaccompanied. One lone angler, whose independence we did not dare interrupt, worked the river.
In the 18th c., the Atholl Estates held 350,000 acres; since post-WWII sales of land, they now hold about 145,000 acres. Here and there we encountered some Highland Sheep, sturdy fellows well adapted to the stern hills.
The Highland Safari was truly a unique experience. It might provide a clue to the eternal strength of the Scots, their fierceness in battle, and their appreciation of beauty.
Next, the bonny, bonny banks of Loch Lommond.
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