On our way back home we stopped briefly to walk on to the bridge over the mouth of Loch Leven at Ballachulish. The good lady bagged these two photos first.

Looking back towards Loch Linnhe from Ballachulish bridge:-

Loch Leven from Ballachulish bridge:-

Having time to spare and it being a lovely evening we decided to take the long way round the loch through Kinlochleven.

There used to be an aluminium smelter at Kinlochleven for which its own (hydroelectric) power station was required. As a result Kinlochleven became the first village in the world to have every house connected to electricity, coining the phrase “The Electric Village.” The smelter shut down in 1996. The photo below is of the power station outflow.

Hills (and bridge over the River Leven) at Kinlochleven:-

From the bridge above I could see a chippy with an Art Deco style frontage. The photo was taken from a distance so it was difficult to tell if the business is still going.

Situated on the outskirts of the village on the southern edge is the War Memorial; a simple Celtic cross on a stepped pyramidal base. Dedicated to the men of Kinlochleven who gave their lives in the Great Wars, 1914-18, 1939-45:-

Just east of Loch Leven, which is in Kinross-shire as was, is a hill known as Bishophill.

This is supposed to be the best place in Britain for the presence of updrafts and consequently is a haven for gliders and hang gliders. They make their ascent from nearby Portmoak airfield. (It’s a glorified name for a strip of grass, really.)

A couple of weeks ago the good lady and myself set off from Scotlandwell to scramble up the hillside.

This is a panorama of Loch Leven from not very far up.

A bit further on the path took us past the tip of Bishopshire golf course which is built into the side of the hill. The picture doesn’t convey the steepness of the fairways.

Much higher up we got a good view of the gliders. They do make a noise as they cut through the air but it is quite strange not to hear engine sounds when something so big breezes past.

This one’s a microlight.

Here’s a hang-glider coming down for a landing on the farmland between the loch and the hill.

We needed more than several stops to catch our breaths before we made it to the ridge at the top.

At the lower summit this dome has been built in the past few years. It wasn’t there the last time we went up, as a family quite a few summers ago now. I suppose it’s a mobile phone booster or something.