Landscapes of my ancestors

My great great great grandfather, Donald Duff was a forester for the Earl of Breadalbane at his Black Mount Deer Forest in the Scottish western highlands during the first half of the 1800s. As you drive through on the way to Fort William, there is a lonely white building in the middle of a wide valley surrounded by towering mountains.

When we pulled in this magnificent red deer stag was there with a doe. They were wild but quite used to humans and eating out of people's hands. He could be a descendent of the deer Donald looked after.

We had a coffee in the oldest part of the King's House which may well be where Donald went for a drink and a yarn.

This is the house where Donald and his wife, Catherine raised their children including my great great grandmother, Mary. It is a very remote place. No neighbourhood children to play with. It is called Altocoarin, but if you google Glen Etive (the valley's name) you will see where it is. Can you see the tiny cottage?

This is the cottage where Donald and Catherine lived. It sits between two forks of fast flowing streams that join up close by. There is only a foot bridge for access, but it has a high iron gate to keep people out. The cottage looks quite well maintained but the Earl's old hunting lodge (the brown building) is just a stone shell. I felt quite privileged and exhilarated to be standing there surrounded by remote mountain majesty, the sound of the rushing water, imagining my ancestors walking the valley.

Donald and Catherine's daughter, Mary, married Angus McNab. Angus's mother, Isabella Cameron was born in Kilmallie Parish which includes the area are are staying in at Banavie, just near Fort William. Isabella would have grown up looking at this view.

 The biggest lump of rock with its head in the clouds, is the Uk's highest mountain, Ben Nevis.

I was hoping go walk up Ben Nevis but the weather is not going to play nicely this week, so I will have to settle for riding the Fort William World Cup, what a shame, ha ha.