THE CELTIC TRAVELER TorridonOur award-winning photojournalist Tom Langlands takes in the terrific terrain of Torridon february 2018 celticlife.com 41 he village of Torridon - with its backdrop of towering moun- ulterior motive; the Admiralty saw an opportunity to establish a com- tains - lays at the foot of Glen Torridon, running from Kinlo- munity of strong, skilled sailors that could be used if necessary dur- Tchewe to Upper Loch Torridon in Scotland’s Wester Ross. The ing the Napoleonic Wars. Fortunately, Napoleon’s defeat at Waterloo village derives its name from the 16,000-acre Torridon Estate within meant that these settlers were never called to arms, and Shieldaig con- which it lies. In more general terms, the name Torridon applies to the tinued to develop as a fishing community. Commercial herring fishing area around Upper Loch Torridon, stretching east to Kinlochewe and in these waters has long gone, though creel fishing for langoustines still west to Loch Shieldaig, and still further to Loch Torridon. It is one of supports a small number of remaining fishermen. The catches are sold the most dramatic landscapes in the whole of the United Kingdom. mostly to Spain to satisfy the Spanish demand for quality seafood. It is The mountain ranges of Beinn Eighe, Liathach, and Beinn Alligin to an important source of income for a fragile Highland economy. the north of Glen Torridon - along with the mountains of the Coulin Estate to the south - are among the oldest rock formations in Europe, Creel fishing from small boats is a hard and often and boast no fewer than nine Munros. These peaks - and their majestic mountain slopes with gorges and waterfalls plunging into the valleys, lonely existence. The waters here can be cruel, and rivers and lochs below - render this place wild, rugged and dramatic. there was sadness in the air during my visit as a local Torridon may be off the beaten track, but it is this remoteness - along fisherman had been lost at sea the previous week. with its geological grandeur - that renders it one of the most impres- sive, unspoiled and stunningly beautiful places in the Scottish High- Located just a few hundred metres offshore lay Shieldaig Island - lands. owned by the National Trust for Scotland. Its covering of Scots Pine In summer the climate is milder, roads get busy, and somehow trees is believed to have been imported from Speyside over a century the edges of wild places get smoothed. I wanted to experience Tor- ago to provide a source of wood for the poles used to support fishing ridon in winter, and so it was on a dark December afternoon that I nets. The island is a SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest) and has ventured into Glen Torridon, skirting the National Nature Reserve of become an important wildlife haven. Over several days I saw seals, Beinn Eighe at Kinlochewe. After ten miles (16km), the single-track otters, heron, kestrels, and mergansers. Even more exciting were the road discharged me along the southern side of the loch towards the white-tailed eagles that have set up home on the island, and I observed village of Shieldaig on the Applecross peninsula. Tigh en Leigh - a self- three of these magnificent birds soaring above the trees. One even catering house on the edge of Loch Shieldaig - was to be my home for swooped on the shoreline grabbing its lunch no more than 75 yards the next few days. (70m) from me! The location was picturesque, and the views stunning. Loch Shieldaig is the starting point for Torridon’s annual Celtman The following morning I walked the length of the village as it event, the Extreme Scottish Triathlon. And extreme it is! Celtman at- wrapped its way along the shoreline. Shieldaig’s name is derived from tracts over 1,000 competitors, representing over 50 nations. The race the Old Norse ‘Sild-vik’ - meaning ‘herring bay’ - but the village owes begins with a 2.1-mile (3.4km) swim in the open waters of the loch. It its existence to more recent times; in the early 1800s, Admiralty-as- used to be 2.4 miles (3.8km) but it was shortened after competitors sisted families willing to move to the area to pursue fishing for a living struggled with water temperatures of 50 - 55 degrees Fahrenheit (10 - 13 were given grants for boat and house building. There was, however, an degrees Celsius)! The second stage of the race is a 125-mile (202km) february 2018 celticlife.com 42 cycle on Highland roads, with ascents of over 6,550 feet (2000m). The hotel also operates the adjacent Torridon Inn, offering qual- The final stage of the event is a 26-mile (42km) run, encompassing ity pub food and a further 12 bedrooms. There is also a self-catering two Munros above Glen Torridon, before heading down to the finish boathouse on the edge of the loch, and plans for further expansion are line in the village of Torridon. As if all of that wasn’t hard enough you in the pipeline. The downside to such a remote location is that trade have to factor in the vagaries of Scottish weather and the impact of the is largely condensed into 7 months of the year but, as Aitchison notes, dreaded midge! As a disclaimer in the race manual states - “Celtman things are changing. “Inverness airport is now running regular flights isn’t for Softies!” to and from Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport. As Schiphol is a large hub for the wider world, we are experiencing an increase in foreign visitors Torridon may be a paradise for those who love the coming to the Highlands by air.” As well, the hotel participates in the annual Torridon Mountain and wild outdoors, but you don’t have to take it to the Sea Festival. This festival showcases everything that is unique about extreme. this place, providing visitors ample opportunity to explore mountains, sail the seas, watch the wildlife, photograph the landscape, and sample There are many leisurely walking routes, and I took one of these to locally-sourced food and fine ales. explore the shores of the loch away from the village. This area was af- Other visitors to The Torridon include competitors and their sup- fected badly by the Highland Clearances, and many of the bays around port crews during the Celtman event, as well as motoring enthusiasts the loch contain the remains of old stone cottages and the crumbling driving Scotland’s North Coast 500. This 500-mile (805km) route - ruins of long-forgotten communities. I scrambled down a steep em- dubbed Scotland’s Route 66 - starts in Inverness, heads west to the bankment to sit on the stone windowsill of an old ruin. The water was coast before turning north to follow the coastline around the top of choppy and the wind cold. When these houses were occupied there Scotland and back to Inverness. It encompasses some of the most were no roads over this rugged landscape; the sole means of travel stunning scenery the country has to offer, along with a plethora of his- were small fishing boats plying the waters for food. This is a harsh toric sites and interesting places. The Applecross peninsula and Glen environment, and I became all too aware of the fragility of life on the Torridon form part of the westerly section of the route, and contribute edge. in no small way to that experience. I called in at The Torridon Hotel and met with Ross Aitchison, the With the weather closing in I headed back to Shieldaig, tuning in to facilty’s Operations Manager. Originally constructed as a Victorian the forecast en-route. Storm Caroline was headed for the west coast, shooting lodge, The Torridon first opened its doors in 1887. Sitting in bringing in 70mph winds, followed by heavy snow and a hard freeze. I the drawing room with the ornate, ribbed ceiling - adorned with sym- would have loved to stay and photograph this landscape in the depths bols of the zodiac looking down on us - Aitchison gazed out over the of winter, but discretion being the better part of valour, I headed back loch towards the village of Torridon and the mountains beyond. “The through Glen Torridon as the first flurries of snow drifted across the location and scenery are stunning,” he noted. “At The Torridon we aim landscape. This was Scotland at its best; dramatic, beautiful and wild. to cater for a broad spectrum of visitors and their needs. In the main hotel we provide a luxury experience with 18 bedrooms and fine dining www.thetorridon.com including a whisky bar stocked with over 350 malts.” www.tomlanglandsphotography.com february 2018 celticlife.com 43.