The Bright One

I reached the River Avon (pronounced "Aan"- Ath Fhionn - the bright one) near Inchrory, at the beautiful Linn of Avon. The river is noted for the clarity of its water; it flows over Cairngorm granites and picks up very little peat staining. This clarity perhaps gives the Gaelic name - and there's even a rhyme :

"The water of A'an it runs sae clear,
t'would beguile a man o' a hundred year"

a reference to the fact the clear (and cold) water is always a bit deeper than you think!



A Linn is the name given to a constricted waterfall with a pool below. There are Linns of Dee, Quoich and Avon on this side of the Cairngorms. All are lovely places, but the Linn of Avon is the hardest to reach, being 10km from the nearest road, and 15km via the usual approach up Glen Avon.





The pool looked peaceful enough, but the rapids just downstream showed the power of the river, quite high after a couple of very wet days.

When the sun broke through the showers, it flooded the scene with warm light. It's a place to linger and to enjoy.