Our first fine sunny morning. What a difference to wake up and have the sun shining in the window so our planned trip to the mountains will be a correct decision for today.
We had been in awe of the scenery previously but this was something different.
We first found our way out to Aviemore which is the nearest village to the access to the mountains. Certainly seemed a popular place with lots of sight seeing planned. We even had a couple from near Ballaratt in Victoria in the information centre with us.
10 miles from Aviemore is the base station for the Funicular Railway and chair lifts to the ski fields on the mountains. The train takes you to within 150yds of the peak of the 6th highest mountain in Scotland where there is a gift shop, cafe and viewing area.
All I can say is wow, wow and then some more wow.
There had been fresh snowfalls just a few days previously so the mountains were covered with white. Down in the carpark at the base station you could still make snowballs as someone did and then had the hide to throw it at me!!!! What a big grin on his face I saw after it. Needless to say I also had to have a go.
The railway works by having two carriages that are connected by wire ropes around a pully system so that they counter lever each other as one goes up and one comes down.
The base station is at 645 m above sealevel and the railway takes you to nearly 1100m above sea level in around 7 mins. The majority of the line is single track with a double set in the middle where the two carriages pass on each trip.
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