The Quest for Blood

As an enthusiastic photographer with an ambition to get the shots that other photographers won't or cannot, I am always on the lookout for new and unique locations to visit and explore. My travel treasure is not set in a particularly exotic location, actually it is not that long a drive from the city of Glasgow, however on descending into the gorge that is the pulpit you soon forget where you have come from and cannot help but be fixated on where you are. Descending the steep and rather slippery stairs which would not have been out of place on the set of lord of the rings, it is difficult to imagine what you will find at the bottom of such an apparently forgotten route.

Having successfully not broken any bones on the descent into the pulpit you are now placed in a basin at the bottom of the gorge surrounded by moss covered one hundred foot high rock walls. The river running through the gorge varies in depth depending on the time of year however on every visit I have paid to the pulpit one thing has remained a constant, the blood red color of the water adding to the surreal feeling of this place. While there are stories of battles, deaths and gore leading to the color of the water in truth the only battle I have been able to find record of is that in the penultimate fight scene in the movie "The Eagle" which was actually filmed at this location. The sandstone walls of the gorge combined with an eternity of erosion offer a more likely explanation for the wonderful shade of water which contrasts magically with the green moss covered cliff walls.

In order to progress from the initial basin a decent set of wellies or waders are required, walking up the gorge with camera equipment is definitely not for the faint hearted however do so and the reward is an exceptional view of the rock formation named the devils pulpit a blood red waterfall providing a great dramatic backdrop for the pulpit like structure believed to have been used in druid worship.

On leaving Finnich Glen you cannot help notice a dedication carved into one of the many stone steps, an eleven year old boy that took a fall off one of the cliff walls. A sad warning to the complacent , which somehow adds to the mystery and surreal nature of this hidden gem.