Waiting my turn to step on to the viewing platform at Ossian’s Hall, I can feel the rumble of water vibrating through my feet. I’m at Black Linn Falls. Sheltered within an autumnal cathedral of beech, fir and larch, this is one of Scotland’s most magnificent viewpoints. As two tripod-laden photographers make way for me, I step forward and gasp at the sight of the rushing water below.
Ossian’s Hall is a romantic folly dating back to 1783; it is part of a designed landscape known as the Hermitage, now under the stewardship of the National Trust for Scotland. The Black Linn Falls are its main attraction; situated on the River Braan (a tributary of the River Tay), they are renowned as one of the best places to see salmon leaping, and autumn is traditionally the best time to witness this iconic sight. Alas, not today; not for me. I have lingered for as long as possible hoping for a glimpse of this heroic fish, but the queue
