A Ballad of the Cairngorms

Amidst the Highlands, bold and grand,
Lies a rugged, wild, expansive land.
The Cairngorm peaks, in their ancient guise,
Hold secrets deep beneath their skies.

Where Mountains rise to kiss the sky,
Ben Macdui looms, grand and high.
The Big Grey Man, in the misty air,
Stalks the summit with his ghostly stare.

The Cailleach Beira with with her icy breath,
Paints the glens in their winter’s rest.
Her staff strikes down, and frost takes hold,
In a landscape wild, untamed, and cold.

Through forests deep, Scots pine and yew,
The fairies dance neath the silver dew.
Their whispers ride on the winds that blow,
Guarding glens where the rivers flow.

Clans once ruled these rugged lands,
With castle walls and warrior bands.
Braemar stands as a sentinel strong,
Echoing tales of a time long gone.

Yet here, in the heart of this timeless space,
With modern world  motto -“leave no trace”.
Hikers tread where legends grew,
Bagging Munros under skies of blue.

©️David Clark