A Short Highland Jaunt

After ten days away, during which we visited Ben Lawers, Loch Oich, Fort William, Ben Nevis Inn, Loch Beag and quaint little Cannich village, we returned to the metropolis we call home. It was a fantastic trip; the low point was the night at the Nevis Inn and the lost lamb (see the Route Map/diary for more details), and the highlight of which was the video recorded on the evening at Loch Beag.

As it happens, there is a story to tell regarding the recording of the video, and I thought I would share it in this post. I set up the drone as usual, although I used the new Smart Controller rather than my phone. The night was almost perfect with little or no breeze and glorious light, which I hope you agree, resulted in a great video. Having made sure that the "coast was clear" and that there were no obstacles in the way, I launched the drone and started to record the flight.

Then somewhere during the section when you can see three people at the lochside, the Smart Controller reported that it had lost connection with the drone! My initial reaction was, yes, you guessed it, to panic! However, I then remembered that there is a "home" button for just such occasions. Select that option, and the drone will return to the point from where it took off. Excellent, find the "Home" button......It was then that I really started to panic; the "Home" button was "greyed out," i.e. inactive, no use, inoperable, or as much use as a chocolate fireguard! In my panic, I committed the cardinal sin of losing sight of the Drone! On the plus side, I knew that it was out there, somewhere over the loch!

As I tried to consider my options, I was approached by a jovial couple out walking their dog, and they stopped and started chatting to me! I was torn between being polite and telling them to leave me alone or words to that effect! However, I had a brief chat and then explained my dilemma, and the guy, who was from Hartlepool, looked up and said, "Oh yeah, there it is", and sure enough, the drone was hovering above us. Look at the end of the video, and you will see this encounter, and to add to my consternation, a third motorhome had just arrived, and the owner was trying to talk to us as well!

However, miraculously, the drone then began a descent and landed just where it had taken off from, much to my absolute delight! I was then able to have a friendly chat with the couple with the dog and wished them a happy onwards journey as they were set to travel north.

I hope you enjoy the video: