The Osprey’s Distraction

I headed into the Kilpatrick Hills with a simple goal: gather panoramic photographs and stock footage for the website.

The plan was straightforward enough. Starting from Auchencraig car park, I would make my way through the Jaw Reservoir and Cochno Loch area, skirt around Kilmannan and Burncrook Reservoirs, and eventually finish near the Whangie. The route offered plenty of opportunities to capture some of the landscapes that make this part of Scotland so special, and I had a growing list of photographs I wanted to take.

As often happens in the hills, however, the plan didn’t last long.

Not far into the walk, my attention was stolen by movement above the reservoirs. An osprey was circling overhead, scanning the water below. I stopped to watch and before long was treated to one of those moments that reminds you why wildlife encounters never lose their magic. The bird hovered, adjusted, and then committed itself to the water below. Nearby, buzzards drifted effortlessly on the rising air, adding to an already memorable morning.

The camera was still in my hand, but my focus had shifted.

What began as a photography trip slowly became something else. The reservoirs, the open moorland, the distant hills and the wildlife all combined to pull me into the moment. I found myself walking without thinking about photographs, content, or website plans. Instead, I was simply enjoying being there.

It’s something I’ve noticed happens regularly in the Kilpatrick Hills.

I often arrive with a purpose. Sometimes it’s photography. Sometimes it’s filming. Sometimes it’s exploring a route or gathering information for the website. Yet more often than not, the hills gently dismantle that purpose and replace it with something simpler: presence.

The irony is that I usually achieve my goal anyway.

The photographs get taken. The footage gets recorded. The content finds its way onto the website. But the best part of the day rarely comes from ticking those boxes. It comes from the moments in between—the unexpected wildlife sighting, the changing light across the reservoirs, the sound of the wind moving through the heather, or simply standing still and appreciating where I am.

It struck me that this isn’t just true of walking in the hills.

We all set goals and tasks for ourselves. We focus on outcomes, deadlines and achievements. Sometimes that focus becomes so narrow that we forget to experience the journey itself. We become so concerned with reaching the destination that we miss what is happening around us.

This walk was a reminder to hold both things at once.

To have a purpose, but not become consumed by it.

To work towards a goal, but still leave room for wonder.

The Kilpatrick Hills continue to teach that lesson better than anywhere else I know.

In the end, I returned home with the photographs and footage I had come for. More importantly, I returned with the memory of watching an osprey patrol the waters of the Jaw Reservoir and being reminded, once again, why I keep coming back.

Special thanks to the osprey for providing the highlight of the day and a timely reminder that sometimes the best moments are the ones you never planned for.