Ellie and Me - T5 travels, Scotland ... (mostly)
Posted: Sun Oct 16, 2016 3:02 pm
Awoke to a beautiful sunrise and another glorious morning.
An 'easy' day today – lovely hot shower, washing done and a long walk with Ellie along the beach. I saw the goats in the distance, but couldn't get close enough to take a photo.
Packed up and headed up along the East Coast road of Kintyre to Skipness and then to Skipness Castle. What a lucky find I had there! Tucked away behind a hedgerow here is the wonderful Seafood Cabin.
At last, my craving for fresh, local seafood was satisfied ….
…. and I spent a happy couple of hours eating, admiring the views and chatting to other diners. This place is a MUST if you're in the area and like seafood!!
Stuffed to the gills, I wandered around Skipness Castle for a while and then back to Tarbert for supplies before taking a quiet B Road into Knapdale.
Again taking the coastal road, I ventured to see the Sculptured Stones at Kilberry. Under a purpose-built display area, there are 26 sculptured stones from the Campbell family mausoleum, near the castle, and around the Kilberry estate. The stones cover a range of styles and eras, from early Christian grave-slabs to late-medieval cross fragments.
A little further on, I found a large layby looking out of Loch Caolisport, where I parked up for the night. Still feeling full from the excellent (late) lunch, my supper was just fresh fruit and nuts. Sat watching the tide finish going out and start to come in again – more like 'Sitting on the bay of a loch' than 'Sitting on the dock of the bay'
Seen: Golden Eagle.
Lesson learned: Go with your gut instinct – I had been told that there was a very good seafood restaurant in Skipness and found it by following my nose.
The following morning was dull and overcast, but no rain – certainly no reason not to walk Ellie on the loch beach, where we saw some MASSIVE stranded jellyfish (kept Ellie well away from them).
Once again, as I was packing up, the sun came out and stayed out as we ventured even further Northwards to Lochgilpead. The Crinan Canal runs through the town on its way up to the village of Crinan. I love canals. So, we set off from the centre of the town (free parking, as in most of the Scots towns ), scrambled up a bank and strode along the towpath (6.75 miles in total).
The Crinan Canal was completed in 1801, to provide a navigable route between the Clyde and the Inner Hebrides, without the need for a long diversion around the Kintyre peninsula, and in particular the exposed, and dangerous, Mull of Kintyre. Between 1930 and 1932, new sea locks were built at either end, making the canal accessible at any state of tide.
The Crinan Canal for me
I don't like the wild raging sea
Them big foamin' breakers
Wad gie ye the shakers
The Crinan Canal for me.
Dan MacPhail - The Vital Spark
Eventually, we arrived at Crinan.
Hungry and thirsty, I quenched thirst and banished hunger in the Seafood Bistro there (yep – more seafood, this time in the form of a fish/seafood stew, which was delicious) and met a lovely couple, Kirsty and Fergus (with their dog Cooper). We chatted. They were driving back to Lochgilphead and insisted on giving Ellie and I a lift back there – very nice of them
They also recommended a nice woodland walk in the local area, so off I set.
The Blarbuie woodland, recently renovated, forms part of the sanctuary of Lochgilphead's Argyll and Bute Hospital grounds. It has all-abilities access, outdoor exercise facilities, sculptures and other artworks, is open to all and is planted with a mix of native and exotic trees.
Users of the mental health services and volunteers from all walks of life carry out the woodland restoration and ongoing maintenance, offering people an opportunity to learn new skills and providing meaningful, supported employment. There is also an area where patients can grow vegetables and flowers and sell plants. A lovely, peaceful, relaxing walk here.
More information here: http://www.blarbuiewoodland.org/
From here, I decided to head to the Scottish Beaver Trial site on Loch Coille-Bharr, but arrived quite late in the day and didn't have time to walk the full trail – so just a short 1.5-miler (I reckoned, also, that nearly 10 miles in one day was probably enough ).
Having driven all the way down the peninsular (almost to Keillmore) without finding a 'wild' spot, I eventually parked at Scotnish, Loch Sween. Ellie was fed in the twighlight, amongst ancient oaks, with the gentle sound of wavelets on rocks to lull us to sleep.
Seen: Swallows over the canal (but gathering to go and lining up on the telephone lines), fish eagle (with a fish in its talons – it flew right over my head!) and a red squirrel (crossing the road).