A Day on the Slate Islands

My day started at 7.00am with a walk round Oban Airport as it is just up the road from our hotel. It was longer than I thought and not the easiest of routes due to long grass and jaggy bushes but I made the 4 mile trip in an hour and 30 minutes but was very wet at the end. This aircraft looked as if it had lost a nose wheel on landing and it was parked at the side of the runway. 

The view as I set of on my walk 

The purpose of our day was to visit the Slate Islands. We had booked a cottage on Seil 4 years ago but had to cancel when Gaye was ill. It was great to eventually get there. This is the Bridge over the Atlantic as you go onto Seil.

The main village on Seil is Ellenabeich which overlooks the Island of Easdale. The village is mostly old Slate workers cottages and is full of character.

The Ferry from Elenabeich to Easdale is very small but its only a 5 minute journey. We enjoyed the company of these two American ladies from Seattle who were visiting Scotland for the first time and loving every minute of it. 

One of the flooded Slate Quarries. These were flooded by a storm and very high tide in the late 19th century  and overnight the slate workers were all out of a job.

After spending a couple of hours on Easdale we headed to the ferry for the Island if Luing. Its only a small ferry with a capacity for 4 cars so we decided not to take our car over as we might not have got back when we wanted to. There were also some very heavy rain showers so we just did the 10 minute crossing went ashore for a minute and then returned on the same ferry. At least we can say we have been to Luing. 

Gaye was befriended by the Captains dog which stayed with us for both journeys

Arriving in Luing

The dog wont leave Gaye but that was because she threw a stone for it when we were on the Jetty

It really was a very cute dog and our Hannah would have loved it

The Jetty at Seil

A full load of cars on the way back from Luing

A Few Hours on Gigha

After leaving Arran at 9.30am this morning on the ferry from Lochranza to Clonaig we headed down to Tayolin for the ferry to Gigha. This is just a 20 minute crossing. I have been on The Mull of Kintyre several times over the last 20 .years but never made it to Gigha so today was a very special occasion. This is the north of the island where I went for a walk while Gaye did the Times Crossword back in the car. 

Everywhere we were today their seemed to be rainbows and this one was on the Ferry from Lochranza. Shortly after this we were witness to a spectacular 5 minutes of a flock of Gannets diving for fish just a few hundred yards from the Ferry. I did not manage to get any photos of them unfortunately.

Again at the north of the island with The Paps of Jura in the background

The ferry from Tayolin pulling out from Gigha after it had dropped us off 

The south end of the Island

Achamore Gardens

A Standing Stone with a bit of a lean on

Great view of Paps of Jura

A Visit to Arran after 8 Years

Before our visit to Arran we had an appointment at an Awards Evening for Paths for All, Scotland in the Scottish Parliament building. I was on the short leet for a Volunteer of the year award but unfortunately I did not win. There were many deserving winners and it was just a pleasure to be invited. We were joined for the evening by John and Sandria and Martin and Aileen. 

Our hosts John and Sandria who looked after us very well. 

On Friday morning we caught the midday Ferry to Arran for a 2 night stay at Blackwaterfoot.

The very small harbour at Blackwaterfoot

My Friday afternoon walk along the beach at Shishkine

On Saturday morning I did a 3 mile walk along the beach just as it was getting light. It was really beautiful

Our B & B is called Lochside and the owners have turned a field into an artificial loch and gardens and it is a fantastic place with loads of wildlife.  

A stroll round the Loch for Gaye

Goat Fell from Brodick  

Lochranza Castle 

We met this old couple there 

This will be our Ferry on Sunday morning to Tayinloan 

One of the stones from the Stone Circle at Machrie 

Lochside B & B which Gaye reckons is the best we have ever stayed in and I wont contradict her

Local Walk Today Due To Storm Ali

We had planned to go to Alston for our walk today but Storm Ali soon put a stop to that. It was decided we would walk round Jenny Nobles walk in Langholm and along the old railway line. It was a bit scary at times as the trees were suffering in the wind and several times there was branches broken and in our way. When it rained it was a deluge but never for very long, thank goodness.  

The path along the old railway line 

The river Esk just above Skippers Bridge 

Back into the town and there is a load of rain hitting Whita Hill. Despite the weather and the fact we were fairly drookit by the time we got home it was an enjoyable walk in good company. We finished up with lunch at Whitshiels Cafe, where the food and service was excellent as per usual. 

A Get Together in Moffat

This was not really a Birthday Walk, although John has recently had a birthday so it was a get together for him and also to say goodbye to Niall & Elspeth as they will be heading back to Australia soon. It seems no time since they arrived in April and what a summer they have had. Moffat was the ideal destination as it is just under an hour's journey for everybody including Peter and Elizabeth who now live near Carlisle. Gaye joined us as well but she did not walk but enjoyed the shops in Moffat.  

Peter and Ken almost always bring up the rear as they are in deep conversation, mostly about politics during the walk and Ken finds it difficult to talk and walk at the same time. Peter has no problem talking and walking at the same time, but being a gentleman he keeps the same pace as Ken.

A large field above Moffat. we crossed to the other side of the valley and climbed higher for a bit but not to the top of the hill on the right. 

Starting to climb to about 1000ft. Tom bringing up the rear. 

Almost there 

This is the Moffat Well on a burn called Birnock Water. This is the reason Moffat became a Spa Town. In 1769 a local Physician Dr. Hunter improved the access road to this well and was then able to charge visitors who came to take the waters. In 1878 a Hydropathic Hotel (Hydro) was built in Moffat. It had 175 bedrooms but unfortunately it was destroyed by fire in 1921. Sorry for the poor photo but it was very dark and its a good job you cannot smell the photo as the stink of sulphur was very strong. 

The view over Moffat on the last leg of our walk. We walked 5.5 miles and then enjoyed a lovely light lunch in Brodie's

This is the map of our route which was slightly longer than shown as my lines on the map were a bit too straight.

Glorious Galloway especially Rockcliffe and Kippford

Each year we like to do at least one walk on the Solway shore at Kippford so we headed off today and what a glorious morning it was. we parked up at Colvend where we had a walking holiday in 2017. We had walked a route from our holiday house then so we did it in reverse today heading first of all into Rockcliffe. Unfortunately the tide was out but the views were still stunning.  

This is the Island of Heston at the mouth of the Urr Estuary. I have never been able to walk out to it as it has to be done at extremely low tides from the other side of the estuary.  

We stopped for the compulsory group photograph in Rockcliffe village. Tom still has his walking stick but we bought an ice cream each at the van in the background and he left it there propped up against a litter bin. It was a mile to two later he remembered he had left it so we waited until we had finished the walk and headed back down to Rockcliffe to see if it was still there. Indeed it was as it had been given to the Ice Crean seller and he looked after it for Tom.  

This is Rough Island and it is easily accessible at low tide.We did not have time to visit it today but we have been over many times in the past. 

The walk between Rockcliffe and Kippford is one of the nicest walks in Scotland so we had a seat on the outskirts of Kippford village to admire the views. This beach is made up totally of sea shells. 

Millions of Sea Shells. I have never seen a beach like this anywhere else in Scotland

The River Urr at low tide in Kippford  

The last section of the walk from Kippford was through the Dalbeattie Forest. We planned to go back to Kippford for a bar meal after the walk but it was just a few minutes after 2.00pm and both the pubs in the village refused to serve us as the kitchens closed at 2.00pm. We headed back to Colvend and had a lovely afternoon tea in the small cafe there.