Oronsay                  Thursday 9^th June

 

Colonsay and Oronsay are separated by a wide expanse of shell sand called the Strand. It would be safe to cross this when the tide is out enough, at 1pm today. We get to the crossing point just after this and there are several people collected here already. There is a small car park.A lot of people have ridden bikes and left them. Everyone seems to be waiting for someone to commit to going. We are the only ones crossing with a bike and it does look a little crazy as we, the first ones to go, step onto the beach.

 

The tandem leaves odd wheel prints on the sand. The wheels it seems are not aligned behind one another but cross each other’s paths making a thin figure of eight. Someone told us the next day they had followed our prints back from the island.

A lady from Morecambe Bay walked with us though she hasn’t done the 9 mile walk to Grange over Sands which we enjoyed a few years ago. At first the water was shallow enough to allow us to keep our shoes on. We were told to follow the tracks on the sand which we dutifully did but we noticed some people were walking right out and wondered why.

Bob said we were across and we came up onto some dry land.! The lady from Morecambe followed though at this point we were riding. A lady came out of her house and asked if we were visiting her. When we said no she wondered where we thought we were. She told us Oronsay was way over where we had seen other people walking. It was a good job we didn’t have much of a following. The Strand was much larger than expected and the tracks had misled us. The postman had visited the lady who was on an inaccessible bit of Colonsay ”mainland”, and left us false tracks.

There was still a long way across the sand to go. It was bumpy, puddled sand with many worm-casts. Later there were large expanses of water and a lot of seaweed looking like a small variety of bladder-wrack. Bob took his shoes and socks off but I held out till it was clear that I would get wet inside my shoes if I didn’t. Now the sand was peppered with sharp stones and bits of shell, cockles and mussels. I saw tiny shrimp like creatures- maybe krill- and small crabs. The seaweed was slippery and it was hard picking our way across for probably best part of 1½ miles.

We came up onto some rocks at last and then there was a track we could ride though it was stony. It took a while to clean off the sand but the path seemed good all the way to the monastery ruin. (We had hoped to ride around the island but the RSPB rent the area past the ruin from the American lady who owns the island. Other paths seemed to be private too though maybe it would be possible to visit seal island in the Autumn when the seal pups are there- can be up to 1,000.) The population here is only 5 to 6 people.

 It was maybe another couple of miles and the ruin at Colonsay Farm came into view. It was free to walk around though there are no facilities here at all. At the entrance is a tall 3.7 metre celtic cross featuring a relief of the crucifixion and an older small monastic sign with a figure of a monk.

The buildings that have been in existence since 1353 and maybe founded by the Lord of the Isles, are fascinating.  The place has a peaceful atmosphere. It’s a shame some of the stones were removed to build the farmhouse. Gruesomely some human bones are kept by the high altar in the chapel.I liked the miniature cloisters.  

 

Both the farm and priory cum monastery are well looked after. Someone was mowing the grass when we were there. The farm buildings are immaculate and the round barn is especially interesting.

 The views of Jura and Islay from the area are lovely on this sunny day. A peacock struts through the farm behind the ruin and 3 ducks that looked totally black inside the ruin but in the sun they shimmered green, blue, black and brown. I couldn’t find a match on the ‘net.

After an abortive attempt at trying to find seal island, off beside the flat fields that used to be a landing place for planes, we headed back for Scalasaig. It would take at least an hour.

Bob kindly pushed me through the watery bits on the bike so I didn’t have to get my feet wet. A crab swam underneath but we managed to miss running it over. On rocks that would soon be surrounded by sea, oyster catchers were being harassed by gulls. The gulls must have been after the chicks of the agitated oyster catchers though we couldn’t see a nest. We left them having a staring match! At the end of the causeway there were mounds of tiny pink flowers- really pretty.

It was worth the trek we thought. The tide would turn at 3.30 and we were back at the hotel waiting for dinner at 4. We had a drink of the local beer and socialised some more after visiting the local church which had a small art exhibition.

Colonsay

Wednesday 8^th June, after a night in a lovely Band B on Oban’s esplanade, we left on the 3.30 ferry for Colonsay. Fog horns on the incoming ferries had woken us several times in the night and they sail really close to the house as they come alongside Kerrara to the port. We couldn’t see Kerrara or out to sea when we looked out in the morning but the fog slowly burnt off through the day with sun over Oban at least. We visited Oban’s museum and had a big meal for a late lunch in case there wasn’t any food on the 2½ hour trip to the island.

This morning we had spent a while watching a crazy canoeist in the fog, paddling down the ferry lanes. He would have been invisible to a large boat! Then here he is complete with numerous bags, wet suits drying off, canoe and paddles waiting beside us to be let on to the ferry to Colonsay, which would later arrive on Islay, his destination. I wondered how he would manage. In the end I carried some bags, he pushed his canoe on a trolley affair and then some Calmac employees joined the entourage. Bob pushed our tandem. We were glad that he was safe. He was going to canoe to a bothy on Islay but it will be quite late then. It doesn’t seem to get dark for long if at all here though.

Some ferries had been cancelled and it was still foggy at sea with more drones of the fog horn. It would have been nice to dolphin watch! The boat travels at 16 miles per hour according to the sat. nav. in Bob’s pocket. It is a lot cheaper to travel without the car- just £14 each return and the tandem went free.

We sit on deck for a bit watching the misty mountainous scenery of the islands, passing by the northern end of Kerrara where the monument to David Hutcheson, a founder member of Caledonian MacBrayne ferries, dominates. No boat services go here from Oban pier as they used to.

It was out into the Firth of Lorn and past Mull until the sea just around us was all that we could see, the visibility was so poor.

 

We arrived at Scalasaig around 6 o clock to blue skies and sun surprisingly. A welcome pack was exchanged for our boarding passes and we set off up a steep hill. At the top Bob realised we’d missed a right turn by the ferry because cars waiting to board had been queuing here obscuring the road. There weren’t many but enough. Every time a car drew near we moved to one side, as the roads ( with surfaces better than our local ones I might add) were only a car width. The island had plenty of cyclists going and coming.

 

The views were superb. Later mysterious mists swirled over a lake and there were long spells without habitation. Past Colonsay House, visited the day of departure and abundant fuchsia covered in buzzing bees, we came to Kiloran Bay with its beautiful white sandy cove. In Gaelic this means cave of the grave dust. Although the sun was still shining, mists were creeping across the beach towards us.

 

Our next written direction for the B and B was to pass the bins- no mention of the fantastic beach below! This was followed by some steep hairpin bends which we walked! There was a collection of a few houses then further round was our B and B that was enveloped in mist. Our host, Roger, said it had been like this all day and he was unaware that the sun shone less than a mile away!

There was a guest’s sitting room which made it a sociable place. As we sat chatting with a nice couple from Orkney, who wanted to see how other islanders “did it”, a baby thrush fell in front of the window then tried to get through the glass. There were many thrushes about but the most exciting bird was the corncrake. Maybe we were less enchanted when it called repeatedly through the night from the rough meadowland bordering the garden. We tried unsuccessfully to see one whenever we heard its “crux crux” call. There are no animal predators here like foxes, stoats, weasels but rabbits seemed to be considered a pest. They were introduced few hundred years ago for fresh meat for the islanders.

 

 

The purple orchid was all over the garden. Colonsay is rich in plant life -500 species of flora!

We hadn’t seen much of the B and B’s location because of the mist but in the morning sun shone on spectacular sea views from our window. Another bird we heard was the clocklike sound of the snipe.

After a hearty breakfast we set off on the only road going the other way round from the route last night which meant going straight on instead of forking left near Colonsay House. Buzzards were hunting as we went by another lake with cotton grass islands. We found a small museum in a little wooden building with 2 rooms. One side seemed to concentrate on war history while the other contained rock examples and was more on the area’s geology. The island’s school had designed a geological treasure hunt using photos of rock formations to find. The children had made their own illustrations and written how different rocks were formed and I thought it worth adding to the coin collection on the table.

 

We went down into Scalasaig( the hill we went up by mistake on leaving the ferry) and visited the Post Office where they will confirm the tide times for you for visiting the tidal island of Orinsay. We reckoned we could cross just after 1pm. We ate lunch at the Pantry, just left from the ferry. Their supplies hadn’t come in so we didn’t have too much choice. It seemed expensive but they were nice people who have gone to great lengths to make disabled people comfortable – the toilet had a soft back to lean against! They sold touristy things and we succumbed to a Colonsay tea towel. They sell local honey which I am told is fantastic but it costs £11 a jar and it probably wouldn’t travel that well with us!

After booking a table at the Colonsay Hotel for dinner we set off back until we could see the hill fort, Dun Eibhinn on our right. This was a royal residence in the 11^th century and a seat of Viking power.

Clan Macfie had possession of it in the 13^th century. In 1623 after the chef of the clan was killed it was abandoned to become a ruin. It is a fine landmark and not far from here we made a left turn towards the causeway for Oronsay. It was up a fair way and the road wound round for about 3 mile.

It wasn’t clear where the island actually began from the land masses round us but the instructions were to follow the tracks across the sand. Oronsay warrants a blog to itself….

 

 

 

 

 

We were tired after the expedition and made our way back to Scalasaig for our meal. The cuckoo on the telephone wire sounded like it was mocking us as we took the hill back to the “main” road.

As we had booked our table we assumed that our place would be at one marked reserved. This was not the case as we were moved from our original choice by a zealous waitress from somewhere East of Germany. Our next choice wasn’t right either which was becoming quite irritating especially as we were the only ones there. Then the couple from our B and B came in and they also sat at our first choice of table and were moved like us. For the whole of our meal there were only 3 couples there! Admittedly we ate early. Anyway the food was good and promptly served- haddock chips and peas and I had a lovely crème brulee rhubarb and shortcake for my sweet but I felt guilty as Bob didn’t want the goats cheese cheeseboard (only thing sugarless). He did enjoy the Colonsay IPA beer though which is made just up the road. They have a shop at the Brewery but visitors aren’t able to go round it.

We arrived back about 8pm after going the less hilly long way round. All the guests were watching Spring Watch companionably.

The corncrake made some noise for a short while which encouraged us to keep the window closed- it was hot!

Friday morning started grey with mists starting to form. Roger was closing his B and B for a week and he was travelling to Glasgow after leaving on the same ferry as us and the couple from Troon. He offered to take our bags but you never know when you might need something and the tools weighed the most!

We set off North hoping to see something of the golden eagle and its chick. We had to go through several farm gates and cattle with calves were milling round so we didn’t linger being able to ride the first part of the route. The track goes across the dunes beside Kiloran Bay. Bob pushed the bike through thick sand for about 1½ miles. At the 2^nd gate we left the bike attached to the fence post- though so unnecessary.

The view of the Bay was lovely. We were then walking between rocks split by weathering. Looking up I saw a goat with what looked like heather hanging from its mouth. There are 40 wild goats on the island thought to have descended from those left from shipwrecks of the Spanish Armada. They looked very large one was sandy with brown and white while another spotted nearby had a black head. We had a staring stand off and the goat won. On the way back we saw others with kids on a rocky outcrop.

Despite not seeing the eagle we thought it worth the excursion but it should be walked!

Our next destination was Colonsay House which has a lovely small tea room with freshly made cakes and soups with homemade bread which we had to experience. It was the best food on the island especially the rhubarb, almond and elderflower gateau. We saw several people we have met at other places on the island and the other couples from the B and B both arrived so there was another sociable hour spent. The gardens open on Thursdays at 12. It cost £2.50 to explore them. The house was built in 1722 by Malcolm MacNeil but it is partly converted to holiday flats. We met a lady staying there while crossing to Oronsay who said she still had to pay to visit the garden even though her bedroom overlooked it. We only had a good impression of the place which felt relaxed to us. Many of the trees were very old and bewhiskered with lichen. The old fashioned roses smelt wonderful and the whole setting seems romantically planted rather than formal. We found the carved stone depicted in the museum) with a monk carved one side while the other side is phallic which demonstrates how people kept faith with Christianity and the pagan-hedging their bets!

 

 

We met another couple “doing” islands, mostly Scottish, who came from W.Yorkshire. There are very limited things to do on the island so having places to chat with other folk is important.

We came back to the port at 4pm, walking on the hills. Mist was over the reservoir again.

Then the rain came so we had a pint or 2 in the hotel. They are very good at making everyone welcome. Where else could you sit playing cards on really comfy leather settees with a drink for hours- they even lent us the cards! It is a smart hotel and we are in cycling gear.

 The ferry doesn’t leave till 7 so we won’t be back at the B and B in Oban till nearly 10. Luckily we were trusted with our room key which means we don’t have to disturb anyone and we will have a seaview room too.

 We taught the couple from Toon cribbage after buying a packet of cards- to help the time go faster and to keep 2 of us from thinking about the motion of the boat as I had lost my wrist bands and the other lady is more travel sick than me. As it was, the crossing was as flat as a pancake with the fog horn going off periodically again.

It had been a good trip!

 

 

Kerrara

Tuesday 7^th June after visiting Easdale we drove to Oban and parked as near to the Gallanach ferry     ( 3 km south of the town) as we could. After building the bike the ferry would run next at 12.30 and then there would be a break till 2pm. A bill board has a sliding back black signal to summon the ferry which sits on the Kerrara side of the water.

 A young lady turned up who confirmed that the ferry is running. She works with her sisters on a sheep farm on the island and today they would be busy inoculating the lambs. She said that the church building opposite used to be the island’s school and she and her sisters were the only pupils then when her sisters left for senior school in Oban, she was the only one left. After she left the island school closed. At 31 she has lived on Kerrara for all but 6 months of her life and she loves it. She didn’t like being in Oban for 5 days a week for her schooling but the ferries didn’t run in the winter and the times weren’t right for school timetables-it was easier to stay over. The ferry duly comes and it takes less than 5 minutes.

Kerrara is beautiful with lovely views. It is very green and the short bracken gives it a soft texture which makes it look inviting and friendly. It is a steep hill up from the boat. Islanders cars are parked here as the tracks are not suitable, sometimes only little more than a footpath. Some doubt is cast on the practicalities of the tandem but Bob is sure we’ll manage. It is really an island for walks!

A quad bike with our fellow passenger’s sibling and several dogs, transports her to the sheep farm and we see her several times around the island. Around the point where we have to choose a direction there is a farm with squealing infants enjoying the day with animals. After this we hardly see anyone for several miles. Signs tell us that the hills are more gradual if we take the right hand track which we do. We can ride some but we often have to get off for lumpy rocks or deep ruts making progression difficult. Bob gamely pushes.

 We enjoy the wild flowers- wild roses, meadow sweet and honey suckle. This could be a fun track for mountain bikers but our tandem seemed to run best on the grassy bits which were more even. At one point we seemed to go down the path of a stream that could have been a waterfall in rain. Some parts would have been really muddy but today they were mostly parched hard and dry by the  mid- 20 temperatures of the last few days. Today it was a bit cooler and the midges were biting- or maybe it was a horse fly that bit me as my arm reacted with a raised red weal unusually for me!

A fairly remote little cottage had a stall set up with various hand- made soaps for £4 each. There was an honesty box- where were all the people? I bought one made with wild thyme that grows on the island and a rose scented geranium one. Nearby a bloody sheep’s horn lay on the path which puzzled us. Had it been torn off?

It wasn’t so much further to the teashop passing 2 Geology students studying rocks- a fine example of conglomerate. Then a handful were on the beach and we heard hammers so perhaps they were looking for fossils. The island had absorbed most of the group though as we didn’t see any till now. They are completing a survey of the island’s rocks never done before in such detail!

We passed the turreted 16^th century Gylen Castle- castle of the springs- on a rocky hill. The springs under the castle provided fresh water for its inhabitants. The famous brooch of Lorn said to have belonged to Robert Bruce was kept here until looted during the Covenanting Wars in the 17^th century by Campbell of Inverawe. In 1825 the brooch was presented back by a descendant to the MacDougall family who owned the castle.

Ahead of us in a field we see a Bell Tent with a stove chimney poking from its centre. It is on a wooden platform and is connected to the teashop. Anyone can rent it if they wish. The teashop is really just a tea garden. The house is private. It was nice to sit for a drink and a sandwich although it has to be said that we have had fresher.

 In sheds next door the shepherdess and her sister were busy injecting young sheep. There was a lot of bleating going on. The tea garden toilet is labelled” a room with a view” and has a window seaward. There is a barn to sit in if it rains. This is the point where we saw the most people and they had walked the other way along the shore route to get their refreshments- it is less distance this way. All the way back there were advertisements for the teagarden in the shape of ceramic teapots and mugs in bright colours stuck to gateposts.

At Little Horseshoe Bay there was a lovely beach but unfortunately there was a dead sheep laying there. It seems like this is something that happens often and according to the ferry lady it has been there several days. This really surprised us as farmers would usually have to dispose of the bodies. This may be good for the buzzards living here!

We caught the boat back at 3.30. Despite the seemingly callous regard for dead livestock we really liked this island. It was a beautiful 6 or a little more, miles, ride/walk. The path had petered out once and Bob took us across a field in the right direction by using the OS map so having one at hand is useful.

 

 

Easdale

Tuesday 7^th June we left the car at the B and B in Seil and walked the short cut to the village of Ellenabeich where the ferry leaves for Easdale. At a little white hut there are 2 buttons to switch, that sets off the summoning lights for the boat waiting on Easdale. It is a small open topped motor boat that took less than 5 minutes to cross. After the blazing sun of yesterday, the grey start was a bit of a relief. Then a light rain began to fall but not enough to keep the midges away though we have known much worse.

It is as if the whole tiny island is one big quarry. Banks of slate scree define the landscape. As we got off the boat we noticed wheelbarrows all over the place near the docking area. This island doesn’t have cars- they keep them in the village over the water but they need something to transport their goods and what better than a wheelbarrow. It is around 9.45 and there is hardly a soul about. Maybe many of the old slaters cottages are now holiday lets.

The museum and Puffer Inn are open at 11 but we had walked all around the island by 10.15.- about a mile. There was nowhere to wait except the ferry waiting area which did have books to look at.

The old quarries had filled with water to make swimming pools of different depths and one of a particularly turquoise blue had 2 men in wet suits tomb-stoning. The ferryman said this pool is shallow enough to make it warmer than the others but we wondered what chemical might be present to change its colour.

 

 

The island is certainly unusual and the flowers were lovely especially the birds foot trefoil and heather sprouting close to the ground between the slate. Birds were nesting in the crevices in the slate walls.

An inspiring book called Island. Diary of a year on Easdale by Garth and Vicky Waite. led me to bring paper and pencils in the hope of making a few sketches. I had been looking forward to the beauty and tranquillity here but the weather wasn’t the sort for lingering.

The Puffer restaurant is open in the evening.

Luing

Monday 6^th  June

The ferry leaves from Cuan for Luing(pronounced Ling) every half hour. We had been surprised by the large dumper trucks heading towards the ferry as we cycled from the B and B. The roads were on steep hills. We were stopping to let them pass and the dusty contents spilled over, getting in our eyes. The red and blue ferry was quite small and we were really surprised when one of these overfilled monsters was waived onto the deck. The cars had to wait for the next boat as it sat in the middle of the space and only us and some walkers were allowed with it. Balance must have been an issue. We could see eddies which caught at the boat and stopped it from going in a straight line-or so it seemed to us. We were crossing the Cuan Sound which only took a few minutes.

 

 

We rode every road on Luing but unfortunately we couldn’t travel below Tobernochy as there were only footpaths in the hills, but no more than 300 feet up.

 

 

Luing seems full of wild flowers and we heard cuckoos several times. The island is 6 miles by 1½  miles wide. We took the road south passing the little primary school and island church. At the ruined Kilchattan chapel we walked round the grave stones noticing the different designs with some in the thin slate that the land is made from. It was good to have some edifying notices telling us about the Luing cattle and things to look out for in the cemetery. I was really pleased to find the graffiti boat, Scandinavian in design, that is etched in the south wall of the ruin. One thought is that the several graffiti drawings were done by children over 300 years ago. The chapel is recorded as in use from 1589. At the museum we visited later it suggested they were made by the boatmen themselves because of the detail.

Alexander Campbell, a founder of a strict sect who expelled all other members for not adhering to the set beliefs, carved 4 grave stones for himself on which he denounced play actors, men with whiskers and pictures…. There is plenty to read at this site.

A board also describes the Luing Cattle which we pass several times today with their calves. They seem placid enough. Even large bulls were free to roam we noticed! This breed has been recognised since the 1960s and is a cross between Highland and shorthorn cattle. Beside the graveyard wall is a pile of thick red hair, quite furry, that must have come from one of the beasts using the stone as a scratching post.

In Tobernochry there were beautiful rows of white terraced cottages, striking against the dark slate. Someone was sunbathing on a towel on the black gravel beach which looked rather like coal dust. This is the site of an old slate quarry. Across the water we could see another small island called Shuna at the end of which was a fish farm.

We had to retrace our route to the chapel and then turn left for Blackmill Bay where the sheep were right down to the sea with lambs hiding behind their mothers. Spikes of rotten wood that once was the steamer pier echoed the past. There was nothing much here except a few houses and the only B and b we have seen on the island.

It was most of the way back to the ferry until we turned left to Cullipool. We found the shop cum post office and bought a meat pie and a sandwich. This is the only shop on the island.

Continuing on we came to the village hall or rather the Altantic islands Centre that only opened in 2015, where we thought there might be toilets. It is a lovely modern light building that still smells new! There are information areas with displays , upstairs and down and  a good café which tempted us to ditch our supplies from the shop which were no way as tempting as food on offer here. Wasteful I know!

We could only have a beer if we drank it inside- not so on Seil. We’d been in the sun a while so we didn’t mind sitting in. We discovered Colonsay bitter which we both liked and looked forward to when we visit that island later on.

There is a tasteful gift shop and a slate festival here starting Friday sounded interesting.

We were the only ones on the ferry back.

 We have put our movie on u tube which features the beautiful cows.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PMlgckd3NBo

 

     Seil

 

Sunday 5^th June we left home with the tandem in the car for Oban from where we would visit islands of Seil, Luing, Easdale, Kerrara, Colonsay and Oronsay.

Seil is just 10, miles from Oban and is connected to the mainland by the" Bridge over the Atlantic" at Clachan. Our first bed and breakfast was at Ellenabeich, maybe another 3 or 4 miles at the end of a spinal, though twisting, road through Seil, and it strangely has an Easdale address.

We only drove the car over the bridge (the bike in the back) which was an experience! Built between 1792 and 1973 it spans about 4 car lengths. It is single-arched, hump backed and narrow. Once on the top you can’t see ahead so it is best to check the road for traffic the other side before taking the bridge. I was driving and it was very disconcerting to not see any road from its summit. A bit later in the summer, the bridge is festooned with a small variety of purple foxgloves but only the leaves protrude the stone work today.

Slate is everywhere here. Seil, Luing and Easdale are known as the slate islands and they “roofed the world”. By our B and B is a disused quarry, now a duck pond. An old crane stands symbol to the slate mining that went on from this village. It was used to load slate onto the boats from a wooden platform, now dilapidated and partially disintegrated.

There is a warning that you proceed at your own risk but it seemed perfectly safe walking alongside the walls made from slate pieces, covered in sea pinks and the like. You can see that the quarry sea walls were breached making what looks like a small harbour.

The slate here now contains iron pyrites which made it unsaleable. Around the crane in the village are raised flower beds made from slate and the rusting iron in them makes them look as if made of wood.

 

Slating began on Easdale in the 1500s and it stopped on all the islands in the late 19^th century/ early 20^th though a quarry was reopened in the 1940s at Balvicar, the main village. This has a harbour, a store and a small golf course run from a shed sized building but we thought Ellenabeich bigger with its slater’s cottages and pub.

Before bed we decided to have a pint at the Oyster Brewery Bar. It doesn’t do food on a Sunday at the moment as the chef is busy being a birthing partner! We reached the door about 8 and the bar lady was about to close because she hadn’t had any customers. She kindly served us and had a chat but locked up immediately after we left (which wasn’t long as we felt guilty keeping her from an early finish) The beer was once brewed next door.

We had driven back to Clachan Bridge for an evening meal disappointed that we couldn’t eat locally. The Tigh an Truish Inn meaning the House of the trousers did ample plates of simple food and we had steak pie. This is where, after the 1745 rebellion resulting in the banning of kilts, the islanders swapped their garb for trousers. At this time there was no bridge. In 2011 because of the bridge the island status has been revoked for governmental monetary reasons though it is still the Isle of Seil.

The water under the bridge, surprisingly, flows rapidly away from the sea, south, an hour before high tide. Good for pooh sticks!

The next day we rode to the ferry at Cuan.

 It had been a hot and sticky night but a great breakfast. Trish, our host, would cook dinner for us tonight which made life easy. Her husband Steve ran one of the seafari boats that go into the Corryvrecken whirlpool and do wildlife trips. Other guests said it was well worth doing but it takes 2 hours and so we didn’t feel tempted.

We spent most of the day on Luing, riding the remainder of Seil up to Clachan bridge and back, visiting Kilbrandon and Kilchattan church with its 5 stained glass windows- presented in 1938 and mostly depicting the sea of Gallilee (appropriately for an island church) and finally trying to get a feel for the old churchyard which I had read was too spooky for after dark walks.

The church had a key in the lock which after our visit we were asked to relock- maybe it had a habit of reopening if not and with wandering sheep… The windows were vibrant.

The graves were not as old as expected and it was difficult to read those well- worn. It was up a hill above the new site and on the opposite side of the road to the church. The size of some of the stones was intimidating and after Bob left I didn’t linger long.

A view from the school across the water filled quarry.....

 

 

Our meals were tasty and we went walking along the shore. We were told that a house next to the school, indicates that it is open for garden visits, by leaving wide the gates. They were open but there weren’t any signs to reassure us that it was Ok to enter. We ventured in until we were visible from the house then decided we might be trespassing. The gardens were certainly well kept and loved with labelling on some trees.

The temperatures had been in the mid 20s and we had ridden about 25 miles altogether including those on Luing.