10^th February 2018       Davaar

 

After breakfast at 8 we decided we had plenty of time to revisit the Shell beach at Tarbert before setting off for Cambeltown. Low tide would be at about 2pm for Davaar so we didn’t want to be there too early. Cambeltown is 37 miles from Tarbert, well down the peninsula that is the Mull of Kintyre.

We parked the car some way down the road that goes beyond the East Pier. Then walked past large houses , some quite romantically set, in rocks with cascades of water and tropical planting. Overlooking Portavadie the road ends but there is a path over rocks to the tiny cove mostly made up of broken scallop shells. We have been before and it was beautiful. The ground today is saturated with snow and rain water. With Bob’s help we scramble up. Children will love this but I have trainers not my clumsy boots and I don’t want to get too wet before tackling the causewayed island later.

It’s a good workout! We reach the cove but the tide is in and not much of the beach is visible. Well at least we knew how pretty it is- quite pink when the sun shines. A bit disappointed we gingerly make our way back. We got to the end of the rocks and I must have jumped onto the grass inches from the tarmac. I slid and fell flat on my back in the mud- not a puddle. The indignity! I was wet through to my skin as well as filthy and that was through 2 layers of trousers, coat and jumper. I would have to go back to the B and B and change. I sat on a cycle cape so I didn’t make the seat wet.

Luckily I had 2 coats and with no ill effects from the fall we were soon on our way to Cambeltown arriving at the causeway for Davaar at just after 11am via Kilkerran and Glenramskill. We parked in a puddled layby at the side of the road.  A car drove past sending water from a puddle straight through the open window. 

The causeway has Cambeltown Loch on one side and Kildalloig Bay on the other. It  doglegs out to the Loch and then the island with Kildalloig Bay on the right. There is a marker for where the direction changes. We watched 2 people already on the causeway, naturally formed from the shingle and called the Doirlinn. They waded through where the tide hadn’t receded quite enough.( Definitely a rubber boot walk!)

A 4 wheel drive vehicle came across pulling a farm trailer. Bob held the gate open for him to save him getting out.

We took a couple of bike capes and water in case... The wind was very strong as we set off following the deep tracks made by the wheels. Crushed shells like cockles and mussels were littered about and there were some enormous crab shells. There were plenty of oyster catchers here and waders that could have been red shanks by the look of their legs. As the tide receded the newly exposed sand provided a feast for the birds. I thought I saw a turnstone, small, with a striking black and white striped effect under its wings when it flew.

Hoods up because of the wind we could only look directly in front. We reached the buoy marking the change in direction and we could see the distinctive shape of Davaar said to look like a rabbit jelly mould. The rounded rump pointing out to sea on the right and with its head down, ears back on the left. I could see it! The rocks of varied colours, pinks, greys, greens were also variable sizes which made walking in wellies uncomfortable. I’d put a furry shoe liner in mine before we left the car and I was glad of it for warmth and cushioning.

It takes 20 minutes to reach the island and we are on grass. A sign tells us that the cave painting is on the right but not how far or anything about it .A litter bin is there to encourage visitors to dispose of their rubbish. We decide to go right first. The other people went left and disappeared. We never saw them again. There are south Ronaldsay sheep on the island and we spot them foraging on the beach. One passes us with seaweed in its mouth. I know about these because I have photocopied a bit from a book so we have some information with us today.

We are told the painting is in the 4^th cave after we have passed a derelict building. Trouble is there are holes that are possibly caves and possibly not. The rocks here are more boulder like and walking over, through or round them is exhausting and we are mindful that their might be no one to see us if we injure ourselves. The tide comes over these rocks and some are slippy with rock pools. The island is high above us at this point and we have counted 4, looked in them all and decided we haven’t got to the painting cave yet. Alexander MacKinnon painted a picture of Christ, crucified, in 1887 and in secret. I really want to see it but as we come to a turning round the island where we can’t see ahead we decide to give up- we have to walk back the way we came and we are tired. The wind has been nearly pushing us over as we wobble on the rocks.

As it turned out if we had gone another 50 yards we would have been on grass to make the going easier. There is a small identifying plaque over the cave and we saw the painting on the mobile phone of the man who went over the causeway in the 4 by 4. We met him by the other extreme of the island by the lighthouse. He said you could get to the caves down by the beach below us but it was very dangerous. You could go over the top but the best way is to go the way we went and he thought it was the 7^th cave. My book on Scottish islands said it was the 5^th out of 7. (no wonder we didn’t find it!)  His photo of the life sized Christ was very good. He showed us the tall and narrow entrance that you could just about squeeze through and then the space widens where the mural is. He thought we should have time to still get there but we were hungry and didn't fancy our chances going back again before the tide changed. People have been caught out and killed on this causeway.

Opposite the lighthouse (marked private and now automated) built by the father and uncle of Robert Louis Stevenson is the light house keeper’s white house, a holiday let. The interior of the island, the back of the” rabbit”, would have been OK to visit in less wind. That is probably where the wild goats would be hanging out. There are rabbits( we saw plenty of droppings) but no predators, except for the odd eagle but it's too windy today!There was a lot of water in the land which is marshy by nature or moorland on top of Davaar. We decided to call it a day and walk back  across the shingle where the tide is almost at its lowest. Perhaps we’ll try another day to see the cave. We’ll come back to the Mull of Kintyre for Jura and Islay this year.

We parked in Cambeltown and found a lovely but popular place to eat called the Bluebell Café. We had soup but people were eating huge dishes of fish and chips. The cakes looked really good too and it wasn’t expensive.

We drove back to Tarbert with a deviation over the moors to Skipness on the East Coast. We walked up the private drive to Skipness Castle where there were snowdrops, the first we’d seen in Scotland. The substantial ruins are worth walking round even though the day was almost closing. There is a view across to Arran through the archway and the stones of the castle are grey and pink. It was built in the 13^th century by the MacSween clan and abandoned in the 17^th after add- ons through the centuries. It is said to be haunted by the Green Lady.

A lot of the road over the moors is single track and we had to retrace our route to get back to the main road to Tarbert. We wanted to eat at the Argyll Arms again but despite it being empty we were told it was fully booked. If we are here on a Saturday again we will remember to book ourselves in- though there are more eating places to choose from in the Summer. Our meal was fine but not at the previous night’s standard.

 

 

We left the next day with gritting lorries de-icing the road so it was slow progress but by Loch Lomond the roads were mostly fine again. We enjoyed the islands, the scenery and the hospitality but February isn’t a good time to get the most out of an island trip!