Crinan Lighthouse

18.1C bright and warm with cloud. Light to moderate Southerly breeze.

Apothecary7's day off. We decided to make the long weekend like a holiday and set off on another art map adventure much as we had on Saturday. The weekend of Argyll's 9th Annual Open Studios event, or Artmap Argyll runs from Friday through to 5pm on the Monday. So, it was back to the Mid Argyll area. Maeve the Deerhound came too.

Our first call was to Slockavullin, not far from Kilmartin, where a more experienced artist was sharing her studio with one of the young artists being offered the chance to take part in the weekend. Then we went to Crinan ferry to see some woodcut prints and paintings by two artists sharing the boathouse gallery. Both venues were very good and we had a chance to speak with all four artists. We found all of the artists we spoke to over the weekend to be very enthusiastic and willing to talk about their work.

We drove round to Bellanoch on the Crinan Canal from where we walked along the towpath with Maeve to the basin at Crinan. One of our favourite walks. To Crinan is just over a mile and a half (there is a milestone near Bellanoch). It was lovely and warm and we were lucky to have the sunniest part of the day. At Crinan we had lunch in the coffee shop. It is dog friendly, so Maeve could join us inside where it was cooler. After lunch A7 went into the Crinan hotel which is another venue on the artmap trail with its gallery on the top floor with windows looking out over the islands. Maeve and I pottered about and looked at the boats and the views across to the islands from ground level.

We walked back along to Bellanoch. Slowly. As we walked we were talking about all the work we had seen over the weekend and on a complete whim we agreed we would like to go back to the Mill Cottage studio at Slockavullin and have another look. We bought a painting. By Sian MacQueen RSW (graduate of Glasgow school of art). It is called Little Picnic.

We were home by 6pm.

E-PL5 f/10 1/640 sec. ISO-200 15mm