Fraoch Gael

This morning it was cloudy with a forecast for improvement. We set off along the road across the Moine Mor and crossed the Crinan canal at Bellanoch then took the road for Tayvallich. Instead of stopping there like we often do we carried on along the road for 5 miles to visit the Chapel at Keills. Inside this restored medieval chapel Historic Scotland have gathered the beautifully carved grave slabs and the carved cross from the cemetery and have displayed them within the walls in a light dry space. Quite something to see.

Back to Tayvallich in time for lunch, then we drove over to Carsaig. We parked overlooking the sea. We intended to enjoy the panoramic view over to Jura and walk along to the pier again but stopped halfway along when we saw that a number of people were involved in manouvering the fishing boat Fraoch Gael into the sea. They had pushed it on a giant trailer from its shed along the village road (the trailer wider then the road!) and down the narrow road to the pier where it had to be manouvered round a rock face and into the water using the slipway attached to the pier. My blip shows the moment of success when the boat came off the trailer and was finally afloat.

On the drive back along towards the canal we stopped at the road end for the Barn Gallery. On seeing the sign "Long Bumpee Track" we parked and walked. It was a long track. We were glad we had not risked the car's exhaust and underside. Bumpee was an understatement. Eventually we came to a sign that said "Not long now, no really!". We walked some more. We eventually got to the gallery and saw the pictures. Then we walked back to the car !

To finish the afternoon we drove to Dunardry on the Southern bank of the Crinan Canal. Not far from where we had stayed last year (although we were on the opposite bank). We parked in the car park and set off to do one of the forest walks. Uphill. Quite a lot uphill. The views from the top (or as near as our path took us) were spectacular. We could see out to sea beyond Crinan Ferry to the islands. Jura, Scarba, where we had been at Craignish and well beyond. We could also see back across the Moine Mor to Dunadd and right up to Kilmatrin Glen.

We drove back up the road from Bellanoch to Lady Glassary wood then round to the Dunchraigaig car park so we could walk along to see the Bualachraig cup and ring marked stones. A short visit to end a lovely day.

Maeve the Deerhound is very tired :-)