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What I did on my summer holidays: Part two – Kerrera

Following on from What I did on my summer holidays: Part one – Easdale

Island 2: Kerrera

Kerrera is a small island near Oban. Cars are allowed for residents only.

The Kerrera ferry runs from Gallanach, 2 miles from Oban – follow the road round from the main ferry terminal until you get to the slipway.

The MV Carvoria is the smallest ferry in Calmac’s fleet. The crossing takes around 5 minutes, carries 12 passengers, and does not usually need to be booked.

There isn’t a lot to do on Kerrera apart from walk, but the walks are scenic, and full of wildlife. I was accompanied by a while-tailed sea eagle flying along the shore.

The Kerrera Tea Garden and Bunkhouse is a good landmark to aim for (open seasonally), and there is a well-stocked farm shop up the hill from the ferry landing.

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What I did on my summer holidays: Part one – Easdale

Oban from the ferry

They were a while ago now, but what I did on my summer holidays was go to Oban (a town on the west coast of Scotland) with the goal of getting to as many Scottish islands as possible. Getting to, and staying on the islands has been pretty challenging this year – getting to the big islands was pretty much out of the question, but there are lots of small ones that are easily reachable from Oban or nearby.

Number 1: Easdale Island

Easdale Island

Easdale is one of my favourite places on Earth. Home to the World Stone Skimming Championships, it is relatively easy to get to, and can be walked round in a day, or an afternoon depending on how much you want to see.

Easdale slate

It is one of the Slate Islands – a chain of small islands in the Inner Hebrides, and is pitted with deep pools made from disused slate quarries.

An Easdale Island wheelbarrow.

The island is car-free – residents have wheelbarrows instead.

The ferry arriving at Easdale Island

The small 10-people ferry runs regularly from Ellanabeich, which is also a pretty wee place.

Ellanabeich ferry waiting area for Easdale Island

The crossing takes about 5 minutes, and it is not possible to book it (there’s usually no need).

Buoys for sale in Ellanabeich

One trip to Easdale buoys you up for a long time…

Next: What I did on my holidays: Part two – Kerrera

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I do like to be Beside the Seaside

Beside The Seaside: a photobook by Anne Ward

For the last few months (actually, more like years) I’ve been sorting through 18 years of digital photos scattered over hard disks, HD cards and even floppy disks. I almost lost them all once, and after that I decided it was time to make something a bit more permanent, for my own records if nothing else.

Crazy golf

So here is Beside The Seaside – book one in what will be a series of photobooks, self-published in very small editions. Featuring 60 full colour photos of the British seaside, it is a neat and sturdy A5 softcover book. 

Chip cannibal / seaside shelter

You too can have a copy, if you so desire. The price of £8 includes UK Postage and Packaging (Royal Mail second class). If you’d like the book signed or dedicated to someone please add a note during checkout.

Buy now
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Clifton Cathedral

I recently visited Clifton Cathedral in Bristol, or the Cathedral Church of SS Peter and Paul, to give it its Sunday name. [Wikipedia]

Clifton Cathedral interior
The Nave with original Robin Day chairs

The Roman Catholic cathedral was designed by Ronald Weeks and a team from the Percy Thomas Partnership, and was completed in 1973. It is now Grade II Listed.

Clifton Cathedral altar and organ

Hexagons and equilateral triangles are key to the design of the whole building.

Clifton Cathedral, Bristol

It had just reopened for services again as restrictions were lifted.

Clifton Cathedral - William Mitchell Stations of the Cross
Stations of the Cross by William Mitchell

“Originally intended to be executed in stone (it was thought that these would be damaged by later building work), the Stations were made by William Mitchell using Faircrete (a mixture of concrete, resin & nylon fibres). The artist was asked about what reaction people had to his work: ‘Well the work is a bit hairy I suppose, but then so was the experience of crucifixion.’” – from Wikipedia.

Clifton Cathedral - concrete bin

Even the bins are carefully designed. The walls show the shape of the timber used to cast the concrete.

Clifton Cathedral, Bristol

Enjoy a virtual tour in David Essex’s video for Oh What a Circus.

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Glasgow archive photography round-up

Alan Dimmick

Alan Dimmick is a Glaswegian photographer, best known for photographing Glasgow’s art scene. He is posting archive photos on Instagram at the moment, fascinating to me because many are taken around Hyndland/Partick/Anniesland where I grew up.

The Windsor Cafe on Clarence Drive was my first local cafe, a real treasure trove of sweets and ice cream. The owners, pictured here, were a Scots-Italian brother and sister, with infinite patience from what I remember.

Jonathan Treen

Temptation - 1970s photographs by Jonathan Treen
‘Temptation’, Glasgow © 1977-2020 Jonathan Treen

Jonathan Treen is also posting archive photos of 1970s Glasgow on Twitter (@JonathanTreen) just now. Some of the locations are instantly recognisable, others changed beyond recognition.

Glasgow Swing Park - 1970s photographs by Jonathan Treen
Glasgow swing park © 1977-2020 Jonathan Treen

Photos taken from this interview on Document Scotland.

Graham Gavin

View this post on Instagram

The Cyrkles, Gourock, 1995

A post shared by Graham Gavin (@grahamgavinarchive) on

Graham Gavin has some great photos of Glasgow’s music scene in the 1990s – some lost bands, and some familiar faces.

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Warm winceyette

Winceyette bed jacket, John Ferguson, Perth

This is John Ferguson’s in Perth. One of the few remaining traditional urban outfitters.

John Ferguson, Perth - shop window

Two shops on either side of County Place have been clothing the denizens of Perth since 1924.

Rucksacks, John Ferguson, Perth

One side sells outdoor equipment and workwear. The other, clothes and ‘napery’ (household linen).

John Ferguson, Perth - shopfront

Ferguson’s recently amalgamated these shops into new premises at South Methven Street. I’m sad now that I was there on a Sunday and didn’t get a chance to see inside.

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Irvine

Irvine - Gable End

I visited Irvine a couple of months ago, after winning a night out there in a raffle.

The fifth of Scotland’s new towns – the others are East Kilbride, Cumbernauld, Glenrothes and Livingston – it was added onto an existing (and very pretty in parts) historic town.

The vision for Irvine was spectacular space-age Brutalism. The reality doesn’t quite match the vision but there are some interesting things going on with bus lanes, and a strange predilection for tiny, irregular windows.