The morning after the night before in Blackpool. I went for a walk along the shore.
The colourful edges of the Pleasure Beach.
Eccentric B&Bs.
Quiet bandstands.
I had just watched Fire of Love, the magnificent documentary about vulcanologists Katia and Maurice Krafft. I liked the way The Big One looms over this part of town, waiting to erupt.
Last stop, what was once the World’s Largest Mirrorball, officially an artwork by Michael Trainor called They Shoot Horses, Don’t They.
I was going to say this is a break from islands and ferries, then remembered this trip to Blackpool started with a detour to Knott End-On-Sea, where the ferry crosses over to Fleetwood. The ferry wasn’t running that day but it’s a scenic spot, with lots of wading birds and a statue of L.S. Lowry who used to paint there.
On to Blackpool. Always an interesting mix of highs and lows. Found this up a side street.
Blackpool at sunset is a beautiful thing, especially in winter.
Hours of endless fun reading the Comedy Carpet.
And a good spot to sit and watch the starlings fly around the pier.
Holy Isle is a small island in the Firth of Clyde, off the Isle of Arran – not to be confused with Holy Island in Northumberland. I have looked at it so many times from Lamlash and was determined to get there, even though it’s an epic journey by public transport of two trains, two ferries and a bus each way from Glasgow. In the end, it took almost a year for weather and tide times to align and I just caught the last sailing of the year.
The ferry is a small boat operated by Lamlash Cruises. Check their site for sailing times, these vary according to tides and other factors. The journey from Lamlash takes around 15 minutes and the view of Arran from the boat is worth the trip alone. Grant, the skipper, is very knowledgeable and gives visitors a good introduction to the island on arrival.
The whole island is owned by the same Buddhist community as Samye Ling. The main building is a monastery which is open for retreats but closed to day visitors, apart from the garden. There are only really two paths to take – a walk to the other end of the island either easily along the shore, or more strenuously over the top. It’s about 2 miles end-to-end and there’s a lot to take in along the way.
Getting around is simple as there are no roads and barely any people. There are some Christian sites like the cave of St Molaise, sitting alongside brightly painted rocks featuring Buddhist deities, and populations of wild Eriskay ponies, Saanen goats and Soay sheep. It took me around 3 hours to amble to the lighthouse and back. It’s not far but there’s a lot to look at.
There are also two lighthouses on the island. The Inner lighthouse is on a private part of the island, and the Outer or Pillar Rock Lighthouse is at the end of the public path where you can sit and enjoy a good view of the Firth of Clyde.
How to get to Holy Isle on public transport
At the start of 2022, I planned to go to as many different islands on as many different ferries as I reasonably could. By September I felt like I was underachieving somewhat, so I went for three ferries in one day (no islands though), from Gourock to Dunoon (two ways) with a side-trip to Kilcreggan.
The first leg, Calmac’s passenger only Gourock-Dunoon ferry gets you to the heart of Dunoon in 25 minutes. Gourock ferry terminal is close to the station so it’s an easy day trip from Glasgow on public transport.
Dunoon is a slightly forlorn former holiday resort. I used to go there on holiday in the 1980s and forever associate it with rainy bank holidays where everything is shut. This was a better day, and I enjoyed wandering about the pier and trailing around the charity shops.
Instead of going back the same way I walked along to Hunter’s Quay to catch the car ferry to McInroy’s Point in Gourock, passing Puffin Rock on the way. This used to be called Jim Crow (it was painted like a crow) and I remember it as the highlight of any visit to Dunoon. It has been reimagined and repainted as Puffin Rock now and is part of a small but impressive bunch of brightly painted erratic boulders around this part of Scotland.
After that I was back in Gourock early enough to nip over to Kilcreggan on the Rosneath Peninsula – the passenger-only ferry leaves from the same terminal as the Gourock-Dunoon passenger ferry. This is a short and sweet ride, only 13 minutes. There is a small row of shops at Kilcreggan and a cafe where you can sit and watch the water where there are cruise ships, nuclear submarines, seabirds and dolphins.
After leaving the pier, sadly Wonkey Donkey was closed.
Weston-super-Mare has at least three crazy/adventure golf courses in close proximity. The old ones are the best.
“Person per tramp” – an example of business speak that doesn’t quite translate outside the business.
Good story on this blue plaque in Weston’s local newspaper – “Although invited to, he never jumped the queue and would happily chat with other visitors.”
Back in Weston-super-Mare after a few years.
It is a classic British seaside resort, with a smashing pier.
The pier burnt down in 2008, but is now back in full swing. Sometimes it’s quiet…
… and sometimes it’s loud.
Didn’t win anything, but had fun trying.
I❤️EK
£10.00
8 mixed postcards - set 2
£6.00
8 mixed postcards - set 3
£6.00
Sign Here
£10.00
A Parade of Shops
£10.00
