I found this idyllic harbour last week in Corrie on the Isle of Arran.
Corrie lies on the north-east side of the island. It has two harbours – this one is known as Sandstone Quay because of the sandstone that was quarried locally and shipped from here.
The sheep came from the Glasgow Garden Festival, and are a fun presence. There is also a lot going on rock-wise, if you like that kind of thing (I do).
The shoreline is full of plants, lichens, birds and sealife. The textures and colours are amazing.
The colour of the sand is warm and inviting. It reminded me of butterscotch Angel Delight.
Haven’t been out much recently, so I’ve been travelling the world on a small screen.
Humberston Fitties, historic plotland developments on the bank of the Humber in Cleethorpes, lovingly documented by Seagull Swamp.
How curling stones are made – quarried from Ailsa Craig, a well-known landmark off the west coast of Scotland, and made to Olympic standard by one company in Mauchline – photos by Andy Buchanan
The Hermit of Treig – a great documentary about Ken Smith, who has lived alone off-grid on the shore of Loch Treig for the last 40 years. Incredible for his hardiness and indefatigability, I was fascinated with his thorough approach to record-keeping and the daily admin of being a hermit. (Not currently available on iPlayer but it has been repeated a few times).
The story of Clarion Clubhouses, founded by socialist organisations for the benefit of walkers and cyclists visiting rural areas. Found via a Guardian article about the last Clarion House in Lancashire, which I would very much like to visit.
Slow Ways – help create a national walking network.
Piel Island – a tiny island in Cumbria off the coast of Barrow-in-Furness – is looking for a new ruler. For reasons that have become slightly hazy, the licensee of the Ship Inn, Piel’s only pub, is crowned the King or Queen of Piel.
The ‘coronation’ ceremony involves sitting on a throne and having beer poured over their head.
Piel is a tidal island, and can be reached by ferry from Roa (at times).
At low tide, it’s possible to walk across the sands (careful now).
For a small island, it punches above its weight with one substantial ruined castle, one thriving pub and one row of very solid-looking houses.
When we visited, there was a great display in the Ship Inn, full of historical artefacts.
If you like to get away from it all, it might be worth a shot.
Thought I would squeeze in another island while the weather is still decent. Off to Rothesay we go.
Rothesay is the main town on the Isle of Bute. It is easy to get there from Glasgow by train and as a bonus, you get to go through Wemyss* Bay Station, one of the most beautiful railway stations in the UK.
(*pronounced Weems)
Get off the train and go down the adjoining walkway to get the ferry (operated by CalMac). The scenic crossing through the First of Clyde takes around 35 minutes.
Bute is one of the easiest islands to visit, because it’s so accessible. Get off the ferry and you’re right in the centre of Rothesay. The Esplanade has a lovely vintage seaside feel.
There are all kinds of shops and odd things to look at. Sadly, Zavaroni’s, home of the Top Hat (an ice cream cone with a Tunnock’s snowball squashed into it), and the Victorian toilets were both closed.
This little gem was still open – I was taking a picture of the shopfront, thinking it had long closed, when the owner came back from lunch and gave me a wee look inside. He said he’ll be closing up at the end of the year.
How can you compete with young guns like Wesley Snips?
After that it was time to head home again, with a beautiful view of all the Victorian villas along the shore and a plan to see more of Bute on my next visit.
While we’re on the subject of islands, here’s Luing, from a visit in 2017.
Luing is one of the Slate Islands, in the same group as Easdale.
There is a small car ferry that runs from North Cuan on the mainland to South Cuan on Luing.
It is quite an unusual shape. The crossing takes about 5 minutes.
The island itself is great for walking. We walked from the ferry landing to Cullipool, the main settlement, and visited the Atlantic Islands Heritage Centre.
It was very picturesque and unspoilt – an easy way to get away from it all.
Two ferries run to Lismore. The larger car ferry operated by Caledonian MacBrayne runs from Oban to Achnacroish in the centre of the island. The journey takes around 1 hour. Booking is recommended.
At the north end of the island, a smaller passenger ferry runs between Point on Lismore, and Port Appin on the mainland. The crossing takes around 10 minutes.
We visited on a hot, clear day and it was spectacular. I look forward to visiting again for a better look.
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.
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 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.
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.
The island is car-free – residents have wheelbarrows instead.
The small 10-people ferry runs regularly from Ellanabeich, which is also a pretty wee place.
The crossing takes about 5 minutes, and it is not possible to book it (there’s usually no need).
I’ve just spent a week on the Isle of Harris, in the Outer Hebrides. It is a very striking place, full of beautiful beaches and remote, rocky landscapes. Also home to Isle of Harris Gin, with its beautiful bottle, and Harris Tweed (of which more later).
Bunabhainneadar Tennis Court, reputed to be the most remote tennis court in the UKLuskentyre Beach, Isle of HarrisThe Blackhouse, Arnol, on the neighbouring Isle of Lewis
For more Harris photos, John Maher (ex-Buzzcocks drummer) is now a photographer based there. His work features superb shots of Harris and surrounding islands. I enjoyed spotting some of the locations, like unexpected Santa.
Some photos from the Isle of Arran. An island off the west coast of Scotland, full of wildlife and beautiful coastal views. And some interesting buildings and hand-painted signs.
‘The Tin Church’ at Pirnmill. Note the small but perfectly-formed bell tower.
