Ardnamurchan 2

 Tuesday Oct 4

The rain stopped at midday. The sun came out. We drove to Ardnamurchan Point which claims to be the most westerly land on the British mainland.The  Northern Irish might argue with that. I suppose 'mainland' is the crux of the matter. A stunning drive out, the narrow, twisting, as always one track with passing places road, hugs the coast for much of the way. At the start of the eighteen miles, the road passes through deciduous tree clad mountainside.  Completely unspoiled beaches with small Highland crofts scattered along the shore make up the topography. The road cuts inland at some point, passing through high moorland and round-topped mountains. This mountainside is the result of an extinct volcano.

 At some point in this section, we came across a 'communal garden', advertising organic vegetables for sale. All we could see was a tree surrounded area, glimpsing a poly tunnel somewhere inside. It was open on the return journey, we should have had a look.

At last, we descended to the surprisingly large settlement around the ferry terminal to Tobermory on Mull.

Only 18 miles, it seemed three times as long owing to the time it took, the road conditions, and gawping at the sunlit scenery. The only birds we saw were a few of the usual waders near a small cafe.  Curlew,  Golden Plover and Oystercatchers. From places like Sanna Bay you can view the Inner Hebrides of Rhum, Muck and Eigg which look stunning on a summer's evening. 

We then drove on to the lighthouse which is the westernmost mainland point. Next stop west across the Atlantic is Nova Scotia.  Ardnamurchan Lighthouse which is 36m (118 feet) tall is a significant aid to navigation at sea and is dominant on the horizon for tens of miles. It looked pretty grim to us. Brown concrete, accessed via a very narrow, walled, track, necessarily governed by traffic lights. I took this photo as we waited for the lights to change.

 

It's Red Deer rutting season. Until today, we have neither seen nor heard any, despite looking. Two people armed with binoculars alerted us to something happening. A Royal stag (ten points to his antlers) was making his way up the distant hillside.

 

Another cattle road block on the way back, they just amble along the road, swaying gently to one side to allow cars to pass. Plenty of clues to their passage left on the road.

Despite the wet start, it turned out to be a very pleasant and enjoyable day.