Calm afternoon at Carraig Fhada
Posted: Tue Sep 13, 2016 3:12 pmWe had a few hours spare around Port Ellen before dinner - plenty of time to wander along Kilnaughton Bay to Carraig Fhada lighthouse.
It's a quick walk down to the beach from the parking area behind a cemetery. A veil of cloud had been slowly approaching from the west all day, and the sunshine was mostly gone by now. With no wind and a perfectly calm bay, everything felt very peaceful and muted.
There's an elaborate bathing hut set into the rocks at the north end of the beach.
The tide was out which probably helped make the burn easy to cross where it meets the sea.
View south around the bay:
At the end of the beach we climbed up onto the narrow coastal road, which leads around to Carraig Fhada and a very attractive lighthouse.
Port Ellen across the water. Somewhere out in the bay there was something splashing around - could've been an otter (or perhaps a seal), but too far away to tell.
The lighthouse is reached by a short concrete causeway across rocks. A couple of children were playing on the rocks - one seemed to be sulking and made a show of throwing his bucket and spade into a large rock pool. I gave them a grumpy look and immediately felt very old
From the lighthouse an attractive path leads further along the coast to Traigh Bhan. The path led over a small hillock with a surprising number of groups coming the other way. View down to the beach ahead:
The beach itself was almost deserted though
From the beach, the path up the hill behind could easily be seen. Apart from a few encroaching bracken fronds it was easy to follow although steep, abruptly popping out on a track a little higher up. View back down the hill:
We turned right and followed the track / road downhill until it rejoined the coast road at the southern end of Kilnaughton Bay. A large yacht was departing Port Ellen:
Heron waiting for fish:
Instead of heading back across the beach, we cut back to the car park along the road and past a cemetery. The ruined chapel in the middle is apparently worth visiting (according to walkhighlands), but all the gates seemed to be locked! Never mind... time for a pizza in Port Ellen
Islay & Jura 2016
<< Thursday lunchtime: Soldier's Rock, Islay
It's a quick walk down to the beach from the parking area behind a cemetery. A veil of cloud had been slowly approaching from the west all day, and the sunshine was mostly gone by now. With no wind and a perfectly calm bay, everything felt very peaceful and muted.
There's an elaborate bathing hut set into the rocks at the north end of the beach.
The tide was out which probably helped make the burn easy to cross where it meets the sea.
View south around the bay:
At the end of the beach we climbed up onto the narrow coastal road, which leads around to Carraig Fhada and a very attractive lighthouse.
Port Ellen across the water. Somewhere out in the bay there was something splashing around - could've been an otter (or perhaps a seal), but too far away to tell.
The lighthouse is reached by a short concrete causeway across rocks. A couple of children were playing on the rocks - one seemed to be sulking and made a show of throwing his bucket and spade into a large rock pool. I gave them a grumpy look and immediately felt very old
From the lighthouse an attractive path leads further along the coast to Traigh Bhan. The path led over a small hillock with a surprising number of groups coming the other way. View down to the beach ahead:
The beach itself was almost deserted though
From the beach, the path up the hill behind could easily be seen. Apart from a few encroaching bracken fronds it was easy to follow although steep, abruptly popping out on a track a little higher up. View back down the hill:
We turned right and followed the track / road downhill until it rejoined the coast road at the southern end of Kilnaughton Bay. A large yacht was departing Port Ellen:
Heron waiting for fish:
Instead of heading back across the beach, we cut back to the car park along the road and past a cemetery. The ruined chapel in the middle is apparently worth visiting (according to walkhighlands), but all the gates seemed to be locked! Never mind... time for a pizza in Port Ellen
Islay & Jura 2016
<< Thursday lunchtime: Soldier's Rock, Islay