The Fife Coastal Path passes right through Cellardyke, where we spent our October break. Every day, we explored a different part of it. Walking west from our front door we passed through the fishing villages of Anstruther, Pittenweem, and St Monans.
Anstruther
Probably the most notable features of Anstruther (pop. c 3,600) are the Scottish Fisheries Museum and the Anstruther Fish Bar, neither of which we visited. However, the window from which two faces are peering in the gallery below is part of the museum. We did visit the Dreel Tavern (though not on the day of this walk) where a plaque on the wall commemorates the time that James V (1513-42) was carried across the Dreel Burn by a beggar woman because he was frightened of getting his stockings wet!
Anstruther Harbour
Anstruther Harbour
Anstruther figures
Anstruther Harbour
Peeping out from Scottish Fisheries Museum
By well doing poverty becomes rich
Esplanade
Mercat Cross
Murray Library
Wightmans Wynd
Anstruther house
Dreel Burn
Anstruther Church, Hew Scott Hall
Shell house decoration
Plaque on Dreel Tavern
Dreel Tavern
Former Witches Wynd
We also looked at the monument to Thomas Chalmers (1780-1847), First Moderator of the Free Church of Scotland, and later found his birthplace.
Thomas Chalmers memorial
Thomas Chalmers birthplace
Thomas Chalmers birthplace
Thomas Chalmers birthplace
From Anstruther, we continued along the coast to our next port of call, Pittenweem.
From Pittenweem, we continued along the coast to St Monans.
St Monans
St Monans is even smaller than Pittenweem with a population under 1500. Before you reach the village, a restored windmill and the remains of a few pan-houses are testament to the area’s industrial history: the Newark Coal and Salt Works Company founded in 1771.
St Monans windmill
Remains of pan-house
It’s hard to tell what’s natural and what isn’t in the rocks! There’s a swimming pool created in the sea, as in many of these villages. Much too cold to try out!
Rocks at St Monans
Rocks at St Monans
Rocks at St Monans
Natural swimming pool
As with the other two villages, there was a harbour and some pretty, colourful houses to admire, this time with the added attraction of a Welly Garden. It was raining quite hard by this time, so stealing a pair might have been a good option!
St Monans
St Monans
St Monans
St Monans
St Monans
St Monans
St Monans
St Monans
St Monans
St Monans
St Monans
St Monans
St Monans
St Monans
St Monans
St Monans
St Monans
Welly Garden
Welly Garden
Welly Garden
Welly Garden
Welly Garden
Welly Garden
Rain or no rain, from St Monans we had to turn round and do the walk in reverse to get back to our holiday home in Cellardyke: 7-8 miles in total. In the next post, I’ll turn east from our front door and take you along the coastal path to Crail.
During our week in Blairgowrie in August, several of our walks began, or ended, by crossing the footbridge just behind The Old Furnace where we were staying. On Day 1, we followed a 3 mile / 5 km circular route, turning right at the end of the bridge to follow the River Ericht upstream and climbing Knockie Hill. At one time there were 11 mills along this river: Oakland, above, is now derelict, but we also passed Brooklinn Mill which has been converted to a private house. The area is very fertile, as some of the images show, and fruit farming is a speciality, hence the polytunnels.
Can you spot two cats in the second picture below? The real one looks a lot less alert than the fake one …
Blairgowrie footbridge
Blairgowrie cats!
Brooklinn Mill
View from Knockie walk
View from Knockie walk
View from Knockie walk
View from Knockie walk
View from Knockie walk
After descending the Knockie, we made our way through residential streets to the riverside. It was lunchtime, so we popped into Cargill’s Bistro, or at least onto its outdoor courtyard. How could we not, when it looked so welcoming? Lunch was delicious, as was the beer.
At Cargill’s Bistro
At Cargill’s Bistro
At Cargill’s Bistro
At Cargill’s Bistro
Our walk back took us along the riverside path, with its attractive sculptures, past Cargill’s Leap.
Blairgowrie riverside sculpture
Blairgowrie riverside sculpture
Blairgowrie riverside sculpture
Blairgowrie riverside sculpture
Blairgowrie riverside sculpture
Blairgowrie riverside sculpture
Blairgowrie riverside sculpture
At Cargill’s Leap there is a viewing platform into the river below. This is where Donald Cargill, a local minster and covenanter, escaped pursuing troops by leaping the falls below. The covenanters were Presbyterians who signed a National Covenant in 1638 to retain their way of worship; this led to their persecution by Charles II. Cargill was eventually captured and executed.
I like the little figure on the information board!
Cargill’s Leap
Cargill’s Leap
From here, it wasn’t long until the chimney of our temporary home came into view and we re-crossed the bridge from which we had started.
Old Furnace chimney
Blairgowrie footbridge
Ardblair Trail and Bluebell Wood
On Day 2, we combined two short trails to make a 5 mile / 8 km figure-of-eight (plus about half an hour’s walk at each end to get to and from the Old Furnace). We made a lot of use of that riverside path! It was a good day for spotting quirky sculpture and painted stones, as well as more natural features such as assorted fungi and two pretty lochs.
As luck would have it, the figure-of-eight popped us out onto the road at lunchtime, right opposite the Dalmore Inn. Again, our powers of resistance were low. This time, we ate indoors, only the second time we have done so since the pandemic began. Their hygiene practices were excellent, and we felt as safe as its possible to be under the circumstances.
Fungi
Polytunnels
Bluebell Wood
Fingask Loch
Fingask Loch
Fingask Loch
Fingask Loch
Fingask Loch
Fingask Loch
White Loch
Local bear!
At Dalmore Inn
At Dalmore Inn
Tractor windvane
Golf Course Road sculpture
Golf Course Road sculpture
River Ericht
Covid stones
Drimmie Wood
Day 3 – another day, another wood! Drimmie is about two miles from Blairgowrie: we could have walked, but as you can see, the weather was not very pleasant so we chose to drive to the start of this 4 mile / 7 km trail. We were home by lunchtime, and went out again in the afternoon to explore Blairgowrie itself (pictures in last post).
Drimmie Wood
Drimmie Wood
Drimmie Wood
Drimmie Wood
Drimmie Wood
River Ericht Path
On Day 4, the weather had improved somewhat. We chose to walk up one side of the River Ericht and back down the other, crossing at Kitty Swanson’s Bridge. (Kitty Swanson operated a ferry crossing here for many years in the late 1800s, and lived in a cottage nearby). The fertility of the area was again apparent, and we got a close up of those polytunnels (and a chance to sample some strawberries). This trail is about 8 miles / 13 km.
River Ericht path
River Ericht path
River Ericht path
Polytunnels
Polytunnels
Kitty Swanson’s Bridge
Kitty Swanson’s Bridge
River Ericht path
Kitty Swanson’s Bridge
Kitty Swanson’s Bridge
River Ericht path
Hope stone
River Ericht path
Lazy lamb
River Ericht path
River Ericht path
Loch of the Lowes
On Day 5, we drove a bit further, towards Dunkeld. In another circular walk (5 miles / 8 km), we left the car in the Cally carpark, and walked through woods, and a golf course, to the Scottish Wildlife Trust reserve at Loch of the Lowes. It was their first day open after months of closure and we’d had to book a time slot online beforehand. They were understandably nervous about their procedures but, again, we were happy with hygiene and distancing standards. The only problem was the main attraction, the ospreys, hadn’t got the memo. While smaller birds cooperated by putting on a show outside the visitor centre, the only thing we saw from the hide at the lochside (with lots of zooming) was a large, empty osprey nest. Not even any swans! Our local pond can do better than that …
Osprey nest
Loch of the Lowes reserve
Loch of the Lowes reserve
Loch of the Lowes reserve
Loch of the Lowes reserve
We walked back to the car through Dunkeld, and at least we saw some handsome sheep to compensate. Some quirky signage too.
Dunkeld sheep
Watch out for the reds!
Slow
Dunkeld
Dunkeld
Dunkeld
Dunkeld
One out, one in
The Field Smokehouse
Dunkeld Smoked Salmon
Naked Sheep
Dunkeld
Dunkeld tree
Stormont and Meikleour
Day 6, our last day, was wet most of the time, but we soldiered on. In the morning, we parked the car in the village of Carsie and made up a circular tour including Stormont Loch which just happened to take us past the Dalmore Inn again at lunchtime – what a coincidence! We only once got a glimpse of Stormont because it was surrounded by trees. Much prettier was the smaller Hare Myre, and an unexpected bonus was a honey farm.
Hare Myre
Hare Myre
Stormont Loch
Near Stormont Loch
Confused sign!
Honeybees at work
Honey farm
Honey farm
After lunch, we drove on to the village of Meikleour where North Wood hides the Cleaven Dyke dating back to the Neolithic period. It just looks like a long mound!
North Wood
North Wood
North Wood
North Wood
North Wood
North Wood
Cleaven Dyke
North Wood
Cleaven Dyke
North Wood fungi
North Wood fungi
The village itself is pretty and features the Meikleour Beech Hedge (snapped from the car) which is in the Guinness Book of Records as the tallest hedge in the world!
Meikleour Institute
Meikleour beech head
Meikleour beech head
Masked sheep
Meikleour Arms
Meikleour Arms
Meikleour Arms
Meikleour beech head
Conclusion
We had a lovely, relaxing week in Blairgowrie with comfortable, self-contained accommodation and gentle walks easing us into the idea of travelling again. All the trails we did, apart from Loch of the Lowes, are from the Perth and Kinross Countryside Trust Blairgowrie leaflet which you can download here. We found it really helpful.
On our way home to Glasgow we stopped in another pretty village with its own story to tell – but that can wait for next time.
The name Port Glasgow means exactly what you might expect. It was originally a fishing hamlet called Newark which expanded because large ships were unable to navigate the River Clyde, then shallow and meandering, to the centre of Glasgow. Newark became the port for Glasgow in 1668 and was known as New Port Glasgow until this was shortened in 1775. By the 19th century Port Glasgow had become a centre for shipbuilding, but today only Ferguson Marine remains and in its shadow lies a lingering vestige of the old name, Newark Castle (c1484). It was once home to the Maxwell family, hence the initials PM on some of the windows.
This visit took place in November after the castle had closed for the winter (and the foreseeable future, as it turns out), but we had a look round the outside before setting off on our walk.
Newark Castle
Newark Castle Doocot
Newark Castle west wing
Newark Castle west wing
Newark Castle – PM
Newark Castle window
Newark Castle – PM
The Port Glasgow Heritage Walk has been created by the blogger The Greenockian and can be downloaded from the link. Before setting off west on her route, we walked east for a mile or so along the riverside walkway. The posts you can just see sticking out of the water, in the first picture below, are the remains of old timber ponds. At the beginning of the 18th century vast amounts of timber were imported into Port Glasgow and stored in the ponds, being seasoned by the salt water, until needed by local shipwrights or sawmills.
Timber ponds
Clyde at Port Glasgow
Memorial at Port Glasgow
Clyde at Port Glasgow
Clyde at Port Glasgow
Once back at the castle, we started the walk proper by walking west past the gates of Ferguson Marine. Across the road is the Ropeworks Building where ropes and sails used to be made, but which was converted into housing in 2007/8.
Ferguson Marine
Ropeworks Building
The route then took us through Coronation Park. Points of interest included an old steam hammer, manufactured by Glen & Ross of Glasgow, and a memorial cairn to the Clyde Boating Tragedy of 1947 when 20 people died in an accident while on a pleasure cruise.
Glen & Ross Steam Hammer
Clyde Boating Tragedy Memorial
On the back wall of Fergus Monk’s garage at the West Quay are these two colourful murals by Jim Strachan. One shows fishing boats and the catch being processed on the quay, while the other shows people enjoying themselves in a non-socially-distanced way that seems but a dream now..
Mural by Jim Strachan
Mural by Jim Strachan
Looking out to the Clyde, there are two lighthouses here, Perch Lighthouse (1862) on the treacherous Perch Rock, and the taller West Quay Lighthouse built in the 1870s to guide ships using the docks.
Perch Lighthouse
West Quay Lighthouse
Across a busy road from here is a large retail park (a good stop for lunch, if anything is open, I think we went to Marks and Spencer). Set into the pathway are slabs with the names of local shipyards, such as the Inch Yard. On the way out of the retail park going towards the town centre is a replica of the Comet, the first commercial steam-powered vessel in European waters (1812).
Shipyard slabs
Replica of Comet
We passed two churches – St John the Baptist (left below) was built in 1854 for the growing number of Roman Catholics, many from Ireland, who came to work in the area. The current St Andrew’s Church dates from 1823, but there has been a church on the same site since 1719. You can see St Andrew’s again peeking out from behind the Old Bank Building.
St John the Baptist
St Andrew’s Church
Old Bank Building
Port Glasgow has had a railway since 1841. The current station building has 14 murals made by local people, each celebrating part of the town’s history. I had a hard time choosing favourites, so here’s a large selection, starting with the remembrance panel because our visit was very near Remembrance Sunday.
Remembrance
Comet
Glen Mill
Railway
Shipyard
Coronation Park
Opposite the station is the Star Hotel with a couple of interesting ghost signs – or are they really ghost signs if the original business is still there? Old signs anyway!
Star Hotel ghost sign
Star Hotel ghost sign
Star Hotel
A stroll down King Street took us past the Salvation Army, then we turned down Customhouse Lane heading for the town buildings.
Salvation Army
King Street
These date from 1816 and once included a court, a council chamber, prison and police department. Port Glasgow is now part of Inverclyde and no longer needs these things, so the building houses the public library. There are references to the town’s past with sailing ships everywhere, including the weather vane atop the 150ft steeple and on the coat of arms seen on the lamp.
Port Glasgow Town Buildings
Port Glasgow Town Buildings
Steeple
Provost’s lamp
Ship detail
Across from the town buildings are two monuments, the War Memorial and the Endeavour sculpture. The latter was created by Malcolm Robertson in 2012 and is another celebration of the town’s shipbuilding heritage.
Port Glasgow War Memorial
Endeavour
From here, we crossed the main road again to return to our car. Port Glasgow is somewhere I drive through regularly without stopping, so I’m grateful to The Greenockian for opening my eyes to its interesting history. Linked to Jo’s Monday Walks.
Our walking guidebook instructed us to return to the road, turn left to pass the timber yard and arrive at “Toot Corner”. What? Well, we knew it when we saw it!
From here, a signpost directed us through woodland to the lower slopes of Cockburn Law. The unusual Retreat House, a circular late 18th century hunting lodge, could be seen below.
Retreat House
Retreat House
Retreat House
Brochs are Iron Age drystone roundhouses unique to Scotland, but Edin’s Hall is one of only a few found outwith the Highlands and Islands. Its central space is also unusually wide with relatively thin walls, suggesting that it is unlikely to have been roofed. Perhaps more of a small fort than a broch?
Edin’s Hall Broch
Edin’s Hall Broch
Edin’s Hall Broch
Edin’s Hall Broch
Edin’s Hall Broch
Edin’s Hall Broch
Descending the hill on the other side of the broch we came to the Elba Footbridge across the Whiteadder Water.
Elba Footbridge
Descending from the broch
Whiteadder Water
The rest of the walk was on minor roads and farm tracks until we arrived back at the Riverside. Sheep were abundant!
This was the second last day of our 2019 Berwickshire break, so just one more post to go. This one is linked to Jo’s latest Monday Walk post.
This is a short circular walk (7km) from Duns, the historic county town of Berwickshire. We had a quick look round the marketplace before we set off and found the Mercat Cross, a statue to Wojtek the Soldier Bear, and a nicely preserved ghost sign. Wojtek’s statue was gifted to the town by the people of Zagan in Poland in 2016. The Syrian brown bear was adopted by the Polish Army in 1942 in Iran. During the battle of Monte Cassino in 1944 he helped carry shells to the guns, as shown here, then at the end of WW2 he stayed with the Polish Army at Winfield in Berwickshire. Wojtek moved to Edinburgh Zoo in 1947, where he died in 1963.
Mercat Cross
Wojtek statue
Ghost sign
From the centre of Duns, we made our way to the archway at the entrance to the grounds of Duns Castle.
Just inside, a woodland path led up to the 218m summit of Duns Law. As we climbed, we could see the castle gateway below us with the Cheviot Hills behind it.
On the hill’s flat summit is a Covenanters’ Stone, which marks the spot where General Alexander Leslie raised the Covenanters’ standard in 1639 in defiance of King Charles I’s imposition of Episcopalianism on his Scottish subjects.We descended part-way, then struck off across the flank of the hill where we passed a stone on the site of the old town of Dunse (sic), destroyed in the border raids of 1588. We could also see the castle peeking through the trees below us.
Cairn to old Dunse
Duns Castle
We tried to make our way down to the grounds of the castle, which we did with some difficulty. We formed the impression that not many people did this walk – the path was very overgrown and we felt we were hacking our way through at times. Once we got down, the walk through the castle’s woods was very muddy and not especially picturesque. However, we saw some lovely swans and the Neo-Gothic castle itself definitely was picturesque.
Duns Castle swan
Duns Castle
From the castle, we headed down the drive and through a different archway to the road, from which it was a short walk back to our car in the marketplace.
We visited Eyemouth several times during our stay in Lower Burnmouth last summer – it’s a pretty little town in itself, but is also the nearest place to buy provisions. One morning, we set out to walk there (and back) on the Berwickshire Coastal Path. As we left, the local lobster fisherman was heading out of the harbour.
The path led us steeply out of Lower Burnmouth towards the clifftops. As we went, we could see our little cottage, The Old Lobster House, retreat further into the distance below us. It’s the little white building opposite the row of coloured houses.
The path reached the road at the upper part of Burnmouth. As the old sign tells us, it’s 6 miles to Berwick and 52 to Edinburgh. The pub is The First and Last – the first or last in Scotland, depending on your direction of travel.
The First and Last
Old mile post
Village sign
I liked this house’s quirky gate and name sign.
Burnmoth gate
Burnmoth nameplate
Before moving on, we stopped for a while to read an information board telling us how Burnmouth used to be a hotbed of smuggling in the 18th century. One notorious family was the Lyalls who organised a raid on the Customs Warehouse in Eyemouth in 1780. John Lyall later moved to Sussex where he became a respected resident, operating ships out of London. His five sons showed how quickly and effectively the family distanced itself from its criminal past: they included a Conservative MP and a Dean of Canterbury. Clearly a talented family on whichever side of the law they operated.
The path then led us down the side of the Village Hall and back on to the cliffs. Burnmouth Harbour and our little house were still in view!
Burnmouth Village Hall
Lower Burnmouth
The clifftops were lined with fields of crops, mainly barley, and wildflowers.
Anabel
Barley field
Wildflowers
We wondered what this brown crop was, and only identified it later. Had we been earlier in the year, these fields would have been bright yellow – it’s oilseed rape.Â
Oilseed rape
Oilseed rape
Oilseed rape
This was the first, but not the last, day we noticed an abundance of painted lady butterflies. Apparently, last summer was a once in a decade mass emergence when weather conditions and food sources provided ideal conditions for the species to thrive.
Painted lady
Painted lady
Looking out to sea, we admired the folds in the rocks. Geology writ large.
Between Burnmouth and Eyemouth
Between Burnmouth and Eyemouth
Between Burnmouth and Eyemouth
Then Eyemouth came into view, and we were almost there.
After spending the afternoon in Eyemouth we had to walk back. Remember The First and Last in Burnmouth? We naturally stopped for a beer and some good pub grub. I liked the way it was decorated with old advertising boards.
Old advertisment
Old advertisment
Old advertisment
Old advertisment
Old advertisment
Old advertisment
Then it was down the hill again, home to The Old Lobster House. Next time, I’ll show you round Eyemouth itself.
Yesterday, 1st December, was a lovely crisp, winter day so we decided to go for a walk in the Trossachs. We drove to Aberfoyle, less than 30 miles from Glasgow, and followed the trail to Doon Hill, home of the fairies. Allegedly.
River Forth at Aberfoyle
Doon Hill
Frosty
The minister in Aberfoyle between 1685 and 1692 was Reverend Robert Kirk who had a strong interest in local folklore and wrote a famous book telling the secrets of the fairies. Doon Hill is the site of their revenge. The fairies were so cross with Kirk’s revelations that they kidnapped him and encased his soul in the pine tree at the top of the hill.
People sometimes leave offerings to the fairies in the form of clouties (cloths) in the hope that, as the cloutie rots, the illness or misfortune affecting the person on whose behalf it was placed will also vanish. It’s a few years since we did this walk, and it seems from the new trail notice, that some people aren’t quite getting the concept and are leaving non-biodegradable items which are never going to rot.
Something else that was new to us were the fairy houses, carved from tree stumps, on the way up the slope. Lots of offerings here.
Fairy houses on Doon Hill
Fairy houses on Doon Hill
Fairy houses on Doon Hill
Fairy houses on Doon Hill
On the other hand, the top of the hill seems to have been cleared quite considerably. We remembered the surrounding oaks all being decorated and bells tinkling in the breeze. Even if you don’t believe in the fairies, that made it quite a haunting place. Now, the offerings are largely confined to the central Scots pine, home to Rev Kirk’s soul. Or not.
Summit pine tree, Doon Hill
Summit pine tree, Doon Hill
After descending Doon Hill, the path took us through woodland, following the River Forth for a while, before returning to Aberfoyle. The frosty trees and the late afternoon light were wonderfully atmospheric.
John near Aberfoyle
Frosty Forest near Aberfoyle
Frosty Forest near Aberfoyle
Doon Hill
Frosty Forest near Aberfoyle
River Forth at Aberfoyle
It’s a while since I’ve linked up with Jo’s Monday Walk. If I’ve made you feel cold, I suggest you hop over there immediately for a warm in some Portuguese sun.
Cowden is somewhere I’ve wanted to visit for a while. Created in 1908 by intrepid traveller Ella Christie (1861-1949), with the help of Taki Handa originally from the Royal School of Garden Design at Nagoya, it fell into disrepair in later years and was badly vandalised in the 1960s. In 2013 Professor Masao Fukuhara from Osaka University of Arts, Japan, was appointed to restore the garden and, although still a work in progress, it is now open to the public again. The full history, detailed on the garden’s website, is fascinating and well worth a read.
Our strategy of waiting for the rain to go off over lunch hadn’t worked, but it didn’t detract from the beauty of the garden and gives us an excuse to come back to visit in sunshine some day. Click on the gallery below to take a stroll round the central pond with us.
After Cowden, we headed a few miles back up the road to the small town of Dollar to visit Castle Campbell. We left the car in town and headed up the burn to Dollar Glen, where we chose the west path which climbs through woodland, eventually following the Burn of Sorrow, and leading to great views of the castle.
Dollar Burn
Dollar
Burn of Sorrow
Anabel in Dollar Glen
Castle Campbell
It’s a long time since we’ve actually visited the castle, but we decided to do so now. It was no longer raining, but the mist made the views from the top of the tower very atmospheric and, as the last image in the gallery below shows, there were some weak rays of sunshine as we left.
Castle Campbell
View of Dollar
Castle Campbell
Last of the summer roses
Latrine
Latrine
Green Man carvings on ceilings
View from tower
Garden from tower
Castle Campbell
In the internal photos, you can see two Green Man carvings in the ceiling which would originally have held chains for oil lamps in their mouths. You can also see John testing one of the latrines for comfort, as invited by the notice behind him. This notice also informed us that a remedy for bed wetting from 1544 involved adding the ground bones of a hedgehog to the sufferer’s food and drink. Poor hedgehogs!
After the castle, we took the east path back down the glen along the Burn of Care until it merged with the Burn of Sorrow to form the Dollar Burn and led us back into town. Such sad names!
Burn of Care
Burn of Care
Before leaving we found this interesting drinking fountain and a bench dedicated to Ella Christie whose garden we had visited earlier.
Drinking fountain
Drinking fountain
Ella Chrisite plaque
This was a day which proves there’s no point in sitting at home waiting for the weather to improve. Just get out and do it! We had two lovely walks which I’m linking to Jo and her wonderful group of Monday walkers. She has blue Portuguese skies to counter my grey ones.
Castle Semple Park, near Lochwinnoch in Renfrewshire, is based on a large estate created many centuries ago by the Sempill family. The original Castle (c. 1500) is no more, but the remains of a later mansion have been incorporated into private residences which are not accessible to the public. However, there are plenty other hints as to what the landscape might once have looked like.
Throughout the trail there are unusual seating areas and “Lookooteries” or viewpoints. The stone structure I am sitting on is the Grotto in Parkhill Wood, a once fashionable accessory to any country estate.
Carved chairs
Carved benches
Carved benches
Grotto
Parkhill “Lookooterie”
Another must-have would have been a water feature and, between 1727 and 1730, garden expert William Bouchert diverted the burn behind Castle Semple to create a series of cascades for then-owners the MacDowall family. Although allegedly restored recently, you can see my puzzlement as I searched for the water flow. The burn is badly overgrown!
Cascades
Cascades
Cascades
Close by is the Collegiate Church which was founded in 1504 by John, Lord Sempill. A collegiate church was not controlled by a bishop, but was served by a college of priests whose chief duty was to pray for the souls of the Sempills. John Sempill was killed at the Battle of Flodden in 1513 and his son extended the church to house his father’s tomb. Although not used for worship after the Reformation it survived as a burial enclosure.
Collegiate Church
Collegiate Church
Collegiate Church
Collegiate Church
Finally, before turning back, we climbed Kenmure Hill to the folly known as Kenmure Temple. This was built in 1758 to provide the MacDowalls and their guests with a vantage point over the estate. It seems graffiti artists have also visited!
Kenmure Temple
Inside Kenmure Temple
Castle Semple is an attractive park which, although just over half an hour’s drive from home, we’ve only visited once before. It’s maybe not as spectacular as other places we visit, but we had a pleasant afternoon out and I think we’ll now add it to our repertoire of regular walks.
Linked to Jo’s Monday Walk – today she’s in the Azores – a must see!
Having rejected the previous two days as too dreich to get the boat out to the castle, we then decided this day was too nice. We wanted to explore the island in the sun. Driving up the west coast, our first stop was at St Brendan’s Church where Father John MacMillan (1880-1951), about whom we had seen an exhibition in the heritage centre, was once priest. He spent most of his life ministering to the people of the islands, including two years in Canada when, after the First World War, many Hebridean families settled in Red Deer in Alberta. MacMillan volunteered to emigrate along with them in 1923, but left after a fight with the Canadian authorities which he felt were inflicting unnecessary hardship upon the immigrants. Father MacMillan wrote Gaelic songs, and was also immortalised in both a piping march and in his friend Compton Mackenzie’s book, Whisky Galore, in which the character of the priest, Father James Macalister, is based on him. Click on the link above to read more about this remarkable man, including the Canadian story.
The church dates from 1857 and is almost as simple inside as out. From the church it was a short walk back along the coast to find Father Macmillan’s grave in the cemetery. The scenery was stunning, and the neighbours friendly.
St Brendan’s Church
Craigston Beach
Craigston Beach
Near St Brendan’s Cemetery
Near St Brendan’s Cemetery
St Brendan’s Cemetery
St Brendan’s Cemetery
St Brendan’s Cemetery
And here is the grave we were looking for. Twelve hundred mourners from all over the Hebrides attended the funeral, processing from Craigston to the cemetery behind six pipers. It must have been quite a day.
Father John MacMillan’s grave
Father John MacMillan’s grave
After a short drive further up the main road, we turned off at Cleit to explore another fine beach. On our way down, we passed this desirable holiday home.
Barra holiday home!
Barra holiday home!
We chatted to a trio of elderly tourists and watched a group of body-boarders for a while. It looked cold!
Cleit, Barra
Cleit, Barra
Cleit, Barra
Cleit, Barra
Cleit, Barra
Cleit, Barra
On the other side of the car park was a small geo (chasm) where the water rushing in and out fascinated me.
The walk started at Eoligarry jetty, from which the passenger ferry to Eriskay used to run when we last visited. Now, there was nothing much there, but it was a convenient place to leave the car.
Eoligarry jetty
Eoligarry jetty
We soon came to the old church of Cille Bharra with a replica of the Kilbar Stone, a Viking grave which once stood here. I detect some unhappiness about its absence.
Kilbar Stone
Kilbar Stone
I was delighted to pick up a history of the church and to realise that it was written by Alan Macquarrie, a former colleague of mine.
Cille Bharra
Cille Bharra
Cille Bharra guidebook
Onwards again – that was the flat part of the walk. There were a couple of short climbs coming up, first to the remains of Dun Sgurabhal, an Iron Age fort, with views to beaches on all sides. The cows liked it up here too.
Dun Sgurabhal
View from Dun Sgurabhal
View from Dun Sgurabhal
View from Dun Sgurabhal
View from Dun Sgurabhal
Dun Sgurabhal
Coming down from the fort, we stumbled over lumpy grazing land before climbing again to Beinn Eolaigearraidh Mhor. Despite mhor meaning large, at 105m it wasn’t – but still had panoramic views to admire.
This also meant we could disregard the warning signs and walk back to Eoligarry along the beach rather than the road. Traigh Mhor is also known as Cockle Strand – the cockle pickers were back on the beach too.
We do look rather happy, don’t we? The food was excellent (as was the beer).
As I’ve mentioned before, on these small islands you tend to run into the same people several times. Also eating in the restaurant were the elderly tourists and the body-boarders we saw in Cleit in the morning, and the young man tuning up his fiddle above would serve us lunch in a different place the next day. That would be our final day on the island so, rain or shine, we had to get out to that castle at last!