Point of Ironhill

Quarryhead from the Point of Ironhill

Another glorious Indian Summer of a day, the braes down to the shore from Braco Park were made steeper by the temperature, 22.5c at 10.30 a.m.. Grey Granite and Rufus crossed the Pouk and walked on to the Point of Ironhill where they spent some time watching the seabirds, eiders, cormorants, gannets, assorted gulls, and on the rocks oystercatchers and curlews. We noted that there are very few wild flowers on the cliff tops now but that the thrift is having a sparse second flowering and gorse bushes have small patches of flowers

A creel boat lifting creels near the Pouk, optimistic gulls followed the boat.

St Ethernan's Kirkyard Rathen



An extraordinarily warm day temperatures reaching 22.5c by 11.00 and Grey Granite and Rufus were pleased to make the most of the morning by joining their friends Jennifer and Brogan by St Ethernan's Kirkyard in Rathen for a walk.

Surrounded by trees, the kirkyard is an extremely tranquil and secluded place

We followed Sandy Lane out of the village, over Gallows Hill and the Hill of Ardglassie to Rathen Station then followed the Formartine Buchan Way past Concraigs to Craigellie Lodge where we rejoined the road.



We returned to Rathen over the Hill of Forest. The spire of the new Rathen kirk can be seen above the trees. There are banks of rosebay willow herb on the left, seeded they shed plumes of seeds over the road. There are still a few late flowers chiefly bluebells, campion, knapweed and hawkweeds along the Line and at the roadsides.

Rufus is always pleased to walk with his big American friend, Brogan

It was very difficult to decipher the worn inscription but we think that the flat stone in the foreground is the Grieg gravestone

Dappled sunlight and fallen leaves on the lane outside St Ethernan's Kirkyard, the new kirkyard can just be seen in the distance

Round the Horn

Another beautiful autumn morning to be seized and enjoyed. Grey Granite and Rufus walked 'Round the Horn', cutting across the Cairnhill. We noted how the landscape has changed in the 10 days since we walked this way; ploughed fields, leafless trees, very few flowers at the dykesides but already new crops emerging. We heard the first geese of the season passing overhead later in the day.

Bare trees in the Pitsligo Castle wood at the same time as  next year's crop of oil seed rape, sown just a few weeks ago, is starting to grow.  In the distance the ruins of Pittulie Castle, described by Charles McKean as 'sitting like a stranded battle ship within sight of Pitsligo Castle'.

Pitsligo Castle, leafless trees in the castle grounds. We heard sawing in the orchard and and garden and wonder if development work is progressing.

Looking over Aberdour Bay. Although Grey Granite thoroughly enjoyed Skye, she is glad to be back in the familiar landscape of Buchan.

Romesdal

The River Romesdal flowing from Romesdal Bridge down to Loch Snizort. The trees are mainly hazels.

The river enters Loch Snizort close to West House, at low tide in particular,  the upstairs sitting room windows provide a comfortable bird watching hide. There are elusive otters in the river. In autumn the shore is littered with hazel nuts washed down from the bushes upstream.

Evening light on the Cuillins seen from the estuary of the River Romesdal

Romesdal Mill: The mill is considered to be the best surviving example of the mills built by James Gillespie Graham,there are three compartment sand a kiln. Built around 1802 the mill had fallen in to disuse by 1915. It is one of the many watermills on Skye which fell into disuse as a result of the clearances.

 'The use of querns was outlawed so that people were obliged to make use of their landlords' mills. However, in 1833 Alexander Mackenzie reported that 'nearly all the meal mills that used, in great numbers, to be constantly employed 20 to 50 years ago, have fallen into decay or are lying completely idle in consequence of the evictions and of the best portions of the Island having been laid waste to make room for large sheep farms. These silent and dilapidated buildings now proclaim the sad truth respecting the once prosperous inhabitants of the famous and soldier-producing island more eloquently than pen can record'.


Taken from "Western Seaboard: An Illustrated Architectural Guide", by Mary Miers, 2008. Published by the Rutland Press http://www.rias.org.uk

The remains of the mill wheel and lade

Rufus enjoying paddling in the burn which powered the mill

Philorth Woods: Look for signs that summer's done

The trees in Philorth Wood are starting to turn, the horse chestnuts in particular are changing colour whilst some beeches are almost bare of leaves.

Grey Granite and Rufus decided to make the most of the beautiful sunny, autumnal morning, mild enough for Grey Granite not to need a jacket as they set off along the Line from Philorth Halt.  At the end of the first section of the Line Grey Granite and Rufus couldn't decide whether to walk to Rathen Station or through Philorth Woods, it was such a 'glad that I live am I' sort of morning,  not to be wasted indoors, that they decided to combine both walks. In Grey Granite's earlier life she was particularly fond of the hymn, 'Look for signs that summer's done, winter's drawing near' and was reminded of it this morning.

Rose hips

Elder berries on a particularly tall, leggy bush towering  above the rhododendrons along the Philorth driveway



Horse chestnut leaves and conkers



Bare trees on the edge of the wood



Ripening brambles



Rosebay willowherb seeds, the empty seed cases curled like an extraordinary fascinator.

Carolina Hill Skeabost

Grey Granite and Rufus walked from the cemetery car park  at Carolina Hill, Skeabost up the track for a couple of miles. This was an enjoyable walk which would eventually have led us on to the Portree to Bracadale road.There were splendid views and shifting cloud shadows,  below us the River Snizort wound across the flat land at the head of Loch Snizort, ahead open views over the river valley to Glengrasco and Ben Grasco. The track gradually climbs, passing an area of felled trees on the left before eventually reaching a larger coniferous wooded area, also in the process of being felled. There are intriguing ruins of a settlement on the hillside between the two woods.

The track gives good views over Loch Snizort Beag.

The River Snizort meanders into the loch  in  a series of wide loops, this morning there were a several fishermen in the river which has a good salmon population.

About 1 mile up the track we came upon ruins. From the track these seemed to be a sheep fold but behind and adjoining the low walls of the fold were the remains of smaller enclosures, one of which had a fireplace and all of which may have been roofed. The buildings had distinctive rounded corners.

Maidenhair spleenwort growing on the walls

From the wood there was a panoramic view towards Trotternish. A small flock of ravens, making their distinctive 'tock' call and a mewling buzzard were circling above the trees.

Romesdal to Kingsburgh 2

Grey Granite and Rufus had walked most of the way from Romesdal to Kingsburgh avoiding the main road, earlier in the  week but wanted to do the whole walk, there and back,   following the track from Romesdal to Kingsburgh. 

According to Derek Cooper, part of one of the oldest roads on Skye ran south from Uig to Portree, Grey Granite thinks that this track may have been part of that original road and likes to think that it may have been followed by Flora MacDonald and possibly even Charles Edward Stewart on his flight to Raasay..

The track to Kingsburgh climbs the hill behind West House. It can just be discerned in the grass running up the face of the brae,  by keeping  left of the post in the field and then making  for the gate in the dyke on the horizon a much clearer track is reached.

Beyond the second gate the track has a good surface, there are good views over Loch Snizort.

There is a muddy descent to Kingsburgh

The drive to Kingsburgh House. By wandering along the tarred road above the drive and then cutting down through  a small wood, Grey Granite and Rufus avoided seeing the private signs. The trees are sycamores, beech, larch and the occasional horse chestnut, shedding conkers .

Kingsburgh House. This dilapidated building dates from the 18th and 19th centuries. The original Kingsburgh House stood closer to the shore, but nothing now remains of it  'By 1852, nothing remained of the former Kingsburgh House. 'This was the family home of Allan Macdonald, who married Flora Macdonald in 1750. It was here, in 1746, that the fugitive BPC stayed a night before continuing on to Raasay, '... met with a most cordial reception; seemed gay at supper, and after it indulged himself in a cheerful glass with his worthy host'. Nearly 30 years later James Boswell was much taken with the sight of his venerable travelling companion lying in 'the very bed in which the grandson of the unfortunate King James the second lay'. from Scotland's Places www.scotlandsplaces.gov.uk

Aird from near Cnoc Duin

Distant Cuillins, Dun Truinn and Dun Fada seen from above West House

Two Churches Walk, Dunvegan

Grey Granite,  Mike and Rufus decided to make the most of a glorious afternoon by visiting the coral beaches at Claigan, north of Dunvegan. However, the day being so fine we found that most of the tourist population of Skye shared the same notion and was trailing down the track to the beach. We eventually aborted the expedition in the face of a bull and several cows with young calves on the track. Instead we returned to Dunvegan and followed the 'Two Churches Walk on the outskirts of the village. This was interesting and much quieter. 

Our walk started at the 17th century ruins of St Mary's Church, just outside Dunvegan. A lintel on the North side of the church is inscribed IML 1694.

The ruins replaced a much older church, probably associated with Columba. There are spectacular views over to the Cuillins. There are several burial aisles and enclosures attached to the rectangular kirk. Seen here a balstraded enclosure dated 1735.

MacLeod's Tables and Loch Duirnish from the kirkyard

The ruins of the kirk and adjoining aisles are full of gravestones mainly commemorating the MacLeods of Dunvegan and their hereditary pipers the MacCrimmons. This plain stone, marking the burial place of the last chief, has strange wee offerings,a tiny bunch of heather and coins.

Duirnish standing stone, erected by the community to mark the turn of the millennium. The 5 tonne stone was dragged to the hill top using ropes, pulleys and muscle power.

Our walk followed a clear path which ascended the moor before entering woodlands. Here the path became very wet. The wood began as mixed woodland, hazels, birches and ferns with occasion conifers and many rhododendrons, before merging with  to a spruce plantation. There were good views over the loch, with glimpses of Dunvegan castle.

The path quite suddenly emerged by Dunvegan Parish Church.

Uig, The Fairy Glen

Skye has been transformed, a glorious Indian Summer of a day has lifted the clouds and mist, accentuating the colours of the heather, bracken and leaves just on the turn. We visited the strange landforms of the Fairy Glen which we eventually discovered up the road to Sheader and Balnaknock which leaves the A 87 by the Uig Hotel. The name is  a disservice to this extraordinary little glen, a miniature Quiraing filled with strange landforms created by a series of landslips and subsequent glaciation.

The small butte, known as Castle Ewen, dominates the glen

One of several multi layered conical hills

Small lochan beneath Castle Ewen, the plants in the water in the lefthand corner are bog beans 

The Fairy Glen seen fron Glen Connon, this picture gives an impression of the small scale of the glen, here looking no larger than a quarry.