After a light breakfast, we drove south towards Kilmartin, and along the way we ran across Carnasserie Castle. I, surprisingly, knew NOTHING about this site and was fascinated to learn more. Te passed through the sotne gateway and climbed up a tall hill until we found this impressive castle from the 1560s. A Bishop Carswell translated John Knox's Book of Our Common Order into Gaelic when he lived here and it was the first book printed in Gaelic and was printed here.
We climbed up the five storeys twice, once at each end to see the views of Kilmartin Glen. For 4000 years, carved rocks have been here.
Many stone spiral staircases at the castle.
Then we visited the stone slabs at the Victorian Kilmartin Church. There are 350+ ancient monuments in this area and 150 are rehistoric, like the Nether Largee, a 130 ft. wide burial mound/meditating chamber. Also the Kilmartin Glebe Cairn -- prehistoric from 5000-3500 years ago.
These two slabs at the Kilmartin Church are the oldest, from the 1200s. These are supposedly Knights Templar grave slabs.
Later Knights Templar grave slabs.
This is the Kilmartin Cross from 900 AD
Kilmartin Church:
carved stone in graveyard beside church:
Weathervane atop the church with single-masted Medieval vessel sailing West toward a star.
Dunadd fort, the seat of the Gaelic Kings and the first Scots to come to the area.
Footprint where kings were coronated.
Dunadd:
So many stones in this area:
This is the sign I always see as a hammer hitting roacks and never know what it means. It's actually a car skidding on the road.
Bridge over the Atlantic from 1792--Clachan Bridge--links the west coast of Scotland to the Island of Seil. Just to the other side is the Tigh an Truish Inn ("house of trousers") where after the 1745 rebellion when tartan was outlawed, the people travleing to the mainland would stop here to change into their trousers from their kilts. Legend has it that on completion, a horse pulling a cartload of hay was sent over the hump-backed bridge to test its strength. With no additional strengthening, forty ton trucks cross it without a worry these days.
Scary as you're crossing because you can't see the other side to see if another car is barreling at you!
Oh my gosh, huge buses travel these super narrow single-track roads! I find myself thinking of the scene from Harry Potter when the bus driver turns a handle and the bus squeezes thinner--I imagine that whenever another car passes by!
Easdale Island:
Easdale Primary School:
Back over the Bridge over the Atlantic again!
Today was the actual day for the World Stone Skimming Championships on Easdale Island. To get to the 25 acre island, you have to go to the little building and push 2 buttons to call the ferryman, Alan, to come get you. There are 60 residents on the island with 1 pub, 1 museum, and 1 concert hall. Slate from here has been quarried and sent all over the world for 300 years. In the 1700s, the island had 700 residents. In 1800, the quarries flooded overnight by storm and the population shrank to 4. The tools for quarries are still below the water. Miner's cottages still stand here. We would've taken the ferry, but we just happened to pick the wrong day to arrive. It was packed. They skim the stones from atop the slate cliffs and across the water pool where the slate was once quarried.
Interesting finds in the grocery store today:
Quark--Quark or quarg is a type of fresh dairy product made by warming soured milk until the desired amount of curdling is met, and then straining it. It can be classified as fresh acid-set cheese.
Going on an afternoon/evening cruise to Colonsay on the ferry so will post photos later.
Scenes from evening cruise to Colonsay and back:
Our hotel:
McCaig Tower, high above Oban:
Fingal's Stone:
On ferry:
Rain shower ahead:
Sunset near Colonsay:
Coming in to Colonsay:
On our way back to Oban:
