This morning I forget the bus doesn’t stop in the harbour area of Tarbert, but in a car park a little further up the road. Realising my mistake, I’m jogging along the road when I see the bus coming up behind me. Luckily, the driver notices my frantic signals, and waits at the stop until I got there.
He seems unnecessarily impatient when I climb on board, but later apologises. He is worried because two young Chinese-looking tourists are hoping to make the ferry crossing to Islay.
The bus drops me off, and I walk up the narrow lane from Tayinloan village, heading towards the ferry terminal.
There’s not much at the ferry port. A café, a small waiting area for vehicles, and a signboard giving details of the next sailing to the Isle of Gigha. Continue reading
It’s very early. In a village called Tayinloan, I wait with a bunch of schoolchildren for the Campbeltown bus to arrive. Luckily I’d researched the bus routes in advance, because this bus doesn’t go into Glenbarr village itself, but drops me off on the main road.
I catch the bus back to Machrihanish. It’s another bright and breezy Scottish morning.
I’ve definitely reached the top of this hill now. The path begins to go down, straight towards a group of trees.
It’s the last day of April. I catch the early bus from Machrihanish to Southend, a journey that involves one change and lasts nearly an hour.
It’s going to be a long walk today, and I’m feeling rather nervous. The official Kintyre Way website describes this section as “passing through wild and genuinely remote country where there is little shelter and no mobile phone signal”. Oh dear. Continue reading
So far the posts on this blog have mainly followed the linear sequence of my coastal trek, and I rarely repeat or try to ‘improve’ a walk… but, I simply couldn’t resist going back to Carradale. Why?
Firstly, it’s very beautiful. Here’s a photograph of the harbour, with Arran in the distance.
As I feared, from Polliwilline Bay there is no obvious path along the shore, nor along the neighbouring fields. But I’m reassured when I see footprints in the sand. Somebody must have come this way recently. Another coastal walker?
I was rude about Campbeltown in my previous post. True, it’s not an attractive place, but it does have some fine buildings. I walk past a fabulous Art Nouveau cinema overlooking the loch and can’t resist taking several photographs. This wonderful Picture House was built in 1913 and is still showing feature films today.
The April air is cool and, despite the sunshine, I soon start to feel cold. So I hurriedly finish my snacks and set off down the road. Although I usually find road-walking boring, I’m surrounded by lovely views and time passes quickly. It is wonderful to have Ailsa Craig as a companion again.
There are still a few miles to go before I reach Campbeltown. Over the brow of a hill and I see Ardnacross Bay ahead, and the village of Peninver. Continue reading
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Spring has sprung and summer is here, and the cows are out in the fields. And so the fields have become dangerous places to be. Here we report three recent cattle attacks.
These aggressive animals were way more than ‘just curious’.
Three years ago, Mrs CW was quietly crossing a field with her dog on a lead. A cow first knocked her down from behind, and then subjected her to a terrifying trampling attack. Mrs CW sustained serious injuries – with multiple fractures – and spent time in intensive care, before starting to learn to walk again.
