We feel we are arriving home from our travels when, having worked our way through the dense oak woods along the shores of Loch Sunart, we top the hill at Ardslighnish and are confronted with this view, with the bay of Camus nan Geall below us, Ben Hiant to our right, and the north entrance to the Sound of Mull before us.
There's a stopping place by the side of the road where the weary traveller can sit and allow the peace of this place to begin to flow back into his soul. For the energetic, there's a steep path that leads down the hill to the abandoned village and its silent graveyard.The road then turns north, traversing the steep brae between Ben Hiant and the dark shores of Loch Mudle. This section, called 'the back of the Ben', is where the road is always at its most treacherous in winter. Then, turning a corner, another stopping point allows the traveller to pause again, this time to enjoy a panorama of the Lesser Isles: the tops of Muck, Canna, Rhum and Eigg are all, at present, covered with snow.
Finally, the traveller turns downhill, passing the turn to Kilmory and the big cattle shed at Caim before coming out onto the flat land that leads into Kilchoan itself.
We have been in Lapland for a week, experiencing temperatures as low as -31, but the bitter south-easterly that has been blowing today, gusting at times to force 7, has seemed every bit as cold.
We too love the view at Camus nan Geall we know the long journey from Eastbourne is nearly over
ReplyDeleteYour comments much appreciated, Joan.
ReplyDeleteOne of my favourite places on the peninsular. It is an amazing sight from the road, but it's even more spectacular when explored on foot. But it's also very sad to see the abandoned village, one can only imagien what a beautiful settlement this would be now if the clearances had not taken place. This is a beautiful photo of Camus nan Gaell, thank you for sharing it.
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