We have lived here for almost sixteen years, and felt almost ashamed that we hadn't visited Ockle Point, a magnificent headland on Ardnamurchan's beautiful north coast. On a late November day we set out to rectify our omission, parking our car at the Ockle car park, and setting off past the Cameron's letting houses (details of these remote but cosy houses here) along the track heading down to the sea.
Ockle Point is formed of a thick sheet of dolerite, clearly visible in the above picture, a hard igneous rock intruded into the ancient Moine rocks during the event which produced Ardnamurchan's volcanoes. It's a cone sheet associated with Centre 1 - see earlier post here - and there are a series of them visible along the coast, the larger ones each forming their own headland. Between them are rugged bays, the country becoming more and more broken the further east one moves.
This is the view west from the point, with Swordle Bay in the foreground and the white houses of Fascadale in the distance.
This view looks in to Swordle Bay. The area of water with the white sand beach beyond the small headland is called Port an Eileann Mhoir, the port of Mary's island. The white house behind it, at the back of the beach, is one of Ardnamurchan Estate's letting houses, Swordle Bay House, details here. The nearer bay is the mouth of the Ockle Burn. In the left distance stands the peak of Ben Hiant.
The mouth of Allt Ockle can be seen on the far side of this narrow bay with its banked, shingle beach. The house behind it is occupied by a local family all the year round but, during the summer, they erect the yurt which is visible to the left. It's available to rent, details here.
The day we walked to the end of the point we stood and watched the slow wash of the sea, and said what a perfect day it was for an otter to swim by. The local otter obviously overheard us, because, two minutes later, he appeared, working his way along the surf line.
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