Saturday 31 December 2016

2016: a Review

January. The repairs to the south facade of 12th century St Comghan's church in Kilchoan and to the boundary wall of its graveyard, the fencing of Cladh Chiarain, the Campbell graveyard at Camas nan Geall, the setting up of the Ardnamurchan History & Heritage Association and, through it, obtaining a £9,000 grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund to celebrate Ardnamurchan's heritage, were all highlights of a vintage archaeological year, but on a personal note the most exciting thing remains the finding a new structure, particularly if, like this one to the east of Bourblaige, its history and use is a mystery.

February. Watching the passage of and recording the ships that pass in the Sound of Mull has remained one of the great pleasures of living here. Some boats, like the Dawn Treader, a creel boat based in Tobermory which we see almost every day, become old friends, while spotting unusual ships, like HMS Bulwark in April, adds an frisson of excitement to a day.

March. We have the great good fortune to live with some magnificent wild animals, of which the increasingly frequent sightings of sea eagles must rank highly, but few perform as perfect as this juvenile, seen near the lighthouse. Not only did it circle very low over us but, to make the cameraman very happy, it also flew near the moon and beside an aircraft's contrail.

April. We've walked many miles across western Ardnamurchan in the twenty years we've lived here, and increasingly these walks are ones which we have done before. However, the exact route of even the most familiar ramble varies and one still finds things missed on previous occasions. Despite this, there are still so many places which remain to be discovered, as we did when we fought our way through the tangled trees in the northern part of the Beinn nan Losgann forestry to find the mirror-still waters of Lochan Poll an Dubhaidh.

May.  We spent most of the month in the city of Edmonton, Alberta, where we found that one didn't have to live in the depths of the countryside in order to see and enjoy wildlife. We had three encounters with coyotes, this one a few metres from the gate of our son's back yard. As we also know from our visits to Africa, there is a primeval thrill in finding oneself on foot close to an animal which, if the situation is mishandled, is dangerous. Overcoming the fear and steeling oneself to react in such a way that neither party is harmed, provides an indescribable thrill which is largely forgotten in our pampered modern life. Perhaps one day we'll be able to walk with wolves in our hills and forests.

June. On the small bird front, 2016 must be the year of the warbler. It may simply be that we didn't really notice them in previous years, but this year we seemed to hear one in every small wood and thicket. The trouble with warblers is that, being small and shy, they're the devil to photograph, but they are also difficult to identify, though this one may be the most common of them, the willow warbler.

July. We have never encouraged pine martens to come into the garden mainly because, until recently, we had two old cats and feared that they would come out badly in a confrontation with these pretty but savage hunters. So when one appeared in broad daylight on the wall of our front terrace, and paced up and down it - almost as if it was anxious to show off to us - it was a very special event.

August. We see large numbers of red deer, hardly ever walk anywhere across western Ardnamurchan without seeing them, and now have them as neighbours in the woodlands of Ormsaigbeg, but the delicate fallow deer is far harder to find. Unlike the red deer, they do not always flee upon seeing a human, and this one was particularly memorable in that it allowed us to approach to within about twenty metres.

September. It has been a dismal year for butterflies. Experts seem to blame the warm, wet winters and mild wet summers for their demise yet we still see the occasional beauty. Ardnamurchan must be at the limit of the range of the painted lady on its epic migration from north Africa, yet each year we find one or two. This one was still here very late in the year, so cold it couldn't fly - it seemed grateful for a perch on the warmth of a finger. But as we held it we knew it could not survive the winter.

October. Each year sees the sad loss of some of the older and much loved members of the community but the death of Jonathan Ball, the owner of the village shop and a man in his late fifties, after a brave fight against cancer, shocked the community. Through the efforts of Jonathan's brother Chris and sister Cecilia, and the dedication of the staff at the Ferry Stores, the shop has continued to trade, but its future remains uncertain. For a small, remote community which is heavily dependent on its services, this is a worrying time.

November. Sunshine was in short supply through much of the summer but the weather made an effort to compensate in late autumn, a time when this peninsula is at its most colourful. A day at Achateny was memorable for the warmth of the winter sun and for the mirror-calmness of the sea.

December. Auroras continued to play across our night skies through the winter months but viewing them has been blighted by cloud, so the year's most unusual atmospheric effect was the apparent burning of Ben Hiant under a rising column of mist on a warm December morning.

Best wishes to all readers for a very happy, healthy and prosperous 2017.

16 comments:

  1. Thank you for another year of beautiful information best wishes from us all.

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  2. Thank you Jon for another wonderful year of great writing and beautiful photography. I have been reading your 'diary' for, what is it now, four or five years? Long enough that if I were to be blindfolded and unknowingly transported to Ardnamurchan, upon opening my eyes I would be sure of exactly where I was. The very best to you and your family and to all on the Ardnamurchan peninsula in 2017 and beyond.

    Jim Robinson, Putney, Vermont USA

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  3. Happy New Year Jon and thank you for sharing your diary with us.

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  4. Happy new year Jon all the best for 2017 terry & carol

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  5. Thank you John, the blog is a daily update I treasure. And congratulations to all on the wonderful work you're doing with the archaeological heritage. All the very best for 2017

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  6. Happy New Year to you and your family, Jon and thanks for the news from Ardnamurchan. We're hoping to be back again in May.
    Steve and Sandy

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  7. Happy New Year Jon and all,thanks for your diary & photos.

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  8. I read your diary every day and look forward to hearing about wonderful Ardnamurchan and all your adventures. It keeps me going till I can get back again. Thank you so much.
    Happy New Year to you and your family.

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  9. Thank you Jon for producing this blog, it is very much appreciated. We've been coming to Portuairk and Mull for 20years or so now from Hampshire (UK!)and my wife came first over 40 years ago. It's a place very close to our heart and we long for our return every year. Very best wishes to you all for a happy and prosperous new year.

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  10. Happy New Year Jon and your Family. From Norfolk U.K. A keen Sailor and visits area every Summer on a Cruise.

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  11. A Happy New Year Jon & all,thanks for the diary & photos.
    Rob B

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  12. Happy New Year to you Jon! Thank you for sharing life in West Ardnamurchan in your wonderful diary. It helps to brighten each day in Suffolk until I am able to visit again in May! Sara

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  13. Heart warming review of 2016, lovely shots and a superb reminder of why you reside in such a remote but stunning part of the UK. Have a Happy New year and a great, and healthy, 2017. Keep it up!

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  14. All the best for 2017 John and the folk of Ardnamurchan. Your diary is my daily pleasure and your area our yearly pilgrimage. As many guests have commented, thanks for brightening our days. Dave L

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  15. I echo everyone else's comments, thank you so much for the pleasure you bring each day Jon. Here's hoping that your village shop gets sorted out very soon too, you really need it there! Happy New Year to you and everyone on Ardnamurchan.

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  16. Thank you all for both the kind comments about the Diary, and for your good wishes for the new year. It's a great pleasure writing this blog when so many people are as kind as you all are. Jon

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