West of Fascadale

We walked into the empty land to the west of Fascadale yesterday, in what can only be described as perfect weather.  This is the view back to Fascadale Bay from the summit of Meall Buidhe Mor, with the coastline of Ardnamurchan trailing away towards the distance mountains of Moidart.

It's open, treeless country, the vegetation burnt brown by the winter with no sign, except in the sheltered glens, of any green growth or wildflowers.  A few pipits rose at our approach, and the skylarks were singing, but otherwise we had the place to ourselves.

We walked along the coast as far as Port Eigin-Aig, which we have always taken to be the anchorage used by the people of Glendrian.  There's a good track connecting them which is a bit boggy in places, but....

....on a hilltop above the bay there's this cairn which Allyson and Andrew Perkins stumbled upon recently. It does look very much like a burial place, suggesting people lived in the area on a permanent basis.

The lowland in the glen at the back of the port shows plenty of signs of agricultural workings, with lazy beds, stone walls, and some small buildings none of which looked big enough to be a dwelling.

We walked inland, crossing the burn and then climbing into the hills to the south, looking for this lochan, one of the prettiest on the peninsula.  It's called Lochan an Dobhrain, the lochan of the otter.  We've never seen an otter there, but it's most attractive feature....

....is the mass of small islands which dot its western end.

Over four hours later we were back at Fascadale, but in no hurry to return home, so we sat on the promontory on the east side of the bay, enjoying the sunshine a and letting time slip away.

The three houses at Fascadale are available to rent from Ardnamurchan Estate.