An exciting day, with the added interest of the partial solar
eclipse, the explorers were: Anne Marie, Ben, Claire, David
John, Iain, Leo, Karen, Margaret, Martha, Oliver and Robin
plus Angus and Jane.
We started from the forestry entrance between Acharacle and
Salen and spent the first half hour walking along the forest
path to the lookout point. Here John showed the explorers
the area we were going to examine in the expedition. After
a short break we returned to the path and walked to Doire
an Daimh to look at the old long house. After a short walk
on the road we left to join a path going north through the
forestry and then followed a deer track all the way to the
boundary fence. The stile on the fence was falling apart and
the explorers had to scramble over as well as they could -
the dog, Oran, went under the fence through a stream.
There was then a very difficult section through deep tussocks
of grass and across a stream before we joined the first of
the deer paths across Claish Moss. This led us to a small
hill where, very conveniently the explorers were able to watch
the 75% solar eclipse. Fortunately there was just sufficient
cloud cover to enable us to see the eclipse with the naked
eye. We took a break and then , with some difficulty, we crossed
to a second hill on which there were several owl pellets.
The expedition then embarked upon an adventurous crossing
of Claish Moss right to the shore of Loch Shiel. Fortunately
the weather had been dry for some weeks and not too many people
fell into the soft bog.
Everyone was very tired by the time they reached the loch
so there was a long break before we all set out on the return
trip.
This was slightly easier than before but the sun had come
out and the wind had dropped and the midges were in a hungry
mood, so everyone was keen to use all the midge repellent
we had.
The whole group was very footsore and weary by the time they
reached the cars and very only three explorers actually had
the stamina to even attempt a picture.
The Pictures
David John did two drawings showing the maximum stage of the
eclipse and lain deep in one of the peat pools, lain had other
priorities, showing a caramel wafer, which assumed great importance
when he was tired, David John's trainer at the water's edge
where Leo had thrown it and a view of the old house at Doire
an Daimh as it would have looked originally. Robin gave no
explanation of his expressive figure - it could have been
me trying to explain the eclipse.John Dye
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