Expedition 30 - 11th August 1999
Claish Moss


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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