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It's amazing that after six years we can still find new areas
to visit. None of the explorers had ever walked this ground
before but we are all agreed that we'll come back again later.
In spite of the showers, we got an excellent turnout: Abbie,
Aeneas, Alasdair, Alexander D., Alexandria, Allan, Cameron,
Christopher, Donald, Elliot, Isobel, Jack, Jamie, JD, John
Donaldson, Robin D., and Sarah; with ten adult helpers: Andy,
Ann-Marie, Averil, Becky, Chris, Dot, Fraser, Hugh, John Evans,
and Sandra and Lady and Toby as expedition dogs and sniffers.
We started off at a little hill with views both up and down
the loch. There were many strange stones around the hilltop,
but there also appeared to be a football around and a short
game was fitted in before we headed off towards the beach.
Near the old fank everyone had a good look at a trunk of bog
oak which had been recovered from a field drain, and it was
explained that the wood was probably over three thousand years
old.
Then we had a look at the fank and an old house beside it
before reaching the beach. A few stones were thrown in before
we walked back through the irises to a fine old house which
was said to have been built by one of the Kirsop family.
Behind the house was a little wooded hill with a clearing
in the middle. Everyone assembled in the clearing and looked
at a small building with what looked like a witch's cauldron.
Then they heard that it was really the place where they used
to keep the pig and the pot was for its food!
We then made our way through some old farm buildings to the
wooden bridge and everyone stopped for a break at the place
where the river divides.
Then we set off on a second walk to the east of the river,
taking in an old charcoal-loading place and a rocky little
headland where photographs were taken and several explorers
tumbled down the hill.
The last part of the walk involved climbing up to the old
road and following it back to the cattle grid. There were
lots of hub-caps lying around and a few of the best were brought
back as trophies.John Dye
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