The first time back after a bit of a break. A cool day but
with no rain and we covered a lot of ground. Just five: Fern,
Frederik, Jan Hendrik, Nicole and Rowan, plus seven helpers,
Christina, Gary, John Dove, Liz, Marilyn, Philippa and Sharon
B. with Jonathan riding shotgun in the buggy and Ellie and
Cora picking up the odd stick on the way.
We started from the road just past the Seaview Grazings entrance
and first looked at the building which was once a girl's school.
Then we went round the old Post Office and looked at the walls
and crowstepped gables and also the arched storage areas below
the shop. The tide was too high to see the old wharf so we
carried on to look at Strontian Hotel and the Branks Stone
in front of it.
We walked up the old path beside the hotel to the house which
used to be St. Mary's Church and had a look at the old garden
wall which was once part of Batchelors' Hall and the Grave
of Thomas Milles Riddell hidden behind it. Then we went round
the school and had a look at the old estate buildings behind
Dalmhor.
Coming across to the river we saw the Grey House which used
to house the telephone exchange and heard a bit about Peggy
Watt the wonderful operator.
Then we walked up the path by the river all the way to the
old graveyard at Drimnatorran with its Bronze Age Cairn in
the middle. We deciphered some of the inscriptions and had
a try at taking some rubbings but the lichen was too thick
and we didn't want to disturb it. We took a break here before
crossing the old bridge back to Strontian Church, where we
saw the gravestone with a London address on it.
Passing the line of big ash trees with their black buds showing
well, we carried on past the old school and the site of the
Gowanbrae Store and then the Old Smiddy before crossing the
road bridge and going back to the cars and then to the Ariundle
Centre for our lunch.
John
Dye
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