Expedition 193 - 24th May 2008
The Giants' Cave





This was a red letter day since we got two new explorers: Zack from Salen and Jonathan from Acharacle. Actually Jonathan had been with us to the Singing Sands almost three years ago but it hardly counted since he was in a push chair. This time he was on his feet and moving very well over some rough ground. As well as the aforementioned two, we had three of our regular explorers: Frederik, Jan Hendrik and Robbie L, with Christina, Christoph and Richard to lend a hand, no dogs at all this time.

Even before we started, Robbie and Zack were busy investigating the ground at the Triangle and soon found some pieces of engineering brick, which they gathered and tried to fit together.

When we got to Ardtoe the tide was rather higher than we expected so we had to make a detour over the hills. There had been a fire on that patch so the walking was quite easy and even Jonathan had no trouble getting over the big hill. We slowly descended to the old fank by the shore and then turned to follow the shore northwards.

This is a tricky area with a mixture of steep rocky slopes and boggy flat ground but we found a good path which took us most of the way to the first bay. This is the area I have always thought likely to be used by the MacIains when they became pirates, but we didn't find any treasure, just an old fishing float.

After an unsuccessful try, I finally found the Giants' Cave and we all climbed down into the pit. Since I was, there last there had been a fall of big rocks into the cave so I didn't take the expedition through this time. In any case, the midges near the cave entrances were ferocious and, even with an application of 'Skin-so-Soft', they were an awful nuisance so we climbed back to the surface and had our wafers in the sunshine and a refreshing sea breeze.

Although we didn't go through the cave this time, I wanted everyone to see the place where the cave led to the sea so we very carefully climbed down to the shore and had a look at the cleft where the smugglers were said to have hidden the goods.

Then we set off back along a hidden path which I think must have been used by the smugglers and finally arrived back at the beach. We stopped to have a look at end of the old spar that was used to make the MacPherson's staircase and then got across the dams and back to the car park. Below the second dam was a lobster pot which had several shore crabs in it and this became an object of interest. Later Jan Hendrik turned it into a nice drawing.


John Dye


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