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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