After picking the ticks off our ankles and wrists we tucked our trousers inside our socks. We still had plenty of time before the tide turned in the Sound of Islay. We fancied talking a walk back along the shore....
...to the waterfalls we had seen earlier. At first I was not sure I would make it that far as my knees were painful in particular my right knee. However on the descent off the grassy slope behind the basalt dyke something deep inside my knee clicked. Suddenly it was less painful and much easier to move.
So Tony and I set off along an amazing beach,
under Beinn an Oir 785m, to the...
...waterfalls at
Allt Bun an Eas (burn with the waterfall at the bottom). The final fall cascades into a pool on the beach itself.
I had climbed up here (before knee problems) on a visit with Phil and there are three more fabulous pools above the large pool at the bottom of the falls. Each is more difficult to reach than the one before. There are big jug handle holds and Tony soon made his way up. It looks very steep but the first step was only about 25 degrees.
I was just going to stay at the bottom but my knee was still nice and loose so I could not resist and was soon up the first rock step to the second pool. Tony was now up at the third pool and shouted down that it was completely stunning.
Unfortunately it was at this point that my right knee clicked again and I had sudden stabbing pain. Ouch! Stunning pool or not I was going no further so I retreated. Thank goodness for the big jug handle holds on the rock!
We made our way back on a higher path. On the cliff line above the beach there are long dry sea arches, caves and...
...stacks. We could now see that the tide in the Sound of Islay had slackened off and would soon turn. It was time to return to the boats!
