Showing posts with label arches. Show all posts
Showing posts with label arches. Show all posts

Friday, June 13, 2014

Tourists but no spiders, Kings, saints or Picts in these caves.

 
As we turned Drumadoon Point on Arran's west coast, we got a fine view of The Doon's rock columns. It is part of a huge basalt sill which was....

 ...used as a large Iron Age hill fort. It certainly had a commanding position with fine views...

of the Kilbrannan Sound from its large flat summit.

 North of here the shallow sea was clear as crystal and...

 ...no doubt the lobster fishing was good.

 A large series of caves and arches announced our arrival at...

 ...The King's Cave. It is one of many throughout Scotland and Ireland where King Robert the Bruce was apparently inspired to continue the struggle against the English after watching the repeated efforts of a spider trying to spin a web. However, the historical veracity of the spider is somewhat dubious as it was probably a literary invention of the novelist Sir Walter Scott. There is no easy landing at the King's cave so any fugitive would have time to escape on foot from any pursuers in boats. The caves have been used for shelter long before Robert the Bruce hid here. There are early Christian and Pictish drawings on the cave walls. When we passed there were only some bank holiday tourists who had braved the rough walk in.

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

A harp and beehives on the Isle of the Saints.

We now slipped through the narrow channel between the SW end of Garbh Eileach and A' Chuli leaving the wild NW coast of the Garvellachs in our wakes.

A'Chuli is smaller and lower than its neighbouring isles. There are no beaches and the seals and cormorants just about have it to themselves.

SW of A'Chuli we came to the next island, Eileach an Naoimh (Isle of the Saints). This fine rock arch is known as An Carclach (The Harp)

By now we were needing a break and we stopped in the little inlet...

... which once served...

...the monastery that was founded here by St Brendan in AD542. The beehive cells on the island may be the oldest ecclesiastical buildings in Britain. As we ate our lunch we enjoyed a fantastic view over the Firth of Lorn to Scarba and Jura.

Thursday, May 17, 2012

Portents of spiders and the early buds of March.

We made landfall on Arran under the slopes of Torr Righ Beag.

 The still waters were sparkling clear as we made our way...

 ...south along the Arran coast towards the King's Cave in which a defeated Robert the Bruce was hiding from the English during the winter of 1306/07. In his despair he watched a spider repeatedly trying to spin a web across a gap and finally succeeding. This gave him inspiration to continue the struggle for Scottish Independence and the major victory at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314.

All round Scotland and Ireland many caves claim to be the King's Cave...

 ...but this one certainly has a setting fit for a king: a sea view and a choice of rooms to boot.

As we left the caves, we paddled below cliffs that were bursting with early March buds. It is a pity that the promising heat in March has been followed by such cold windy and wet weather in April and May.



Thursday, July 07, 2011

Escape from the bustle of Hirta; by sea kayak through Dun!


On the morning of 14th June, Village Bay, Hirta was a noisy, busy place. First the peace was disturbed by the rumbling diesel of L105 HMAV Arromanches arriving with a load of oil for the power station. Then the interminable Health and Safety reversing beeper of St Kilda's heavy tractor echoed round the hills.

The "beep beep beep" was then joined by a "whup whup whup" as PGD helicopters' G-PDGN (a Eurocopter AS365N Dauphin 2) brought in Qinetiq workers  and supplies for the base and prepared to take relieved workers and the mail out.

In comparison our departure was in near silence. The weather was fair but the forecast was for a front to come in from the SW by late afternoon with force 4 to 5 winds and increasing swell.

So we wasted no time and quickly passed the Dun Gap...

...on our way to Seilg Geodha. This cave system goes right through Dun and two days before we had entered from the other side  but were unable to get through the slot due to swell from the NE.

This time we got through the slot into the main cavern where we had been before but frustratingly heavy swell, this time from the SW, meant we could not get right through again!

We emerged back into the calm of Village Bay...

...then made our way in increasing swell towards...

...the Great Arch of Dun. This is looking through towards the SW. The photo makes it look as flat as a pancake but this is a huge arch and the scale swamps the size of the swell. This was bouncing back off the right hand wall and breaking over a shallow reef that lies right in the middle of the channel.

With some careful timing...

...the passage through the arch was successfully negotiated....

...and we made our way along the SW coast of Dun.

The swell increased...

...as we approached the Dun Gap. Gordon made the most of the swell wrapping round Cul Cleite. We had now completed our exploration of Dun and were about to experience the exposed SW coast of Hirta!

Tuesday, July 05, 2011

Three stones and a duck on Hirta.

From the head wall of Gleann Mor we made for the precipitous SW coast of Hirta. I wanted to see the Lover's Stone. A potential bridegroom reputedly had to balance on the edge of this 45 degree slab that rises above the drop below. Possibly it was just a story for the Victorian tourists, but it was a good one. Unfortunately my knee was by now hurting a bit and I did not fancy scrambling down for an inspection! However it was a great viewpoint to see the cliffs of Mullach Bi, 358m.

At the foot of Mullach Bi a long arch, Geo Creag an Arpaid effectively links the W and SW coasts of Hirta. We were able to paddle through this on our 2008 trip. We hoped to do the same on this trip!


Some people believe that St Kilda escaped glaciation. We found several places on the ridge between Mullach Bi and Claigeann Mor where rocks and stones showed striations that looked very typical of striations made by a glacier.

The tors of Claigeann Mor were rather rocky so while some of the others scrambled the ridge, I was happy to stick to the grassy slope behind.

From here we got a great view of the Ruabhal peninsula, the southern tip of Hirta, with Dun behind.

Rather than contour round the steep slopes, we rejoined the island's service road, on the branch that leads to Mullach Sgar. From this angle a grassy slope leads to the rocky tor on the summit of Ruabhal, 130m. We thought this would have a great view of Dun behind.

This is the site of yet another of Hirta's prenuptial stones; the Mistress Stone.

 I was quite happy to watch while the other's scrambled up to try their mettle...

 ...there was an easy way round the back!

With a knee like mine, there was no way I was going to balance on the edge!

Amazingly, Mistress Eider Duck, had chosen this very spot for her nest. Murdani, the captain of the Cuma, told us that she had been nesting here every year, for at least the last 8 years! I wonder how her ducklings make their way to the sea, off the Mistress Stone?

Monday, June 27, 2011

An evening paddle in the lee of Dun.

The forecast was not looking promising, the wind was due to increase 5-6 from the NE, imminently. We launched from the Cuma at 6pm...

...and made for the Dun Gap in beautiful evening sunshine.

The wind and the tide were whistling through the Dun Gap as I looked back past Giasgeir, in mid channel, to Oisebhal (293m) on Hirta.

Mostly it was sheltered in the lee of Dun but there were some vicious down draughts round the headlands and one of the party capsized as a rogue swell broke over a skerry. Donald soon performed a rescue but our team mate was wearing a two piece and got bitterly cold, despite being given two extra jackets, hat and gloves. Please excuse the blurred photo, it was a bit bouncy, I was trying to see if I could offer assistance and I was desperately trying to obey director Simon's "Exit stage left" command, as he was filming the whole proceeding!

 Ian and I felt quite snug in our dry suits. We now paddled into the tunnel...

...that cuts right through An Faing

then turned hard right to go through another much smaller tunnel that leads through to the inlet of A'Chlaisir.

Some of the party then entered the cavern that connects right through to the opposite side of Dun at Seilg Geodha. There was too much swell coming through for us but Gordon got right through and back again. It was impressive seeing him being spewed back into the dark cavern on the top of a 2m wall of white water that shot out of the narrow slot!

We now continued towards the SE point of Dun...

...under towering and sometimes overhanging cliffs.

As we approached Giumachsgor we could see the tide race that was sweeping past the point of Dun. Either we could get through the arch or we would need to return by the Dun gap, we would not be going round the point!

We felt the full force of the wind once we were round Giumachsgor. We ferry glided across wind and tide to the SE wall of the arch. I just managed to hold station here. The tide was rushing through against us as was the wind, which was gusting through and lifting the surface off the sea. Gordon paddled forward into the mayhem and managed to get through to the far side. From my position, I could see through the arch into Village Bay, where he turned on the top of a large wave. He then surfed into the arch again and dodged the reef in its middle. It was an incredible demonstration of paddling skill. No one followed him through. Unfortunately the one photo, I risked taking, was of my spray deck, so you will need to wait and see the video from Gordon's deck mounted cam. I am sure this will make it into the final version of the second "Sea kayaking with Gordon Brown" DVD, which Simon is currently editing.

We returned to Hirta through a very windy Dun Gap. The crossing to the pier was quite bumpy as it was exposed to the wind and the swell that had quickly built up. Behind us, the setting sun lit up the top of the outlying stack of Levenish in a warm glow but we were now deep in the shade of the cliffs of Dun and Hirta. We securely tied our kayaks to the pier railings then Gary ferried us in the RIB back to the Cuma. We enjoyed a well deserved meal at the end of a fantastic day and went to bed early. It was a disturbed night as the Cuma rocked uneasily in the swell, her timbers creaked and the wind whistled through her rigging.