Maillag
The engines of the Lord of the Glens sprang to life at 6am this morning, and we pulled out of the shelter of Tobermoray Bay. With windspeeds of more than 26 knots, and sea conditions to match, the protected harbour of Mallaig was a more inviting prospect than the more exposed Island of Eigg. Accordingly, we made our way across the open waters of the Sound of Mull and past Ardnamurchan Point, the most westerly part of the British mainland, towards welcome shelter and an absorbing day’s activities ashore there. Many seabirds were sighted on the way – northern gannets, manx shearwaters, guillemots, etc, and common seals frolicking as we drew towards port.
Being Sunday, the harbour was full of small, local fishing boats tied up for the Sabbath, with trucks and tankers ready to take the next batch off to market. We spent the morning exploring the old fishing port and its curious shops, and Mallaig’s Heritage Centre, which told the story, in the words of the local residents, of the way of life in the area, and of the Clearances which had obliged so many people to leave their homes for America and elsewhere.
In the afternoon, a scenic ride took us to Glenfinnan, to the head of the beautiful sea-loch of Loch Sheil. This is famous as the place where Bonnie Prince Charlie raised his standard on 19th August 1745, and rallied the Highland clans for the last Jacobite rebellion, which was to end so tragically on the field of Culloden 8 months later. Some of us climbed a low hill to take in the stunning view, and watch the old steam train as it puffed its way along the viaduct, more famous today as the setting for ‘Hogwart’s Express’ in the Harry Potter movies than as a historic engineering feat. Others climbed the narrow winding steps inside the Glenfinnan Monument, erected in 1815 to commemorate the Highlanders of the Jacobite adventure. Larry also led a walk through the flowers and woodlands of the glen, where magnificent rowan trees were resplendent with red berries. On the return journey we called in at the tiny railway museum before catching the train for the return journey back to Mallaig, through some of the loveliest countryside in the west of Scotland.
The engines of the Lord of the Glens sprang to life at 6am this morning, and we pulled out of the shelter of Tobermoray Bay. With windspeeds of more than 26 knots, and sea conditions to match, the protected harbour of Mallaig was a more inviting prospect than the more exposed Island of Eigg. Accordingly, we made our way across the open waters of the Sound of Mull and past Ardnamurchan Point, the most westerly part of the British mainland, towards welcome shelter and an absorbing day’s activities ashore there. Many seabirds were sighted on the way – northern gannets, manx shearwaters, guillemots, etc, and common seals frolicking as we drew towards port.
Being Sunday, the harbour was full of small, local fishing boats tied up for the Sabbath, with trucks and tankers ready to take the next batch off to market. We spent the morning exploring the old fishing port and its curious shops, and Mallaig’s Heritage Centre, which told the story, in the words of the local residents, of the way of life in the area, and of the Clearances which had obliged so many people to leave their homes for America and elsewhere.
In the afternoon, a scenic ride took us to Glenfinnan, to the head of the beautiful sea-loch of Loch Sheil. This is famous as the place where Bonnie Prince Charlie raised his standard on 19th August 1745, and rallied the Highland clans for the last Jacobite rebellion, which was to end so tragically on the field of Culloden 8 months later. Some of us climbed a low hill to take in the stunning view, and watch the old steam train as it puffed its way along the viaduct, more famous today as the setting for ‘Hogwart’s Express’ in the Harry Potter movies than as a historic engineering feat. Others climbed the narrow winding steps inside the Glenfinnan Monument, erected in 1815 to commemorate the Highlanders of the Jacobite adventure. Larry also led a walk through the flowers and woodlands of the glen, where magnificent rowan trees were resplendent with red berries. On the return journey we called in at the tiny railway museum before catching the train for the return journey back to Mallaig, through some of the loveliest countryside in the west of Scotland.
