In search of ancient Islay

Three very amateur archaeologists set off in search of a variety of features shown on the Ordnance Survey map off the 'back road' to Gruinart. We were so amateur that we did not really know what the words in fancy writing indicated: - 'hut circles', 'burnt mounds' and 'tumuli' all had to be looked up and pages printed off from Scotland's Places website before we ventured forth into the unknown at Lagstoban. We paused to admire an old ruin west of Lagstoban 

and from there it wasn't far to the hut circle 

 which was really quite obvious when you knew what to look for . 

Then it was on to the tumuli which I'm afraid turned out to be a bit of a disappointment. We saw several 'tumuli' possibilities before we saw the real ones - slightly elevated mounds in the grassland. 

After this tiny walk we strolled back to the car where we picked up our lunch things and set off up the Borichill track to examine the fort. This proved extremely interesting. The fort is situated on top of Borichill Mor. Scotland's Places records 'The dun on Borichill Mor is roughly circular, with a diameter of 100ft to 130ft. There is much exposed stone on the S and W side. A cairn occupies the summit. 

We found several interesting stones near the summit, possibly cup-marked stones 

Gazing  eastwards we saw the very prominent hut circles which we descended to examine at closer quarters and found a myriad tiny lichens adorning the banks of these erstwhile dwellings.

Lynda standing at the edge of one of the hut circles.



wonderful lichen

With one more destination I clutched my GPS and negotiated tussocks and burns until we arrived at my first ever (knowing) burnt mound (probably a cooking area - very likely with all these ancient dwelling places dotted round the vicinity).




Burnt mound

Scotland's Places records 'At NR 3164 6452, on the south bank of a stream, is a burnt mound. It is crescentic, the open end facing onto the stream, and measures some 9.0 by 11.0m across and 1.3m high. Probing of the heather overgrowth reveal an admixture of black earth and friable fragments of reddened stone. There are hut circles in the general neighbourhood. 

This would almost certainly have gone unnoticed by the previous Becky (oblivious to ancient history whilst totally immersed in natural history). I shall certainly have my eyes wider open for crescentic (and other) features whilst reading the terrain in future!
It proved a very interesting, if short, walk.Becky

Sunderland hinterland

A new walk for me and my first solitary walk in ages. This is fascinating territory, but be warned - it is far from easy walking in places - lumpy, boggy, scrubby woodland, steep slopes, barbed wire fences with no gates. At least there was no bracken to contend with. I went in search of Dun na h-Uamha, but missed it by a fraction (which unfortunately means returning some time!) However, I found a real gem and so unexp-ectedly, a ruined croft situated in an enviable position above Gleann na -h-Uamha with fantastic views. On a glorious day like Monday there really is no better place to be in the whole wide world!
Becky

Standing Stone at Gartacharra

Gleann na h-Uamha - traversing this terrain was a daunting prospect!

Ruin above Gleann na h-Uamha

Ruin above Gleann na h-Uamha

More photos from the Bolsa walk

Doodilbeg ruin

One of the caves en route to Bolsa

'Lizy' from Falmouth - this coastline is spoiled only by the plethora of plastic strewn along its shores.

Another waterfall

A walk in the snow

If I was being really fussy I'd be moaning that yesterday was not today (in terms of the weather!), but it's a good job I'm not that fussy and that I haven't thought about that at all today! If it was cloud I yearned (ever so slightly) for on my last post, it was less of it I was wishing for yesterday, but never mind; we can say we walked to Bolsa in the snow! And it would only be ever so slightly an exaggeration. OK, so it was only a slight (but continuous) flurry and we didn't quite make it as far as Bolsa, but we got enviable views of Jim's second otter (his first was not so enviable and only minutes before the second). Sadly no photos, but we watched it for a good 20 minutes, catching a crab, then coming onshore to eat it and then swimming out again and then returning to have a drink in the river and waddle up the path I'd walked up only minutes before. It really was amazing. That's what comes of forgetting your binoculars (Jim) and bringing the wrong camera (Becky). What a fantastic day!
Becky

Abandoned (?) kid en route to Bolsa - its parents fled upon our approach!

Eas Lathan - impressive waterfall on the Doodilmore river

OK, so not snow, but a lot of the ground was still frozen like this.

Chasing the Dipper

We saw more Dippers than I've ever seen in one day on Islay today - and unexpectantly so! A rather hopeful single bird on the Allt nan Gamhna (near Kyngarry) and a definite pair on the Kilennan River further south. How delightful! The single bird kept flying ahead of us upstream and we must have encountered it half a dozen times.

What a gorgeous day. It's not often we can say on Islay after six hours of blazing sunshine, "I wish there was a cloud for the sun to go behind!" Jane chided me for saying so!
Becky

My favourite lichen - Cladonia floerkeana

An interesting stone in the burn

Small waterfall on the Allt nan Gamhna

Shakehole and shadows near Kynagarry

Walk from Lossit to Tormisdale last December

I don't think I ever got round to posting photos from this walk with Lorna last December - I hope not anyway, otherwise I am repeating myself!
Becky

Barnacle Geese above Lossit

Greenland White-fronted Geese near Lossit

Waterfall at Tormisdale

Gordon Yates film show

The always eagerly awaited annual film show by Gordon Yates will take place on Thursday 21st February at 7.30 pm in the Natural History Centre in Port Charlotte. This is his last reel-to-reel film. After this, his conversion to video will be complete.
Gordon has sent the following note about it:
My last film is entitled " A World of Birds" and basically shows where I have been when I am not on Islay or in the Pennines! It shows the search for breeding Great Northern Divers in Iceland followed by the wildlife of Spitsbergen and the North East Greenland National Park (Barnacle Geese included, of course). After that, we look for Snowy Owls in Alaska and finish with Fairy Terns in the Seychelles - which might bring back bad memories for two of your audience!
So, it's obviously not to be missed, and we look forward to the usual large and enthusiastic audience.
Malcolm

Walk at Ardnave

The sun made a brief appearance today (so did the rain!) so five of us set off for the Ardnave peninsula walk. Thanks to Jim and Jane for carrying my wood so I could take photos!
Becky

Rainbow over Nave Island

Colourful shells in the dunes

Detail of a simply ginormous tree trunk washed up on the beach. The lichenologists would be in their element here!

Grass beach ball

 Balls like this, composed of grass or other vegetation, turn up on beaches after storms, with the bits of grass having been rolled into a ball by the action of the surf. This one (c.3 inches, 75 mm across), on the beach at Uiskentuie, looks as if Fescue (Festuca) is the principal material. This grass grows abundantly on the Bridgend merse at the head of Loch Indaal.

Malcolm

Blonde Ray Egg Case

Back in June we posted a photo of a Blonde Ray eggcase which Mary McGregor had found. It is one of the largest 'mermaids' purses' (or eggcases of Rays, sharks and skates) to be found on British shores. On my recent walk at Saligo whilst I was collecting driftwood, Lynda and Brier were finding yet more mermaids' purses. They found two Blonde Ray cases. I think they were a little smaller than the one Mary found, but sizable nevertheless.
Becky

Blonde Ray Eggcase

Snowdrops

We are fortunate in having a very fine display of snowdrops in Bridgend Woods. They start in late January and usually last at least a month.
Malcolm

Snowdrops and Elf Cups

Taken before the snowdrops really opened up but in a veritable elf world! The ground was awash with white and red!
Becky

Snowdrops and Scarlet Elf Cups

Where have you gone sunshine?

In case (like me) you've forgotten what our beautiful island is like in the sunshine, here's a few photos from last weekend when, contrary to this one, the sun came out for the first time in ages. I went a walk at Saligo to Loch Corr and Cnoc an Tighe, one of many poignant ruins on our island.
Becky

Loch Corr

Detail of Saligo rocks

Cnoc an Tighe

Choughs on the wing

Showing the spread primaries which give them such masterly control in the air.
Malcolm

Scaup

The flock of Scaup wintering in Loch Indaal has declined very sharply in recent years, from 1000 to 1500 only 10 years ago to no more than 200 to 300 in the last few winters. And the reason is almost certainly the stopping of the distillery discharges from Bowmore and Bruichladdich, which no longer provide nutrients for the shellfish which form the main diet of the Scaup. One can't really argue against the removal of pollution from Loch Indaal, even one which is not that harmful to wildlife and actually beneficial to some, but it's a pity in a way that it has had this particular effect.
Malcolm

Snails in the Rhubarb forcer

Thanks to Ian and Margaret for this shot of garden snails hibernating in their rhubarb forcer....

Yet another sunrise

As seen this morning from Bruichladdich. Again, no apology for posting yet another sunrise (with two Herring Gulls) - it seems only right to share its beauty! The other consideration is that we've just had two days of rain and it was nice to know that there is still a sun up there somewhere.
Malcolm

Snowdrops - Port Charlotte

It's that time of year again....
 

Poor forestry practice

Tree guards are a familiar sight giving protection against browsing to young deciduous trees. They are meant to split apart as the tree grows, but should then be collected and removed or checked that they have, as newer types are supposed to, biodegraded. Here are some examples from a plantation on Islay where the trees have clearly fallen over still in their tree guards, and then eventually have been able to grow vertically again, but with their value as trees severely impaired. No-one can have checked them in years since planting.
Malcolm

Snow on the hills

The hills behind Bowmore this afternoon with the first substantial covering of the winter. If at least some forecasts are to be believed, it could be the last, too. Or not!
Malcolm

Festooning lichen

A larch tree festooned with lichen, exact species unknown, but certainly of the genus Usnea.
Malcolm

Port Charlotte earlier today

Loch Indaal from Port Charlotte this morning