Same Shirt, Different day-2012 Adventures of the "Devonport Wonder Babes"

Tuesday 3^rd July Islay

Up early so could have a leisurely drive down to the Mull of Oa near Port Ellen but did end up rushing down the one lane road in the mist to get there to meet the birdwatching group at 10 am for a 1 ½ hour guided walk along the cliffs, through a working farm owned and run by Royal Society for Protection of Birds.

Beki the guide from RSPB had been one of the speakers at last nights event The mist was so thick it was difficult to see more than 50 m which did make birdwatching a little difficult but our group of 12 hardy soul trudged onwards, many equipped with binoculars (about as useful in the mist as the sunroof we had in the Volvo car in England !!). We did see Highland cattle, blackfaced sheep, some seals on beach though a fleeting break in the mist and then amazingly a family of about 5 Choughs ( endangered bird) flying over the cliff edge. Good energetic walk though.


Meeting the locals !



Trudging through the mist

American memorial at Oa

At the American Monument the “Travelsim” in my iPhone had a bit of a fit and kept moving in and out of range of the UK and Irish networks when I moved about 50 metres, so I got a series of texts saying, “Welcome to Ireland” then “Welcome to UK” then “Welcome to Ireland then “Welcome to UK”. Very confusing. Northern Ireland is only 23 miles away and you can see the other coast clearly on a fine day as we had done when at Giants Causeway.

After the walk we went on down to Port Ellen, ate lunch in warm in the car and checked out some guys who are building a traditional currach ( boat built of lightweight wooden frame with animal hide cover, similar to a coracle) for the Islay Festival of the Sea to be held this coming weekend and which unfortunately we will miss.




Currach building Port Ellen

 

Went back up the island to Bowmore through the two lane road near the sea and then on to the Islay Family History Centre at Bridgend. Spent an hour or so there with a couple of women seeing if I could find some more definitive evidence about my Currie Great-great grandparents and their parents all of whom were born on Islay. But no joy, nothing more than I had already been able to find myself, which while disappointing was also reassuring.

This was followed by a walk around to the community garden which was like an early Heligan restoration, except this one which belonged to Islay House owned by the Campbell’s had only been in disrepair since the 1960’s. Fresh vegetables for sale so we had broad beans from there for dinner. (Some other people in the hostel had fresh scallops from the local convenience store for dinner-might try that tomorrow !).

Islay House

  

Islay Community garden

Also made a brief visit to the Killarrow parish cemetery next door, which is in a very poor state, just in case there was an odd Currie or two hanging about.  

Killarrow cemetery

Dinner accompanied by a tot of Bushmills and a bottle of “Dark Island’’ authentic Orcadian Ale brewed in Orkney and bought in Dunoon. Seems sacriligious to be drinking Irish whiskey here when there are 6 of the most famous distilleries within cooee  but haven’t got to them yet though Laphroaig and Langevulen may get a visit tomorrow.