September 9th Was a day out!

 

The forecast looked reasonable for Mallaig which was the closest place that gave weather reports for The Ardnamurchan Peninsula my intended destination. After being confined to the caravan for almost a week due to the continuous heavy rain in the area it was good to be out travelling again. The first bit of excitement was joining the queue for the Corran Ferry. This is a small car ferry that crosses the narrows to Ardgour on Loch Linnhe, it only takes about 5 minutes but saves probably over an hours drive if you were to go the other way. I switched off the engine and wound the window down and looked across the loch towards the ferry that was on the otherside. The photo below was taken about half way across the loch showing the Ardgour Lighthouse which is just south of the ferry pier.

 

 

Within a few minutes I heard the tell-tale siren which means the ferry is arriving or in this case departing the pier to come and collect us. I watched the little ferry make it's crossing which I always love to see, there is something almost magical about the ferries in Scotland; they serve the community very well and whether the crossing takes a few minutes or hours one knows that when you arrive on the other side all is very different. They transport you to a different experience.

 

Upon reaching Ardgour if you turn right then you'll immediately be travelling on a single track road for many, many miles. Left will also lead eventually to the same driving experience. We all know what driving on normal roads is like, these single tracks take on a different pace altogether usually much slower. Every few hundred yards or so there will be a widening in the road which will facilitate oncoming vehicles to pass. If the widening is on your side then you pull over and usually stop to allow the other vehicle to pass before you continue on your way. The driver [those that know the system] of the other car will wave to offer thanks and you'll wave back! Well, how lovely is that you wave at everyone you meet and they wave hello in return. So much more friendly. If you are driving along mile after mile and then notice a vehicle in your mirror it means only one thing o importance; that the car is travelling faster than you are.

 

Here are your three choices as I see it;

 

1] You could put pedal to metal and try to pull away and lose the vehicle, problem solved but now he has caused you to miss the scenery you were admiring while you were sedately cruising along.

 

2] Much more likely you'll pull into the next passing place and wait for the vehicle to 'overtake' before continuing behind it. Again those that know the system will do this immediately.

 

3]  Frustratingly those that don't will see to it that they hog the road until you almost push them off the road in frustration flashing your high beam and sounding a continuous horn. Well I don't do that [except for once with a French registered car] but others will, you can guarantee it. It costs nothing to be courteous to other road users who are for reasons of their own in more of a hurry than you. It could be a budding rally driver or an elderly lady who is late and trying to catch the next ferry, it doesn't matter, pull over and let them through.

 

Driving quickly on these roads usually means travelling over 34 mph and will seem pretty exciting at times. You just never know what you will come across. Sheep are common and they are usually content to sit on the grass right by the road side it's still very sensible to slow right down especially if inexperienced youngsters  are about, remember they don't have too many brain cells and think the road actually is their's. They love to lie in the middle of the road to either enjoy the heat being radiated off the surface or perhaps because it's cooler either way you are a hazard to their relaxed way of life. Deer if you are fortunate to see them also use the road usually to cross it on tracks that deer have used for hundreds of years to cross the glen to find pastures anew to graze. Just like this lovely doe...

 

 

 

 

Highland cattle not as common as sheep or even deer for that matter are still available to share a road with, here is one for you to study closely, believe me it's possible to meet something head on like this. Now who owns the road?

 

 

I bet you are beginning to see why I love the ferries so much. This way of life has gone on for many years very quietly up here; less so every year as tourism is increasing all the time, it's a simple numbers game. Increase in population and wealth and hey presto you've got more tourists coming. Bless the Scottish Tourist Board they even advertise on the television nationally to attract more people. You can't blame them the tourist dollar, pound or euro is valuable to the local people and economy.

 

So onwards with my outing which involved turning left towards the Ardnamurchan Peninsula which as I said is initially on normal roads. It's always the same everytime a ferry unloads a mix of vehicles and drivers for that matter. There will be normal cars, sporty cars, foreign cars, trucks, caravans and motorcycles may be others but you get the picture. The inevitable jostling for freedom of the road ahead is about to begin. You see the ferry deck hand will control the order in which vehicles leave his ferry within reason of course. No matter how you try you can't jump the queue if you are one of the last on the ferry it means you'll be one of the last off even if you thought slipping him a quiet tenner would help your case. Even on normal roads there are only a few stretches that are safe to overtake on assuming nothing coming the otherway. As we aren't on a single track road yet the polite working system for that class of carriageway as described earlier doesn't apply. It takes many miles for the jostling to sort itself out sometimes it's the single track road itself which sorts out the order of play working on the polite principles. Just after the turn off for Lochaline and beyond the single track road begins in the direction I'm travelling today.

 

The drive if the weather is kind is bordering on breathtaking. Often hugging a loch always with mountains to admire you slowly cover mile after mile at an average speed of 20mph which is comfortable. I invariably drive a little slower as I am on the look out for possible places to stop and jump out and set the camera up to take photographs. Here is a lovely lochan I passed on my right not before stopping and taking this from the comfort of my driving seat, that's correct I didn't even get out of the car for this shot.

 

 

  

Ardanmurchan Point Lighthouse is the end of the road situated just south of the most westerly hamlet [Portuairk] on the Scottish mainland. The exposed headland affords a lovely view of The Minch with some jewels such as the Isle of Eigg to be seen on a clear day which it was. The lighthouse is impressive built from Isle of Mull granite and for over 150 years has aided navigation in these tricky waters. Today it's like most lighthouses being automatic and not supervised constantly by a lighthouse keeper and assistant.

 

 

Here is a photo of the Isle of Eigg to the north, Isle of Skye is to the north of Eigg.

 

 

Another pleasant detour I made before arriving here was to visit Mingary Bay and pier. A ferry to Tobermory [Isle of Mull] connects these two otherwise very remote from each other places again showing the importance of the ferries. The bay with pearl white sand offers a view to Castle Mingary and also the headland known as MacLean's Nose. Being a McLean this has extra significance for me and as you look down the Sound of Mull if it were possible you'd see Duart Castle on a small headland which is the MacLean Clan Seat. So this was a MacLean area! Here is a photo of the lovely bay.

 

 

Sorry about these small images but Castle Mingary may been seen in the above image if you know where to look. Have you spotted it yet? Indeed have you worked out why the headland bears the name of MacLean's Nose? Answers to accompany your cheque please.

 

Well I did title this Murphy's Law and as it turns out there are three reasons that now spring to mind for this headline. On the outbound journey I completely missed it and shot passed it on the return journey but not before catching a glimpse of a scope on a tripod. I decided to stop and had to reverse up on the single track road, well it was a necessity. I drove into the Ardnamurchan Natural History Centre carpark and decided to stretch my legs at least. I was drawn to the scope but suddenly my gaze was pulled in the direction of a rather beautiful cat. The cat was being petted by another visitor so I gave them privacy to continue their liaison hoping I'd later get a shot also. A man with a pair o binoculars was hovering around the scope and I noticed his RSPB badge. I asked what was in the area and he told me I'd just missed seeing Golden Eagles and Sea Eagles, Murphy's Law strike one.

 

A couple sat on an adjacent picnic table with their treats and large mug of something covered in a heap of whipped cream. It didn't take long before the cat jumped up onto the table and asked for a taste of whatever was on offer. Well they succumbed and were soon feeding the cat. The RSPB man noticed me admiring the cat and told me his name was Murphy. Bingo hence Murphy's Law strike two; You have to offer Murphy something to either eat or drink or preferably both.  

 

I knew I could bend Murphy's Law to my favour and attract Murphy over if I had something equally tasty to offer. I popped into the Centre and ordered a large mug of hot chocolate and a scone served with fruit. The kind man who took my order inquired where I'd be sitting and I told him "Outside please" well that's were Murphy was! He told me he'd bring the order out to me when it was ready.

 

I sat at another picnic table and eagerly awaited my beverage and scone in the certain knowledge I'd entice Murphy over to the otherside! Murphy being Murphy was crying out to be photographed so I dashed to the car and grabbed my camera which had the zoom lens attached, yippeee! I then from a distance began taking photos of this beautiful feline.

 

 

See what I mean he is a Star Cat!

 

Murphy's Law strike three was about to be delivered to me. The nice man appeared with my hot chocolate and told me that there was a problem with the scone I'd ordered. I look perplexed and awaited the gen on the scone. It was placed frozen into the microwave he whispered which is what they do to defrost them fresh for serving. Well the scone blew up the microwave and itself in a cloud of acrid smoke which I had earlier whiffed but had ignored. He asked if he could get me something else and I decided to politely answer, "No thank you."

 

Sure enough Murphy arrived as soon as nice man's back was turned. I then poured a generous amount into the saucer and cooled it before serving Mr Murphy. By my reckoning Murphy had three helpings amounting to 37.5 pence worth of my lovely hot chocolate.

 

But all told I felt like the cat that swallowed the cream by having this opportunity to photograph Mr Murphy and his Law. in action

 

 

 

Lip smacking delicious!