Midsummer Day's Eve

We walked down from the B&B to Southend, and then the tiny bit of the Kintyre Way from the road at Southend to the small headland where the Way actually finishes. A few pictures and Ani Sherab and I went to wait for the bus to Campbeltown, while Phen decided to walk back to the town, to meet up with Maryna, and not to come on the rib ride we have organised.

When we got to the information bureau in town, we learnt that the proposed trip had proved popular, with eleven people booked up for it, so I did not have to cough up the guarantee I had offered. Off we went, out of the harbour, past Sanda, towards the Mull of Kintyre, though not into the race there, which did look very fierce. Then back, via the seal shores, to Sanda and round it, with all its birdlife - puffins, kittiwakes, guillemots, gulls, terns, and more. I did manage to grab some photos - here - while travelling in a lumpy rib at speed. 

Then it was back to the harbour, to meet up with Phen who arrived in town about 1/2 hour after the end of the trip. We met up with Maryna, revisited the Indian restaurant, and returned to the B&B. Then off to bed to get up in time to be walking down to the harbour by 06:30 to catch the only ferry in the week that stops at Arran from Campbeltown. The others got of at Arran, in order to travel onto a party and/or Holy Island, while I carried on to Ardrossan, in order to drive down to a motel in Carlisle, before completing the journey.

A fabulous 11 days or so. My interest in walking has been reawakened in a major way.

The Sound of Sanda

Walkers and wimps

Ireland beyond a Kintyre Way waymarker

Between the three of us, we seem to have two pairs of problematic feet, and one duff hand, plus one pair of legs just getting into gear. Just before negotiating the pipeline on Tuesday, a horse fly (my least favourite type of sentient being) stung the back of my hand. This morning it is not in very good condition, and had been getting worse up to last night, since it happened. Neither Ani Sherab nor I feel capable of doing the section described in the route from Machinhanish to Southend. This is the longest and toughest section of the route, and the route notes suggest that it will take 8 to 10 hours. As we have already been walking at a pace that adds about 30% to the estimated times, and at best we would be walking even slower than this; it does not seem feasible. Add in the fact that on this section it looks as if one either does this section or does something else - there are no options to shortcut the route as there were on other sections - and that Phen was raring to do this final section - we decided to do different things today.

Phen started off walking to do the final section down to Southend. Meanwhile the "we're wimps and proud of it" section caught a bus back to Campbeltown to visit the tourist information office we had seen at the end of the quays there. This was intended to find out information about walks on the Mull of Kintyre, and whether there were alternatives we might investigate; it was also intended to find out about medical services for my hand. By this time it was starting to improve so I did not think it necessary to even find out information about services, but I was overruled by stubbornness even greater than my own. What we did find out was that it was possible to take a rib ride that would enable us to fulfill some of the objectives of the various walks on the Mull of Kintyre - to see the iconic lighthouse, and to see Ireland. This was not a run that the rib normally does, so I had to guarantee that I would pay for up to four places on the boat if it proved not to be attractive to other tourists. We booked this up for tomorrow, got a map of the town, with medical facilities marked on it, and then checked out the ferry terminal and the aquadome/library before making our way to the bus down to Southend.

We arrived at Southend which contained (we thought) the final marker for the Kintyre Way. Later investigation showed that in fact it continued for about 1/4 mile on to a little headland. What it also gave was a marvelous view of Northern Island - only about 10-20 miles away at this point. We walked gently northwards up the last two or three miles of the Kintyre Way to the accommodation we had booked. Phen turned up triumphant about 1/2 hour later. The B&B did not provide an evening meal, but were happy to run us back to Southend to the only pub; and instruct us to request a lift back from the pubs landlord when we wished to return. We duly did this so getting a decent evening meal without additional walking.

Southend

Golfers and bird watchers

Today started misty, and remained misty for the duration of our walk, which was a short one, although completely on the road. Passed Campbeltown Airport on the way, which is unusually long. Also passed a farm specialising in Holstein cattle breeding. and a house with bonds (brick laying patterns) unlike any I have ever seen before. When we arrived at Machinhanish we found it mostly the golf course, golf club, and golfing hotel. 

The other attractions here were the wildlife (pictures here), the beach, and the Machinhanish Sea Bird Observatory (MSBO). The observatory is an extremely well sorted out, and contains some of the pictures taken here. These are superb photos. I bought a copy of their 20th anniversary DVD containing a very large number of their photos. The wildlife and beauty of the beach and shoreline could keep me happy for a very long time, even with the golfing fanaticism evident. This was also the place where THE two quotes (here and here) of the trip were heard.

Machinhanish wildlife