"A whale/dophin spotting outing with something for everyone! Wonderful views of the outer islands. Minki whales in the Minch. Geological outcrops and seabirds along the cliffs. Extensive deserted village at Erisco, plus ruins of Duntulm Castle. Tea and cake at Kilmalaug at the end of the walk"
- naturally, it was that final sentence that drew me!
Nine of us set off from the parking space near Duntulm, along a fairly well-trodden path.
Some discussion about this curious pool of water. Natural or artificial? Is that a coffin stone or a fallen standing-stone?
Nothing, so far as we can find, on any archaeology site, so it will have to remain a mystery for now.
Plenty of other signs of early occupation such as earth-bank field boundaries
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| Scotch Argus / Erebia aethiops |
The cottages of the coastguard-hut-keepers are near the main road, so the trek to the lookout must have been something of a challenge in bad weather. There was a series of these post-stumps in the final stretch: could they have been markers, perhaps even linked by a rope, to guide them away from the cliff-edge?
Half the group went to survey the Minch from the delights of the (ex Coastguard Hut, now Mountain Bothy) while 5 waited for a walker and his bicycle to clamber up ...
before they could descend ...
... and head towards the rock-stack ...
... to enjoy dolphins, seals, nesting sea birds, and a pigeon (!) amidst terns, shags and gulls,
Meanwhile, those who stayed on the cliffs had been gazing down on the remnants of a flourishing kelp industry by the shore - the little stone circles may have been used for kelp-burning.
Then, the two groups reunited strolled back along the same path, now considerably busier with other walkers,
past the straggling remains of Erisco to the cars, and so to nearby Kilmalaug and Phil's excellent home-baking - every bit as good as advertised!
