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This time the weather was poor - there was a long spell of
sleet before we set off and quite a nasty wind blowing. However,
a small but select group of explorers (Allan, David John,
Iain, Robert and Sheila) were willing to brave the elements
for a short trip - three of them had to be in Fort William
during the afternoon.
We started out from the Sailean na Cuileag car park and walked
along the road to the east margin of the forestry block. There
we left the road and worked out way down the old wall, sometimes
on top of the wall, until we reached the oak woods.
Under the edge of a cliff was a cave, big enough for all of
the explorers and once inside they made an examination for
signs of past human activity. The only thing they found was
a broken whisky bottle!
Then we all climbed up the slope to the top and looked at
the old area of cultivation - not marked on any of the maps.
Since there was no other cultivated land in the area, this
could have been where the barley (eorna in Gaelic) was grown.
Carrying on towards the sea we found a small rock shelter
which Allan was able to get inside, after which we made our
way through several forested ravines to a big bay with a channel
in the centre between two rows of large stones. We saw a seal
offshore and thought there was one sitting near the bay, but
it turned out to be a rock after all.
Since we had to be back early, the party set off immediately
but John had forgotten the compass and led everyone in a big
circle back to the bay again! We used a different route and
came back using the old forestry path.
John
Dye
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