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The first 'real expedition' of the year with six explorers,
four adults and fairly good weather. The explorers were: Amy,
Claire, David John, Margaret, Maxine and Robert, with Anna,
Frances and Richard, not forgetting Suzie the Labrador.
The expedition covered the hill to the east of Egnaig and
started with an examination of the oldest of the Kinlochmoidart
sheep fanks. This was a big structure, 11 metres wide and
over 15 metres end to end - we measured it with a tape. It
was built into a natural gully with walls 2-3 metres high
on each side and could have been used for cattle since the
stone dykes were quite high and strong.
After this we looked at a place which could have been used
for holding a boat - Kylesbeg is a name associated with a
boat crossing - with a small cottage next to it. There were
gable ends on the house but no built chimney although there
were the remains of a central hearth. John said that sometimes
there was a wooden hood over such a hearth to direct the smoke
out of the roof. Interestingly, half of the interior walls
had been rough-cast at some time.
Then we examined the 'new' Kinlochmoidart fank. This had been
made out of at least two houses, linked up by stone walls.
Against the end was a sheep dip and a big iron pot built into
a stone base with a fireplace underneath it. The pot was cast
iron and it had 'Falkirk 100' on the rim. Next to the pot
was a line of five small stone-and-turf platforms which John
said were used to rest the sheep on during shearing or treatment.
The explorers took a photograph with Robert acting as the
sheep and Margaret as the shearer.
The expedition then moved up the road to look at a stone bridge
on the old track which Harold Drummond used to ride along
to Kinlochmoidart for his groceries. A short distance above
this was a big tunnel under the road and the explorers spend
a noisy, splashy time in the tunnel.
Then we all had a look at Caolas Croft, where Marjory and
Harold Drummond used to live and John and Frances told everyone
some stories about their life there.
The last part of the expedition was a walk down the old causeway
road to look at the houses of Kylesmore. There were at least
six houses in several styles, one of them was a very strange
building which originally had one window and three doors,
and a small source of water under one of the walls. Some of
the other buildings were very broken down.
Finally the explorers returned to Toad Hall for soup and the
chance to warm up and draw what they had seen.
The Pictures
David John did a splendid plan of the new fank showing al!
the walls, the big pot and the five small platforms. Margaret
drew the side of the fank showing the end of a house built
into the walls. Claire showed one of the explorers running
through the tunnel. Amy and Robert showed the small house,
Amy's picture showing the wooden chimney poking out and Robert
showing a ghostly echo in the vicinity (which the rest of
us were not aware of).
John
Dye
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