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This long-awaited trip was quite unlike any of the fifty-two
preceding expeditions: it involved the charter of the 'Sileas'
and a trip up Loch Shiel with two disembarkations at St. Finan's
Isle and Druim an Laoigh. Excitement was at fever pitch and
we had a record number of twenty-one participants: Amy, Amie,
Bernadette, Carol Ann, Catherine, David John, Ellen MacGillivray,
Frazer, Iain, Jack MacMillan, JD, John Donaldson, John MacArthur,
Kathryn, Kirsten Conacher, Lewis Docherty, Lucy MacMillan,
Robbie, Robert, Robin and Yasmine, with Abigail joining us
with her parents on the Achnanelan boat. Helping us were Gordon,
Iain, Jean Bowker, Ken, Mary and Sharon, with Peter Madden
to show us the iron-workings and Rob MacArthur in the standby
boat - battles have been fought with fewer resources.
The day was overcast and occasionally fairly wet but that
did not dampen the great
enthusiasm of the participants who assembled at Acharacle
before transferring to Dalilea and immediately boarding the
Sileas. We sailed up Loch Shiel, seeing many of the places
already covered in earlier expeditions, but we didn't see
any divers on the loch. At St. Finan's Isle we carefully transferred
to the shore using both boats, and made our way up the muddy
path to the top of the island. Iain showed us some of the
old graves but many of the members headed straight for the
chapel where the bell could soon be heard across the island.
John explained that the bell was at least a century too young
to have been brought by St. Finan, since in his day they were
only made of iron. He also said that it was likely that the
bell originally had no clapper and was struck using a wooden
peg. He brought one with him and they listened to both tones.
Iain told them a lot about the graves within the chapel, showing
them where the Gamie's mother and Charlie MacLean's father
were buried. Then we moved down to Maighstir Alasdair's gravestone
which had a skeleton carved on it and Iain told them all some
stories about both Alasdair and his son. We all looked at
the chapel where the Robertson MacDonalds are buried and saw
the grave of Dr. MacVicar. Then everyone spread out over the
island looking at the memorials, many explorers finding the
graves of their ancestors. Although it was wet, David John
and Frazer managed to get some good impressions from some
of the stones.
After an hour or so many of the explorers were starting to
get a bit cold and returned to the warm saloon of the Sileas
while some of the adults clambered round the island to look
at a place where iron was formerly smelted.
Then we all returned to the ship and set sail for Heron Island.
The bay behind the island is rather shallow and it took a
little time to get everyone ashore. We crossed behind the
pine wood, looking at some oyster mushrooms on the way, and
examined the banded clay deposits at the top of the beach.
Although it was blowy and wet, some of the group ran about
in the water and got thoroughly wet. It was clear that sitting
about in wet clothes, either in the centre or at Mave's, was
not a good idea and everyone went straight home from the pier
to get changed (except for Ellen and Robbie who went to Fort
William).
The Pictures
Frazer concentrated on getting some of the nicer carved ornament
recorded the crown is from the Corbet family grave - while
David John got an impression of Miss Lawson Johnson's memorial
and a strange carved ornament on one of the oldest stones
on the island. Had it not been so wet we would have had much
more to show for our visit.
John
Dye
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