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Following another hot spell it rained on Friday and promised
to be midgy on the Saturday morning. However it turned out
only slightly midgy and with a good dose of repellent we managed
fine. We had Amie MacMaster, David John, Frazer, Iain, Jack,
JD and Robert.
The trip was planned for Camusaine Hill, but unfortunately
no extra adults came and we had to confine ourselves to a
walk in the immediate vicinity.
We set off on the old 'Parliamentary' Kinlochmoidart road,
which used to run from the church to Old Shiel Bridge. On
the way we looked at the MacIntyre's house, the old estate
office and the Acharacle esker where a river under the ice
had built up a gravel bank. We found some old inscriptions
on a beech tree before quickly walking up the road and across
the old path to Old Shiel Bridge.
Since the river was extremely low, it was possible to get
into the 'gullet' and everyone looked at the place where rock
had been cut out to increase the flow in the 1920s. We then
rejoined the path, crossed the bridge and looked at the place
where Katie MacNeil was killed in a cycle accident in 1926.
We then retraced our steps to the old bridge and continued
round to Blain where we left the road and looked at the Old
Smiddy. We had a rest overlooking the site of an old house.
We then followed the line of the old road leading towards
Blain Pit and continued into the pit where everyone looked
at the sand martin nests, there are 190 this year. In the
pit Robert found an old German bike with flat tires, and several
explorers climbed into an old lorry and had their picture
taken. Finally we crossed back to the river to a place below
the new bridge where the ford was probably sited. Jack found
some caddis fly larvae and several people saw fish here.
Finally we rejoined the main road and made our way across
the new bridge back to the church.
John
Dye
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