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This was not truly an expedition since it formed one of the
activities of Acharacle Week. However, no adults turned up
and we ended up with many of our usual explorers: David John,
Iain, John Don., Kathryn and Robert. Since parts of the walk
were rather wet sections of path, three bicycles were taken,
probably not a good idea in retrospect.
The walk was planned to start with the lower churchyard at
Acharacle but all of those present knew that part quite well
so we went off straight away down the old road to Shielbridge.
John pointed out a hut at Woodend which is said to have oyster
shells under it and also the house of MacIntyre the tailor
who composed songs. After a short go on the swings on the
old Acharacle eskers, we carried on to Shielbridge and had
a look at one of the old kennels before examining the old
tin shed with the ornamental finial and also looking at an
old steel barrel which might have once been local navy equipment.
Then we left Shielbridge and walked along the track which
was once the route of the railway from the quarry. Along the
track the explorers looked at a switch on the power line from
the Gorten Hydro Station and also a piece of machinery once
used in the 1980s in a peat cutting experiment.
Reaching the main Ardtoe road we looked at some good glacial
striae on an exposed rockface and also the two magazines where
explosives were once kept. We looked for drill holes in the
quarry but only found one.
We walked down the road towards Kentra looking at the site
of an old spring thought to have medicinal properties and
the peat bank used by the Duncan family of Pier Cottage. In
a peat pool beside the road there were bog beans growing and
John told the explorers they were once used as a medicine
locally. Then we walked across the track to the Shielfoot
road and to the Burtons' house which was on the site of many
houses of poor people about a hundred years ago. The explorers
looked at some bottles which Craig Burton had collected in
the vicinity - a beer bottle, a round-bottomed lemonade bottle
and two bottles which might have had medicine and eye drops.
After a short break we then walked back to New Shiel Bridge
past the old walled garden and the apple trees and tried to
pick out the old tennis court. Finally we looked at the wall
under the noble fir at the corner where goblins were once
seen sitting - David John did an excellent imitation of a
goblin. We then retired to Mave's for a snack and most of
the explorers left immediately to go round Seafish Ardtoe
in the afternoon.
John
Dye
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