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The day was sunny and warm, with a light breeze, probably
the best weather we ever had. We got six explorers (some people
were away on holiday): Iain, John Donaldson, Katie, Lucy MacMillan,
Rhiannan and Robert with John Evans and John MacMillan as
helpers.
This was a very ambitious expedition covering ground from
the sea shore to high on he hill. We started from the old
Ranachan Bridge and walked straight down to the old mill where
we examined the building, the old mill shaft and the stream
diversion. Then we walked down to the sea shore where we looked
at the pool at the bottom of the burn. Close to the pool was
a plastic cage in the grass which John MacMillan was able
to identify as a fish trap made of old shellfish culture components.
We walked along the beach, looking at the granite rocks, some
of which had glacial scratches, and two cleared boat slips
with 'noosts' for keeping boats in over winter. Then we crossed
the field and the road and started to climb the hill, crossing
an old field which was covered in dead bracken. There were
three old stone buildings on the field, one of which was in
very good condition and we stopped here for a snack.
Safely negotiating a barbed wire fence we looked at another
house and a strange hawthorn tree before crossing a stream
and approaching the old steading. Everybody looked at the
horse harnesses and the pig sty and also the walls of the
fank, but we didn't stay long. We carried on up the hill to
the old croft house where everyone looked at some ancient
iron rails in the bridge and went all around the house. In
one window were several bent spoons and the explorers could
see a half empty whisky bottle on a table.
Finally we left the house and climbed all the way up the hill
to the solar-powered pumping unit at the top of the track.
Photographs were taken before we walked down the track to
the cars.
John
Dye
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