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We got one of the warmest days for any expedition, although
it was misty at the start and the ground was wet with dew.
There were five explorers: Robert, Lucy and Jack, with two
visitors, Alistair and Duncan Walker, with Jane and Ralph
Walker, Craig and Ann Burton and John MacMillan as helpers.
John explained where we were and where we were going and the
group headed out westwards from the Shona Bheag causeway along
the north channel. The first stop was the lead mine, which
almost everyone climbed into getting fairly muddy in the process.
Then we moved along the shore, noting several boat clearances
on the way, to Aultigill where everyone looked at the Customs
Officer's house with its many fireplaces.
After this we had a hard climb up and down the slopes of the
woods and over the big stile, ending up with a nasty stretch
of deep, wet bracken. We all arrived a the house of the MacDougal
brothers soaking wet and had a chance to cool off while John
gave some stories about the house, and showed photographs
of the earlier inhabitants.
Moving on through some more wet bracken and over a marshy
area we looked at the old Egnaig graveyard, with many small
gravestones. Then, back to the marsh and on into Egnaig village
proper, stopping for a drink and a biscuit in one of the old
houses.
We carried on through the village looking at many of the buildings
and also a big ash tree and a very old silver birch. Finally
we crossed the fence by another stile and made our way homeward
over the beach, picking up some specimens to examine when
we got back (a dried sponge, a sundew plant, some mosses and
lichens). This was a long walk and we didn't arrive at the
Centre until one o'clock; Robert having to leave early, he
was unlucky to miss our big feed at The Pantry, which lasted
until 3!
John
Dye
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