| I wasn’t sure if we would
get any young explorers since this was the day they were selling
the furniture at the school. However, we got three stalwarts:
Fern, Robbie L., and Rowan, plus six adults, Christopher,
Maris, Maureen, Pamela, Philippa and Richard L., with Ellie
and Jamie avoiding the firm ground.
We parked at the bottom of the Glenuig brae, just where the
old military van used to be. First we carefully crossed the
road to have a cautious look into the ravine, and then went
down the hill to look at an old house above the road with
an ancient willow tree covered in lichen.
Returning to the junction, we set off up the old track which
was once the only route to Kinlochmoidart. We stopped at the
tiny ‘children’s house’ where the three
explorers were very careful not to disturb the stones. I have
still not found out who built this structure or when –
any information out there?
The next part of the expedition was something of a failure,
since I was trying to find an old rock shelter and we got
nowhere near it. However, it was sunny and very pleasant on
the top of the hill and Robbie found a small frog which had
one arm missing. I hope it was right handed. When we could
see across to the old school, I read out a piece about an
early Glenuig school, written in 1813.
Although we didn’t find one rock shelter, we located
several others and even a short tunnel, which was negotiated
by the more agile explorers. We also found a very strange
nest, which seemed to have been made by a cat-sized animal.
None of us had seen anything like it. We made a careful descent
through the trees and got back onto the path, which we followed
almost to the top of the hill. Then we crossed a boggy bit
in the woods, passing a group of discarded white goods, which
had been thrown down from the roadside.
Finally we reached the building generally believed to be the
old Glenuig School, built in the early nineteenth century.
Everyone stopped for a photograph and we climbed back to the
road and walked down the hill to the car, stopping only for
a short conversation with some very tame pigs (although Ellie
didn’t like them).
Back at the Blue Parrot, everyone attempted a drawing, I have
picked out Rowan’s view of the old school with Robbie
inside, balancing on a rock.
John
Dye
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