12-01-2012

Click on a photo to see it full size in a new browser window

Low cloud swathes the top of hill at Arrochar, the low ground was clear and sunny that day but several of the nearby summits were hidden in the cloud.

Looking across Loch Long at Arrochar we spotted this Oystercatcher perched on part of an old jetty.

Next on the trip along the A83 down Loch Fyne is Inveraray.  This is the view looking south west from the car park.

Looking the other way, beyond the town - seat of the Campbell clan - Barr Mor is wreathed in the low cloud.

A bell tower stands on the mountain overlooking the old bridge carrying the A83 into Inveraray.

The view up Loch Fyne from the pier at Inveraray.

There is a maritime museum on the oddly named Arctic Penguin which is tied up in the harbour.

The road from Oban to Inveraray ends in this archway which frames a view of the loch.

The whole town is in black and white as this view of Main Street shows.  Lorna gave high marks to the strawberry milkshakes in the Paddle Steamer café while Loch Fyne Whiskies have an amazing range of malts - the most expensive is £10,000!!!  But their Loch Fyne blend is a very nice whisky for £15.99.

Apart from the castle the main tourist feature in Inveraray is the old Jail and Courthouse.

Next stop was Ardrishaig, at the end of the Crinan Canal which cuts off a long trip round the Mull of Kintyre for small boats.  This is the basin above the sea lock.

There is commercial shipping in the harbour, in these views the Ben Nevis is loading locally produced timber.

This shot shows just how clear the water is here, amazing to someone used to the Bristol Channel!

Lochgilphead, viewed from Ardrishaig.

The sea lock at the end of the Crinan Canal.

With the swing bridge and upper lock gates open a yacht starts to enter the sea lock.

Hardly had the yacht passed through than the swing bridge, carrying the A83, started to close.

The yacht in the lock ready to descend to the sea.

The lock empty and open to the loch the yacht sets out for Loch Fyne.

Opposite the harbour is this rock with several seals hauled out on it.  Nature is never far away up here.

A digression across country to Crinan at the other end of the canal where we found this Clyde puffer named after Para Handy's Vital Spark of the stories by Neil Munro (some of which have been on TV) in the sea lock basin.

Another view over the basin looking out over the sea lock itself.

A yacht in the sea lock at the start of its cross country voyage that avoids the long passage round the Mull of Kintyre.

The basin seen from the sea lock.

Last from Crinan, looking across the basin to the first lock on the canal proper.

Back to the A83, Tarbet is a nice little fishing port.  By chance there is a seal's head in the left hand shot but it's hard to spot.  Lorna also rates the milk shakes from a café near the fishing quay very highly.

Just a few miles further down the A83 we pulled off and found these seals hauled out on a rock near Dunskeig Bay.  We counted 27, including the one in the water looking for space to haul out on - the arguments earlier when another had done so were very noisy.  Just 100 feet from us, 200 feet or less from a main road!

That's the end of our trip, hopefully one day we'll get back there as there is so much to see and the scenery is so beautiful.