Late Autumn on Islay & Jura

[Sin_Tiger]

Took a late autumnal bimble around Islay & Jura including a nice run over the the "Rest and Be Thankful" rather than cheat by using the Arran ferries, just keeping my CalMac miles topped up and taking advantage of what might be the last of the late autumn days all strung together. Skipped my usual butty and rest room stop at Luss (they're charging 20p for the bogs now ) in favour of a stop at the wee van at "Top 'O The Rest" and the use of natures facilities. At £3.00 for a three rasher roll and a real double expresso in the middle of nowhere you really cannot beat it for value, nor quality, it was excellent. Great fun watching a gaggle (sty?) of Hogs scrapping their pegs and chuffing like knackered steam trains on their way over the top.

Had a chat with a volunteer Ranger who was on his way to check out some old gun emplacement foundations tucked away under the peak. Never heard of this, what were they protecting? According to him (old enough and ex Para), during WWII this route was the Home Office designated escape / evacuation route away from Glasgow to the sea lochs and this was a pefect spot to pick off any enemy aircraft trying to do damage. You learn something new everyday.

http://www.secretscotland.org.uk/index.php/Secrets/RestAndBeThankful

Great run down through Inverarry along the lochside to the ferry at Kennacraig south of Tarbert. A bit overcast but rays of sunlight on the Kintire hills and flat calm, lovely crossing.

Spent the next three days (only rained one day) scooting around Islay visiting as many distilleries as we could fit in, well you have to don't you. Although they are all amazing to see in these traditional settings, Laphroaig is probably one of the most photogenic. Jura only has one, yes those really are palm trees. Beaches that just go on until your eyes bleed, there were only three people on the beach and I was related to all of them, bit like a local. Bowmore has a famous church that is round, some say it's to offer least resistance to the weather where it sits atop the hill on the main street, others say it's so the "De'il cannae hide in the corners", there may be other reasons involving collection plates!

On the Mull of Oa the beautifully spectacular and very dangerous Atlantic coast appears like an eternal battle between land and sea. A testament to the feroscity of that battle is the monument to the lost lives from the wrecks of the troop transports Tuscania and Otranto both in 1918, known around Scotland and locally simply as "The American Monument". Although positioned in such a remote, wild and forlorn position, it has almost daily visits by soldiers and seamen from both sides of the Atlantic.

[Sin_Tiger]

Sitting on the front at Portrnahaven watching the seals playing in the shallows a couple of metres away and looking out over the water to Newfoundland is a strange feeling, thinking of those who'd made that journey with little idea of what to expect, must have been a massive leap of faith or unshakeble self confidence that spurred them on in the days when even a letter could take months.

Coming around a corner on the remote northern end of Jura we came across a 14 point stag just crossing the road in front, the other half was in the process of digging me in the ribs to find out why I'd stopped so suddenly when she spotted the antlers over the hedge. We just sat there with the engine off watching and listening to the gentle roar, they can be a bit unpredictable at the start of the rut. That sight will live with us for a long time.

Found a bargain in the local Spar, PC8 (very exclusive Port Charlotte malt) discounted from £900 to only £799 a botlle, they don't make minatures of that, I can see why. The local Co-op doesn't sell anything that's less than 12 years old or isn't a single malt, mention Jonnie Walker here and you'll find yourself in a wheelie bin faster than you can say Bruichladich. I'd thought the Outer Hebrides were quiet but here every driver waves to everyone else, even though it's obvious you're not local. I came across a small shop, closed, that had a sign in the window proclaiming "Take Aways - Pizza, Fish & Chips, Curry, Kebabs" and in slightly smaller writing below "Wednesday's 6pm - 8pm" I'm still trying to figure that one out.

I only saw three bikes the whole time on the islands, a '15 GS dripping (including rider and pillion) with a fully ravaged BMW catalogue from panniers to pants, a Bonnie T100 black whose rider had a painted on shit eating grin and had a brief chat with a Green Girly owner from Edinburgh who was camping with his other half, nice people.

As I parked up to await the ferry arrival in Port Askaig, the Westies "Rory" & "Bonnie" were guarding the RNLI station but were easily bribed with some biscuits. Last to load on the ferry again, I could swear the light breeze was trying to tear the boarding pass from my feeble grip. Back to the real world, albeit on a beautiful calm evening with the hills of Kintire and the reds and golds in the trees trying hard to mask the less romatic parts of the world, where people go into a panic if they don't have 3G.

[Chris Canning]

Blimey that brings back some great memories,after I stopped racing an enduro bike I still needed that buzz and cutting a very long story short ended up shooting clay pigeons formoney or was that spending money shooting clays.

For years the guys we used to see on the circuit asked us to go to the Jury Open clay shoot which really took us on an adventure from the Islay Woollen Mill coat that i won and still have to the 5 hour round walk we had to the far end of Jura to witness the tidal whirlpool that occurs.

Turning on the bath tap and getting into a bath full peat coloured water is an interesting experience but was the Bowmore whiskey on distillery visit.

Even the road that runs out two thirds of the way up Jura where you park the car and have to walk that's the 5 hours there's a White House in the distance by the sea where George Orwell wrote 1984.

[JayDub]

Thanks for that Niall, sounds like the perfect jaunt, I imagine most of the TT.com members are wishing we could have joined you on that one 

[nickjtc]

Very nice. Lucky you. Great pics!

[Nick Calne]

  It is the most magical part of the magical country that is the UK and you're very lucky to have it so very close by.

[Sin_Tiger]

Good memory Chris. Corryvrekan whirlpool, no wonder he wrote such deep and scary stuff, it does bring out the best and the darkest in people.

Nick, how lucky are we indeed. There is another end on the M6 guys    and it would have been all the more enjoyable with good company.

[Chris Canning]

Have never forgotten getting on the tank landing craft that was the ferry across to Jura to be told it sank the first time they used and had to be lifted off the sea bed 

Good  place for you guys who do your Tiger meet even Kennacraig will scare you to death until the boat comes up the loch just a piece of Tarmac.

[Bixxer Bob]

Thanks for that Niall, sounds like the perfect jaunt, I imagine most of the TT.com members are wishing we could have joined you on that one 

[KuzzinKenny]

Hey Sin_Tiger !! great RR and pics 

the only part i didn't like was when ya wrote FERRY 

me no likey boats 

glad to hear ya got away for a few days 

were ya campin 

:icon_wink:

KK

[Sin_Tiger]

KK, tents an me just run yer ferry phobia a close second  :icon_wink: I'm trying hard wi' some therapy, an the Slumit certainly was a great help during the Wales trip.

[JayDub]

an the Slumit certainly was a great help during the Wales trip.

Yeah maybe... but you couldn't have done it without the Expresso device 

[John Stenhouse]

Don't get him started on his coffee horse