Photos and the City

Tag: my hebridean summer

  • Arriving in Tiree

    Goodbye, mainland Scotland, and hello to the Isle of Tiree!

    Arriving in the Isle of Tirre and this was my view from Drovers Cottage.

    Tiree is the most westerly island of the Inner Hebrides and is also known as the Sunshine Island. It is s mostly low-lying, with wide open skies and sea views in all directions. There are just 3 hills on this flat island.

    It is very sunny and due to the warm Gulf Stream, winters are usually warmer than on the mainland, and summers can be warm and balmy.

    But don´t forget the wind!

    Tiree is also known for its many options for watersports, including all types of surfing.

    Drovers Cottage on the Isle of Tiree.

    Drovers Cottage – I was staying in this lovely thatched cottage for a week in Tiree. And just after a few days, I booked it again for the following year.

    The first photo is one of the views from the cottage.

    Tiree is also a paradise for beaches and meadows; the whole island feels like a big meadow and beach.

    A walk on the beach in the Isle of Tiree.

    Ready for a first walk on the beach!

    A walk on the beach in the Isle of Tiree.

    A walk on the beach in the Isle of Tiree.

    A walk on the beach in the Isle of Tiree.

    A walk on the beach in the Isle of Tiree.

     

     

  • Nether Largie South Cairn

    Visiting Nether Largie South Cairn, Kilmartin Glen

    The oldest burial monument in Kilmartin Glen’s prehistoric linear cemetery is a short walk from the Temple Wood Stone Circle. It was built over 5000 years ago.

    Visiting Nether Largie South Cairn, Kilmartin Glen

    The original chamber at its centre was divided into four compartments and probably held numerous burials, in line with Neolithic practices.

    As with the other monuments in Kilmartin Glen, the site continued to be used as a sacred place. At some point about 4,000 years ago the cairn was enlarged into a 30m-wide round cairn, to accommodate two secondary cists, or stone coffins – doubtless to house the remains of chiefs. (Historic Enviroment)

    Visiting Nether Largie South Cairn, Kilmartin Glen

    Visiting Nether Largie South Cairn, Kilmartin Glen

    Visiting Nether Largie South Cairn, Kilmartin Glen

  • Isle of Staffa

    A daytrip to the puffins at the Isle of Staffa, Inner Hebrides.

    My boat trip to the Isle of Staffa was planned while still on Mull but had to be postponed due to weather. So a few days later I drove back to Oban, boarded the ferry to Mull, then got on a bus and 1h later was ready for my boat trip to the Isle of Staffa.

    A daytrip to the puffins at the Isle of Staffa, Inner Hebrides.

    Besides being a bird paradise, the Isle of Staffa is known as Scotland’s Giant´s Causeway. Once upon a time, there might have been a “bridge” going from here to the north of Ireland.

    A daytrip to the puffins at the Isle of Staffa, Inner Hebrides.

    Fingal´s Cave

    According to Irish legend, a giant who was known as Fionn mac Cumhail once used the bridge between the two basalt formations as a bridge to get from Ireland to Scotland. The reason being for a fight that was to take place against Benandonner, who was the known rival of Fionn mac Cumhail. So, while the theory that the two formations were once connected to bridge the gap between Scotland and Ireland was actually correct, the legend’s authenticity has yet to be confirmed. (The Travel)

    A daytrip to the puffins at the Isle of Staffa, Inner Hebrides.

    The legend, which connects the two structures, is in effect geologically correct. Both the Giant’s Causeway and Fingal’s Cave were indeed created by the same ancient lava flow, which may have at one time formed a “bridge” between the two sites. Of course, this happened some 60 million years ago, long before people would have been around to see it. (Atlas Obscura)

    A daytrip to the puffins at the Isle of Staffa, Inner Hebrides.

    This little island is one kilometre long and about 1/2 kilometre wide, and in the summertime, it is home to lots of puffins.

    Staffa was hardly known until 1772, when the botanist Joseph Banks highlighted the wild, natural beauty of the island. It soon became a must-see location. Famous visitors have included Queen Victoria, Lord Tennyson, Jules Verne, Robert Louis Stevenson and John Keats; all fell under the island’s spell.

    Staffa came into the care of the National Trust for Scotland in 1986, a gift from John Elliott, Jr, of New York in honour of his wife Elly’s birthday. (National Trust Scotland)

    A daytrip to the puffins at the Isle of Staffa, Inner Hebrides.

    I think we had a couple of hours to explore the island, and I did a bit of a circular walk, but I spent too much time watching the puffins and didn´t make it into the cave. Due to the avian flu, the cliffs were blocked a bit but still close enough to see all the birds.

    A daytrip to the puffins at the Isle of Staffa, Inner Hebrides.

    A daytrip to the puffins at the Isle of Staffa, Inner Hebrides.

    A daytrip to the puffins at the Isle of Staffa, Inner Hebrides.

    Flying puffins

    A daytrip to the puffins at the Isle of Staffa, Inner Hebrides.

    A daytrip to the puffins at the Isle of Staffa, Inner Hebrides.

    A daytrip to the puffins at the Isle of Staffa, Inner Hebrides.

    It was time to return to the boat.

    A daytrip to the puffins at the Isle of Staffa, Inner Hebrides.

    A daytrip to the puffins at the Isle of Staffa, Inner Hebrides.

    A daytrip to the puffins at the Isle of Staffa, Inner Hebrides.

    Puffins seen from the boat.

    A daytrip to the puffins at the Isle of Staffa, Inner Hebrides.

    A daytrip to the puffins at the Isle of Staffa, Inner Hebrides.

    Bye Staffa

    A daytrip to the puffins at the Isle of Staffa, Inner Hebrides.

    A daytrip to the puffins at the Isle of Staffa, Inner Hebrides. View of the Boathouse in the Isle of Ulva.

    The Boathouse in the Isle of Ulva and we were returning to Mull.