THE REAL WILD WEST
TEN THINGS TO DO IN ARDNAMURCHAN BOAT TRIPS
Taking a boat trip is a great way to see the area’s wildlife-rich waters. Ardnamurchan Charters, Eagle Cruises and Staffa Tours can provide anything from a couple of hours out on the water to a full day’s sailing.
ARIUNDLE CENTRE Visitors to the Ariundle nature reserve in Strontian can take craft workshops such as spinning, natural dyeing, basket- making, watercolour painting and more. The centre is also home to a restaurant and bunkhouse.
RESIPOLE STUDIOS Resipole Studios provides work space for artists and a gallery to display their paintings and sculptures. The inspirational landscape is the subject of the lot of the work produced here and it’s a great place to pick up some fi ne contemporary art.
and dancing to reels. There was no bar in the hall, so everyone would bring their drams or bottles of beer with them and hide them behind dykes or trees. There were probably as many fi ghts as dances
back then. Some of them were horrendous, as a lot of the boys carried knives. I remember one beautiful night in July a fi ght started up involving about
forty or fi fty soldiers. They
were kicking the hell out of this poor boy – they kicked him to a pulp. My mother went up and stopped it. She was just a wee thing and there she was, in the middle of this fi ght. That was the environment I was brought up in. When I was growing up the vast majority of
Ardnamurchan’s communities spoke Gaelic and the whole area was steeped in Gaelic culture: music, storytelling, dances and other customs. Today native Gaelic-speakers are very much in the minority. The incomers have brought their own cultures with them and changed the face of Ardnamurchan. I have mixed feelings about this, but the fact is that much of our traditional Gaelic culture has been lost. From when I was about fi ve years old I had
a horrendous stammer, which really held me back at school. I left at eighteen and joined the army and became a physical training instructor. My speech impediment was less of a problem than I thought: bawling out orders was not a problem with a stammer. When I came out of the army I studied physiotherapy in Glasgow. At that time I was incredibly fi t and for about
fi ve years I was a Highland Games athlete. I did the circuit – Portree, Tobermory, Inveraray, Oban and Luss, to name but a few – and I
Above: Scottish country dance music was as much as the BBC would allow, but Fergie rebelled and was determined to introduce ceilidh music to the audience.
WILDLIFE-WATCHING Wildlife-watching tours will get you up close to the action and you can try country pursuits, such as fi shing and stalking. Wild Highland Tours, Ardnamurchan Estate, Loch Shiel Estate and Kinlochleven Estate all offer exciting packages.
NÀDURRA
Get closer to nature at the Nàdurra, or natural history centre, which brings visitors closer to the animal and plant residents of Ardnamurchan. It’s worth noting that the centre is all under cover, so rain never stops play.
GREEN SIGHTSEEING Forget the car – bikes and kayaks are a great way to get around and see the sights. You get the freedom to go where you want, when you want, and be environmentally friendly. Try Sunart Cycles for bikes or the Glenuig Inn for kayak hire.
ARDNAMURCHAN LIGHTHOUSE At the most westerly point of the British mainland, Ardna- murchan Lighthouse has been guiding ships safely through the waters off the west coast since 1849. It’s now a visitor centre – and you can climb to the top of the tower.
CRAFTS
The area’s natural beauty is a magnet for craft lovers. Look out for buttons, belts, ceramics, driftwood, cards, chutneys, jewellery and hand-spun yarns at Bullen Crafts, Loch Sunart Yarns and Crafts and Kilchoan Crafts and Gallery.
HISTORIC SIGHTS AND NATURAL BEAUTY Visit the 13th-century Castle Tioram on the tidal island of Eilean Tioram in Loch Moidart. The famous beaches of Sanna Bay and the Singing Sands of Gortenfern are also gems that should not be missed.
WOODLAND WALKS Ardnamurchan is criss-crossed with paths through some of the fi nest oak woodlands in the British Isles. Trails and wildlife hides have been developed by Sunart Oakwoods to enhance visitors’ enjoyment of the woods.
For more information about what to do in Ardnamurchan, please visit
www.ardnamurchan.com
WWW.SCOTTISHFIELD.CO.UK 45
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140 |
Page 141 |
Page 142 |
Page 143 |
Page 144 |
Page 145 |
Page 146 |
Page 147 |
Page 148 |
Page 149 |
Page 150 |
Page 151 |
Page 152 |
Page 153 |
Page 154 |
Page 155 |
Page 156 |
Page 157 |
Page 158 |
Page 159 |
Page 160 |
Page 161 |
Page 162 |
Page 163 |
Page 164 |
Page 165 |
Page 166 |
Page 167 |
Page 168 |
Page 169 |
Page 170 |
Page 171 |
Page 172 |
Page 173 |
Page 174 |
Page 175 |
Page 176 |
Page 177 |
Page 178 |
Page 179