2nd -3rd January

2nd January day 303

After windy night thinking caravan could end up upside down woke to breakfast and made plans to attempt the headland minus pack but instead taking nipper along for the walk.

Being dropped off at the locked gate with nipper we followed a gravel path up to field only to discover that it was part of the caravan park and we would have just as easily walked from the caravan instead of using the car.

Nipper and i crossed the field to tackle our first obstacle,  a low fence. First over was nipper and I followed.  Now entering the wild grass covered hills of minard point we headed up and away from gallanachmore.

Spotting sheep grazing ahead nipper darted off eager for a chase. Thankfully the lead brought an abrupt end to turmoil and I was able to bring the excitable dogs misadventure. At the top of the hill the slope dropped into a valley and I could see gallanach house with its interesting gothic architecture. It would have been nice to have had a closer look but the reclusive owner and his fortified gates made it impossible. Reaching the bottom of the Valley It became apparent and entirely obvious the trek that day was going to be tough. Ahead of us was an extremely steep climb. The terrain covered with dead ferns and heather. Looking around for a safe way to ascend I spotted an old path heading up. With Nippers lead tangled on heathers he somehow got himself hog tied. Stopping half way up I managed to untie the mischievous pup and we carried on. The total distance I'd anticipated covering that day was quite small, only a few miles and it should have taken only a couple of hours but as we made our way over the top I could see the landscape dotted with humps, bumps and lumps would prove difficult to negotiate and in order to get to our destination we'd need to wind our way around adding a few more miles onto our journey.

In the distance dark clouds had begun to form in the clear skies and without warning nipper and I found ourselves in a snow storm. It was amazing at how quickly the air temperature dropped and the winds picked up into a gale. Snow began falling heavily so I darted and took shelter behind a small mound. Nipper jumped up on me and sat on my chest. Keeping one eye on nipper and one eye on the weather I wondered how long it would be till we saw a small break in the storm.  A window for which we could make a little more progress and get to lower ground.

10 minutes passed and sure enough the snow stopped, the wibd dropped and I could feel the warmth of the sun once more. Without a second thought I got up and headed in the direction of some argo tracks which appeared to have originated from the farm I was intending to head for. Even if they weren't from there I figured they must have come from somewhere and would lead me to lower ground.

After continuing to follow the track across the wilderness for a mile or so we headed up to higher ground to get some kind of bearings. Completely exposed I struggled to stay up right against the forces if strong winds.  I was however able to see feochan loch and the farm house I was heading for confirmed by looking at the satellite images on my phone.

The hike down from the top of the hill to a track leading to the farmhouse was steep and in places slippery but by carefully plotting ahead in my mind we soon headed down from our viewpoint and into a warmer climate sheltered by the hills surrounding us.

At the bottom I followed the track towards lerags and called iain to meet us opposite ardoran (Means high point of the otters) marina.

While chatting to iain that evening over pepperoni pizza and garlic naan bread iain told me of his admiration for me and how much of an accomplishment I'd made getting as far as I had. Although I'd heard it before I still didn't feel it. After all anyone could do what I was doing if they put their mind to it. As far as I was concerned I was simply walking home, not that I had a home to actually go to once I would arrive back in Southampton.

3rd January day 304

Feeling a little chesty I woke to a very different morning to that of previous days. With no wind, clear skies and the sun casting an orange glow over the hills on the island opposite I sat to indulge in another of iains wonderful fried breakfasts and prepared myself for the hike ahead.

Dropping me off where I'd been picked up from the day before I began the long walk around the head of the loch and down the other side avoiding the road as much as possible and Clambering over kelp and seaweed covered rocks and stones. It was a gorgeous day and a complete contrast to the adventure nipper and I had had the day before.

At the end of the loch i met iain and decided to take nipper on another adventure. We headed along the road to balnacarry farm and down to the beach.  nipper was once again excited at seeing sheep but once again the lead put an abrupt end to his mischief. With the tyke under control we climbed a small fence and followed a boggy track towards some ruins of a cottage. Opposite the cottage was the opening to a large cave, one worthy of further investigation.

The cave was about 20 feet wide and a good 10 feet high but only went back a short distance. Ivy was hanging from above and water dripped from the rocks. It was a little disappointing.  I'd hoped it would go further back into the rock or possibly lead to some tunnels.  My search for an impressive cave would have to continue and with this one fully investigated which didn't take long at all, my adventuring partner and I continued on the days trek.

We'd only walked a short distance before the route I'd decided to take became a little more challenging. The easy going flat shoreline abruptly ended with a low fence and a steep rocky slope towering some 50 metres above us. Dropping nipper over the fence I followed to take a closer look at what lay ahead. Running along the waters edge and out of sight were large boulders with barely enough room for us to traverse. Looking up from the boulders was a  grassy slope to the hills above too steep to climb. Our choices were simple,  either go back or go forward. Not one to be easily beaten by such obstacles I decided to attempt the traverse with nipper in tow. Would the little terrier manage such a journey,  I wasn't sure but I knew the little bugger had enthusiasm and an energetic nature so without thinking too long about it we both set off climbing over the rocky terrain with boulders as large as a small car and loose rocks crumbling beneath us. At times our movements dislodged large lumps of rock sending them to the sea below, nipper rapidly following them as if they beckoned a chase.

I took it slow and steady while nipper showed extreme dexterity in climbing and tackling the challenging objects and ledges,  often heading up the slope a talent I found myself a little jealous of.

Eventually we reached a stony shore and disused quarry with stones piled high like small mountains. Beyond the quarry we came across a stone dyke which made for an easy hike towards a small woodland.

Getting closer to the woodland I noticed an unusual construction. It was set back from the water opposite an island among the trees. A wooden framework of thick branches and small tree trunks supported a plastic tarpaulin sheet. From the top petruded a metal chimney stack and out from that belowed smoke. From the silence of the woods I could hear deep drone. It all seemed a little out of place and I wondered who would live so far away from the nearest village in such a makeshift shelter. As I approached I could see that whom ever was staying there had established quite a home. Large Slates had been lay in the muddy paths around the camp and a second smaller shelter had been constructed to house a small generator. Outside I found a weight lifters bench with two very heavy looking dumb bells. Coconuts had been shaped and hung on string  and a bird table made for birds to feed from. I was intrigued.

As i approached the doorway i called out to see if anyone was home. To my surprise a young man appeared. He was well built and had obviously been using the weights outside. Stuart parkinson had been in the services 15 years prior and from the chat that followed was suffering from post traumatic stress disorder possibly gulf war syndrome. Convinced the army were trying to disrupt his sleep by beaming ultra sonic sound waves into his make shift domicile i assured him i wasn't ever in the military even though i was dressed head to toe in combat gear. The conversation continued at break neck speed, i don't think stuart had socialised with many people whilst living his reclusive life in the wild. He then insisted on showing me two small scars, it was becoming more like an episode of the X files, the first scar looked like a small incision at the base of his neck where military officials had jabbed something in while he was training on the ranges and the second in his right calf muscle which he thought was some kind of tracker. Being extremely open stuart went on to explain how he'd been attacked by police and sent to a mental hospital for treatment. It  was all quite sad really as all he wanted was to emigrate, marry and settle down. After saying goodbye i began to wonder how stuart had ended up living on the verge and why his previous employers hadn't helped him to reintegrate into society after serving his country.

Away from stuarts camp i entered into a small woodland and crossed boggy terrain toend up at the Atlantic bridge where i met up with iain in the pub over the bridge. The Atlantic bridge is the only bridge to cross the Atlantic onto the small island liess. The island is only a few metres from the mainland and arguably you could say the stretch of water that separates the two is really a tidal river.