2014 World Stone Skimming Championships Easdale

Las Ramblas Ramblers (Stone Skimming Division) make the annual Pilgrimage to Easdale  

Justin Hayward made himself unavailable when he saw the weather but the Namby-Pamby did send a little ditty to try and make up for his absence.

Marion, Bruce Linda, Neil, Alfie, Jill Andy, Bob & Sally head to Ellenabeich to meet up with Steve, Trish, Chas & Jaks For some Stone Bouncing Fun.

 

Ellenabeich (Scottish Gaelic: Eilean nam Beitheach, meaning "island of the birchwoods.” is a small village on the isle of Seil (Scottish Gaelic: Saoil) - an island on the east side of the Firth of Lorn, 7 miles southwest of Oban. It is a former slate-mining village and is where parts of Ring of Bright Water were filmed. Seil is one of the Slate Islands.

The village gets its name from the former slate island within proximity of the village, called Eilean nam Beitheach. The island was mined out of existence and its name is now the current Scottish Gaelic name of the village.

The village is sometimes called "Easdale" because of its proximity to the island of that name. In the village can be found:

The Ellenabeich Heritage Centre which was opened in 2000 and is run by the Scottish Slate Islands Heritage Trust. The centre has been created in a former slate quarry-worker's cottage and has 19th century life displays, matters relating to the local dominate industry of slate quarrying as well information relating to the local flora, fauna and the area's geology.

Highland Arts - which exhibits the works of the late C J Taylor, a poet, artist, and composer.

The local slate contains pyrites or "fool's gold". The former slate works' manager's house was a hotel for a number of years, trading as the Easdale Inn; this has now been converted back into a private residence.

A small ferry runs from Ellenabeich to Easdale.

The Field Of Dreams

 

Just Incase The Excitement Proves to Much

 

Alfie Prepares to Defend His World Title & The Budgie Trophy

 

Weather Turns A Bit Moist

 

Marion Stakes a Claim For The Puffin

 

Defending Puffin Champion Jill Suffers In The Rain

 

The Crowd Votes with its feet In Response to the Weather or Chas's Shirt

 

Sorrows Being Drowned Behind Closed Doors

 

Jill Presents The Puffin To New Champion Marion

 



Last Look For Another Year, More Practice Required



Budgie, Pufffin & International Results 

Budgie

Bruce   34mtrs

Alfie   29mtrs

Neil    21mtrs

 

Puffin

Marion    10mtrs

Jill    0mtrs

 

International

(No Award)

Chas    0mtrs

 

Team

Lasramblas        129mtrs (28th)

 

 

We would Like to thank Mellon & the rest of the team who Organise the Championships

& Steve & Trish for the wonderful Hospitality they provide every year

So if your looking for a place to stay in the Oban area we highly recommend

http://www.garraghmhor.co.uk/

 

 

A Pre Skim Stroll Nr Ardfern

For various Reasons Sam. Kay. Kevin & Captain Haddock couldn't be with us as we took a pre-skim Stroll Around Ardfern they were all greatly missed . Unfortunatley Hayseed Dixie failed to make it to the meeting spot The Galley of Lorne

 

Marion, Bruce, Linda, Neil, Alfie, Jill, Andy Bob & Sally

have a short stroll on the Craignish Peninsula

After 1778, when most of the peninsula was in the ownership of the Campbells of Craignish, who had been the dominant local clan since the earliest recorded times around 1100, parcels of land were gradually sold off, and by 1850 most of the land was part of two estates;  Lunga, purchased by the MacDougalls (of Lunga island), to the north and the Craignish estate to the south end of the peninsula. This division essentially remains the same today, though in 1983 a part of the Lunga estate was sold off to a developer to create Craobh Haven, a marina and village created in and around a natural harbour on the west side of the peninsula.

There is evidence of habitation going back to pre-history. Contemporaries of St. Columba settled by 600AD and the earliest church on the peninsula, Kilvaree, now a ruin, is 12th Century or earlier. Until modern times farming was the main occupation and cattle from the off lying islands, Jura, Scarba, etc., were landed near Craignish point and driven along the peninsula to the mainland proper. Of the three inns that ‘supported’ the drovers only one, dating from the 17th – or even 16th century - now called the Galley of Lorne, survives in Ardfern. Farming, together with a busy weaving industry and three mills, carried on during the first part of the twentieth century.

The latter half of the twentieth century saw farming and traditional industry decline and the population fell to less than half its now 400+. The current Laird of Lunga, saw that for the community to survive, things must change. To re-vitalise the area, he created a yacht centre at Ardfern to attract the ever increasing numbers of cruising yachtsmen on the west coast; re-opened and developed the old Inn (the Galley of Lorne), sold housing plots to attract people into the area, encouraged artists of all sorts and the trades-people necessary for a thriving community, to stay on his estate.

Ardfern today has a diverse and growing population.

Abandoned View 

 

Sally, Jill, Linda & Alfie take in theView

 

Andy, Alfie Linda Jill, Marion & Neil Formation Ramble

 

Northern Panorama

 

Southern Panorama With Distant Ramblers

 

Linda. Bob, Marion, Andy, Sally, Jill & Neil
listen for the rumble of Corryvreckan in the distance 

 

Weird Rock

 

Spot the Deer

 

Time for a quick Pint in the Galley Of Lorne then back to Trish & Steve's to gorge ourselves on Kay's Lemon Drizzle Cake & Trish's Flapjacks & Fruitcake washed down with Lashings of Wine & Orkney Ales before the seriousness Of  tomorrows Skimming Contest.

 

http://www.galleyoflorne.co.uk/