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Tuesday 30 September 2014

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/
 
 

Monday 29 September 2014

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.