2015 World Stone Skimming Championships

Las Ramblas Ramblers (Stone Skimming Division) make the annual pilgrimage to Easdale Island for the World Stone Skimming Championships. Transit failed to join us as they wanted the name Americanised to Stone Skipping .

 



Approaching the Arena

Alfie's 45 meter throw taking 2nd in the Boys 10-15  

Marion's 8 meter attempt at winning the Puffin

Jill's 17 meter Puffin Winning toss

Deep Joy entertain on the Rocks

Sam with his 14 meter Attempt

Neil throw's 34 meters to try and secure the Budgie

Andy secures the Budgie with his 52 meter toss

 

 

 

Alfie receives his award from Bertie founder of the modern Championship 

Time to head back to The Oyster for the Budgie & Puffin Presentations

Puffin Result

Jill       17 meters

Marion   8 meters

Budgie Result

Andy     52 meters

Alfie      45 meters

Kevin    37 meters

Neil       34 meters

Bruce    33 meters

Sam      14 meters

Team Result

(New name to reflect the non appearance of our International Competitor)

10th Chas Boshell's Welsh Wonders   294 meters 

Once again we have to Thank Mellon & his Crew for Organising the event

http://www.stoneskimming.com/

The Staff of the Puffer Bar for helping to keep us hydrated

http://www.pufferbar.com/

The Staff of the Oyster Bar for keeping us Hydrated & Fed

http://www.oysterbareasdale.com/

Steve, Trish, Gillian & Angus at the wonderful Garragh Mhor

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





Bridge over the Atlantic and Anchorage circuit, Isle of Seil

Las Ramblas Stone Skimming Division take a pre-skim stroll over the Atlantic

Linda, Neil, Sam, Alfie, Marion, Bruce, Kevin, Andy, Jill, Sally & Daisy were supposed to meet up  with The Kinks but they missed the Bus in Oban and couldn't find their own way to Seil.

Route

Ten miles South of Oban you come across a minor road heading west signposted to Easdale and, more intriguingly, to the Atlantic Bridge. This is a diversion worth taking. The road leads to the Island of Seil, the most northerly of the Slate Isles

Clachan Bridge

Opinions differ about whether Seil should be counted as an island at all. The Atlantic Bridge or "Bridge Over the Atlantic" mentioned on the signpost links Seil to the mainland. It is more properly known as the Clachan Bridge and was built in 1792 for the sum of £450.

The single arch of the bridge is 72ft wide and is steeply humped to provide a clearance above high water of 28ft to avoid obstructing the passage of small vessels. Originally designed to have two arches by John Stevenson of Oban, the plans were amended to the single arch that was built by Robert Mylne.  The rare Fairy Foxglove (Erinus alpinus) covers the bridge in a gentle purple haze in the early summer.

Tigh an Truish Inn

Just over the bridge you come to the attractive and welcoming Tigh an Truish Inn. The name means house of the trousers and comes from the period after the 1745 rebellion when kilts were banned. This was the place where islanders heading for the mainland (then without the benefit of the bridge) were said to have swapped their kilts for trousers.

Heading away from the Pub!!!!

Shipwreck

Alfie, Sam, Neil, Jill & Sally

View Over to Mull

Time to start back toward the Tihg an Truish

Wee Blue Butterfly

And a Red One

Time to take in the delights of the Tigh an Truish then head over to Ellenabeich for some last minute training in the Oyster Bar

http://www.tigh-an-truish.co.uk/

Abriachan Forest Walk

Marion invited the Johns (Flansburgh and Linnell) to join us in Abriachan for a walk but they arrived early and had left before we got there, they did leave some evidence that they had been there.

Marion & Bruce step out in Inverness-shire for a short Sunday saunter.

Route

Abriachan is a scattered rural community of about 140 people set high above the shores of Loch Ness in the Highlands of Scotland. There are still some active crofts but the majority of inhabitants are employed in Inverness and beyond.
  In 1998 the community purchased 534 hectares of forest and open hill ground from Forest Enterprise. Since then, as a social enterprise, the Abriachan Forest Trust has managed this land to create local employment, improve the environment and encourage it's enjoyment by the public through a network of spectacular paths, family suited mountain bike trails and innovative education opportunities

 www.abriachan.org.uk/

Loch Laide

High rise Bird houses

More Multi story Nesting Boxes

Funky Mushrooms



Light at the end of the Forest

Fly Agaric Mushroom (Amanita muscaria)

Marion at the unfinished reconstruction of a bronze age hut

Another Fly Agaric

Panorama over Loch Laide



Pre Ceilidh promenade in Orphir

Las Ramblas have a rest from the Music, Dancing & Alcohol that are compulsory during Orkney Folk Festival and take in a short walk in Orphir.

St Andrew missed the Hamnavoe in Scrabster Marion, Linda, Kay, Jill, Neil, Sam, Kevin, Bruce,  Sally & Captain Haddock head out to the Earl's Bu without him.

 

Earl's Bu And Church, Orphir

In the Orkneyinga Saga, under the year 1136, is an account of a great Yule feast given by Earl Paul at his bú, or residence, at Orphir. It runs: ‘There was a large drinking-hall; the door was near the east gable on the southern wall, and a magnificent church stood before the hall door, and one had to go down to the church  from the hall.’ The remains of that ‘magnificent church’, dedicated to St Nicholas, survive to this day.The church was circular, which was highly unusual. So far as we know, the only other round church built in medieval Scotland was at Roxburgh near the English Border, but that no longer exists.The circular line of the nave wall at Orphir may still be seen, whilst the semi-circular, stone-vaulted apse is still intact. A round-arched window in the east wall of the apse brought light onto the altar, the seating of which remains. The nave would also have had a vaulted ceiling with a central skylight.

Circular churches were inspired by the rotunda of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. That church was visited by many Western pilgrims and crusaders after the First Crusade of 1099. They included Earl Hakon Paulsson of Orkney, who travelled to Jerusalem to atone for ordering the death of Earl Magnus on Egilsay in about 1116.

St Nicholas Church, at Orphir, was probably built by him soon after his return.

Beside the church lie the excavated remains of a large building. It cannot be dated with certainty, but it may have been Earl Paul’s ‘drinking hall’, which the saga writer describes as having ‘many large ale vessels’. He adds that ‘opposite the outer door was the stofa [heated sitting room]’.

The Route

Neil, Linda, Sam, Marion, Jill Sally at the remains of St Nicholas Church
while Kay chases after Captain Haddock 

Striding Out

Grey Skies

Haddock requires a short rest

Tree's in Orkney!!!

Kay, Marion & Jill admire the Thicket

Orcadian Cataract

Neil lives up to his name

Multi-coloured Bluebells

Time to head over to Harray Hall for a Dashing White Sergeant.