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.
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| Abandoned View |
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| Sally, Jill, Linda & Alfie take in theView |
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| Andy, Alfie Linda Jill, Marion & Neil Formation Ramble |
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| Northern Panorama |
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| Southern Panorama With Distant Ramblers |
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| Linda. Bob, Marion, Andy, Sally, Jill & Neil listen for the rumble of Corryvreckan in the distance |
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| Weird Rock |
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| 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.
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