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 churchfrom 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.
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
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.
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