8th June: Islay

Islay is the big island, lower left.

 

Islay to port, Jura, starboard – one of the Paps of Jura in the background

 

Port Askaig, Islay

The blue Jura ferry

 

The pier for the “big” ferry is a bit more complicated

 

I went to Islay this week as Jim and Helen were staying at Port Charlotte for a week.  I found out that there is a Community Camp site at Port Charlotte so I could stay in the Van, but near them which was good.

Rainbow over the Mull of Oa

My view….  More about Mull of Oa and Bowmore later.

Bowmore over Loch Indaal

 

Sunset at the camp site (and the football pitch)

I arrived the day before them, they were due the following evening so had time to have a look around on my own on my bike.

Port Charlotte from the north

I cycled to the RSPB reserve at Loch Gruinart where there is a hide with a grass roof and swallows were nesting just above the look-out windows of the hide so I had some brilliant views of them

There were lots of lapwings nesting on the scrapes and herons “fishing”  - other memorable “action”  I watched was the lapwings attacking the herons when they got too close to their nests.  Later in the week I persuaded Helen to come to the hide to see all this and when we got there the swallows, the lapwings and the herons had either gone or were hiding in the bushes.

Bowmore glinting in the sun

Modern transport on Islay