[Ailsa Craig, Firth of Clyde. NOT good walking territory!]
Sorry, if you were looking for details on Nordic Walking here, but it's a bit light in this episode as I was away last week. For details of walks in the Richmond area, please give me a call (07703-404-931) or check the other posts. Otherwise, if you want to know more about some stunning Scottish islands, please read on....
Last week I re-visited a Scottish island, Arran, near where I was born. Its nickname is “Scotland in Miniature”, as it combines Highlands and Lowlands in its 55-mile circumference! Amongst its many outdoor attractions are the hills, glens, moors and beaches which make for superb walking. I'll come onto the walking later, but first I'd like to explain about some of the living attractions....
Spring normally arrives there about 2-3 weeks after the south of England, so it was uplifting to drive the 400 miles north from the London suburbs and see again (so soon) the daffodils in full bloom; the cherry blossom pink and new; and ducklings taking their first, hesitant steps.
The other inspiring sign of Spring that makes one awestruck at how complex Nature is, was the unmistakable sound of cuckoos. During the week there, I heard about 6 and saw 1 bird, but their distinctive calls could be heard constantly in certain glens. These birds had somehow flown 4,000 miles (through a volcanic ash cloud - no chance of waiting in Spain for it to pass!) from west Africa to this quiet Scottish island. Their lilting calls for a mate might be successful. Once a mate had been found, they then had to find a nest of a pair of meadow pipits (who had also flown from Africa, and mated in the area), and there lay the egg that will continue the species. The pipits raise the young cuckoo, which then flies to Africa (how does it know the way?), to return again next year. Simple..... not!
There’s very little known about these birds – how many will continue to return to breed is dependent on dozens of factors. Until relatively recently, the Nightjar also came to Arran to breed, but none have been spotted for several years. Spring would not be Spring without the cuckoo. Have YOU heard one this year?
An environmental journalists, Michael McCarthy, has written a book, "Say Goodbye to the Cuckoo", which highlights the dramatic, and mysterious, recent decline in migrating birds. Some people may think, "So what?", but these birds have been making those journeys since before Man arrived in Europe. What a loss not to hear again the sound that means - "Winter is over! Spring has arrived!".
This article in the Independent gives a summary of the book, and clips of migratory birds' songs, in case you don't hear the cuckoo -
But before I am accused of being a 'twitcher', I should say that most of the birds seen (Sparrowhawk, buzzards, eiders, song-thrushes, wheatears and possibly-an-eagle-far-away, etc) were seen whilst out walking and not searched for. They were an incidental bonus, along with the unusual dry weather. The exception to this was a trip to Ailsa Craig, a remote, uninhabited island about 12 miles from Arran. This old volcanic plug is home to about 75,000 gannets, and was the highlight of a memorable day on a RiB (Rigid inflatable Boat), courtesy of Ocean Breeze RiB Tours and the RSPB. (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, which manage the island as a nature reserve).
If you have ever watched the Open Golf at Turnberry in south Ayrshire, you would no doubt have seen a shot of the iconic Ailsa Craig in the distance. Have a look at the professional photos here -
The rock on the horizon is Ailsa Craig. Distant and unapproachable, or so I thought. Speaking to the RSPB information officer for Arran, Lucy Wallace, while on an excellent guided walk, she mentioned that there was a rare chance to visit Ailsa Craig that week. There were a couple of spaces left on Russ Chesire's RiB. We grabbed them....
Once kitted out in essential oilskins, we headed across a flat sea towards Ireland. En route, we had close-up views of Holy Isle (more later); Pladda, (a small island close to Arran) with its seals, reefs and lighthouse; plus assorted porpoises, and seabirds.
[Pladda, with Ailsa Craig in the distance, from Arran.....]
Like the more famous Giant's Causeway, and Fingal's Cave on Staffa, Ailsa Craig was formed by molten lava quickly cooling to become regular basalt columns, rising sheer out of the sea for about 1,000 feet. But it's isolated position has meant virtually no tourists, and the only human visitors have been lighthouse keepers, and quarrymen extracting the fine granite which makes the best curling stones. Both these activities are now discontinued, so the island is a peaceful haven for seabirds - believed to total about 75,000 gannets, who nest precariously on top of the basalt columns.
[The jetty on Ailsa Craig]
During a brief landing, we explored some of the fascinating industrial debris abandoned to the seagulls. Then headed back to Arran, 14 miles away, but this time the sea had transformed into a choppy minefield. The waves were only about 5-6 feet high, but there were thousands of them, and we hit each one at about 20 knots! Apparently, the horse-riders on board knew the best technique to avoid severe buffeting....On the positive side, being at the front meant you could anticipate the impacts, and also avoid the spray landing at the back of the boat!
Sorry, but I had no hands free for the camera on this leg of the trip!
More later on other islands, and Nordic Walking...
In the meantime, Arran Wildlife Week started yesterday...
Enjoy,
Peter
07703-404-931
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