Clouds glower over the Sound of Jura. Will I see the sun at all on this trip?
Forest roads carry me north from Carsaig to Crinan. Jura vanishes into the mist.
The woods are humid and damp.
Moss covers all.
A pretty path branches off the road down to tranquil Crinan Harbour. There’s a lovely cafe by the lock gates of the Crinan Canal, which opened in 1801 and runs for nine miles east to Ardrishaig on Loch Gilp.
The towpath is beautiful. A picture-postcard bridge is raised when a boat approaches.
I sit and watch a yacht pass, waving to each other.
Crossing the Moine Mhòr (“Great Moss”) on an endless straight road across a vast plain of raised bog, it’s a significant moment as the wild North beckons — no more detours south round peninsulas.
Someone looks distinctly disgruntled with the rain blowing across the open valley.
St Columba’s church at Poltalloch is a little grander than his cave.
The church has a fine view across Kilmartin Glen.
My true destination lies deeper in the woods behind the church.
Keep Out! Dangerous Building!
Manoeuvring past evil triffids (aka Giant Hogweed), edging carefully under a crumbling arch, and balancing on planks across a waterlogged courtyard, a magnificent 19th-century Gothic Revival ruin stands at the top of expansive grounds that roll down to Loch Crinan.
Even I’m not foolhardy enough to climb inside, leaning into open windows instead. The place is a shell — only walls, trees and collapsed floors. How long until it disappears beneath a green canopy?
The final part of the day is a scenic walk through the glen, an important prehistoric landscape of cairns, standing stones, and rock art. Unfortunately, there are too many children clambering over the main chambered cairn to take a photo.
The larger of the two Temple Wood stone circles was believed to be used for ritual ceremonies between 3000 and 1000 BC.
“It looks good with the girls in the middle”, says a proud mother next to me.
“Sure — if they’re your kids and you like bright pink outfits in your photos of neolithic sites.”
I keep that thought to myself and manage to hide the two young girls sitting in the central stone cist behind a standing stone.
Despite the lack of a sign on the outside of the faded building, I’ve a cosy room in the Kilmartin Hotel, a pub inn.
A thoroughly enjoyable day, despite the gloomy weather, with much to explore. After the wonderful nature reserve yesterday, the Argyll Coast delivers.
Total distance: 5,189 miles.
What an enchanting walk
For all you know those ancient druids 6000 years ago might also have danced around those stones with frilly pink dresses on… you’re being very colourist 😉
Perhaps you are revealing secret desires? 😉
No……. mine’s fluorescent yellow 😊
I think both time when we have visited Kilmartin it has been out of season. Fewer children clambering on things they really shouldn’t be clambering on!
I don’t normally hike in the school holidays. To be fair, this was an extended American family in a convoy of vehicles. My bad luck.
You’re into very familiar territory for me now, not least for all the archaeology! As for trying to get photos of cairns without children clambering over them, which they definitely shouldn’t be, I’ve had that happen and it’s so annoying.
I thought this would be your territory. I don’t mind the kids. What irks me is the parents. I’m standing there with my camera, clearly patiently waiting, but they make no effort to remove the children after a while.
That’s a very weird stone circle. Are the piled up stonesa recent thing?
There was something about this on the information boards. They are certainly a more recent development, but I can’t recall how recent. I can’t find anything online that discusses this and explains why they were added. To prevent erosion of the site?