Exploring More of Argyll

August was Artmap Argyll, which was a great excuse to go and see Adam and Emma and their new(-ish) studio over in Minard. They have rented the old post office, which is a small place on the loch shore, that has been divided into three spaces - an entryway with display cabinets and tables showing all their beautiful work, a workspace for Emma doing her delicate glass work on the right, and a pottery workspace on the left where Adam has begun to give classes. It's a gorgeous treasure trove of goodies to look at.

I also stopped off at several other galleries and gardens to see paintings, sculptures, jewellery, woollen work and, another highlight, a lino printer - the lovely Cate from Swithering Twitch. She was happy to talk about materials and techniques and the story behind her wonderful penguin print set. I'm quite envious of her talent and it's given me a bar to work towards.

It was a lovely day out and tour or the next peninsula over from Cowal.

John's uncle Hugh and Auntie Sandria emailed me in July to say that they would be spending a week's holiday based in Dunoon at the beginning of September and would I like to join them on an island trip in memory of John. I agreed of course - he never got to visit all the places he wanted to, including his intention to visit all the little islands off the west coast. Turns out the ferry to Luing is only a few miles from the ferry to Easdale where I had been just three days earlier.

So Hugh and Sandria picked me up and we set off to cross the Bridge over the Atlantic again to investigate Luing. We were going to hit the ferry at lunch break so we stopped at the Tigh An Truish (House of Trousers) pub by the Bridge for a very nice bite to eat to pass the time while we waited for the next ferry. The pub is called Tigh An Truish as kilts were banned in mainland Scotland in 1746 and this is where the Highlanders stopped to change into their legal attire as they left the island, and back into their kilts upon their return.

The ferry over to Luing is an interesting one as it takes four cars and the on and off ramps are on the corners of the ferry, which parks along side the boat ramp. It all feels very precarious. The crossing is only about 200 yards.

It is a small island and there isn't much of interest except the wild beauty of rugged rural Scottish islands and two tiny hamlets of tiny fisherman's cottages, plus a spectacular view from the west side, out over the Inner Hebrides. There are so many islands it's impossible to know them all unless you have a map to assist.

On the way back from Easdale I managed to catch a couple of bonus items. I had planned a walk and a historical village visit but it was rainy. So I settled for a lovely secluded swim at Musdale falls and a drop in at the Tinkers' Heart monument.

Musdale falls is several miles down a dead-end track, with nothing to mark it and only two parking spots in a layby 200 yards further up the road. I tied on my walking boots and set off on the extremely short walk down to the bottom of the falls. There was a good sized pool which was deep enough to do short, banana shaped laps across. The force of the water from the falls was too strong to swim underneath but the spray was invigorating and I enjoyed 20 peaceful minutes in the water.

The Tinkers' Heart was scheduled as a Monument of National Importance in 2015. Local folklore tells of a time when, after the Jacobite defeat at the Battle of Culloden in 1746, Traveller women across Argyll each took a white quartz stone from the shore of Loch Fyne to represent their soldier lovers who were killed during the battle. They were then set into the ground to form the Tinkers' Heart. This special site, with its magnificent views, is the only physical monument to the Traveller people of Scotland. The Traveller people of Scotland, once referred to as Tinkers, have revered this spot for centuries, possibly due to its location at the original crossroads of Cairndow, Lochgoilhead and Dunoon, where many families would have met and parted on their working journeys across Argyll and the wider country. Generations of Travellers congregated here for weddings, baptisms and funerals. Local people have also honoured this ancient place by having their own wedding ceremonies conducted here. The photograph below shows the Heart around 1950 prior to road realignment work in 1967.

Along the way home I had a huge come down from the high of the stone skimming weekend and fell completely flat and had two hours in the car alone to ruminate and wallow and cry. Then as I turned a corner at a junction I saw a young lady with her arm out and stopped to pick her up. Sometimes things or people are sent at just the right moment to perk us up and here was my sign to do a good turn for someone. She hopped into the car and introduced herself and said she was here on holiday from Chile for a couple of weeks. I asked where she had been and she said she had just been to St Conan's Kirk, about 5 miles back, and was on the way back to her B&B. Turns out her tour bus had left her behind! Don't they do a head count or something? Anyway, after a minute or so I realized my face was still wet with streaks of tears and suddenly imagined the poor girl thinking she had gotten into the car with a complete wreck of a woman on the edge who might do something rash and crazy. But, I delivered her safely and continued on feeling a little bit less morose thanks to her.