An afternoon at Arley. We’ve left it rather late this year – most of the autumn leaves have fallen and been raked into great drifts of brown, red and gold. We thought there might have been a few interesting toadstools too. There’s still enough colour to keep us amused though, and the cakes in the tea room make the visit worthwhile…
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We did well to find a dry(ish) spell today! We needed to call in Bridgnorth High Street – we might as well make it a mini-exploration.
A bright autumn afternoon, on the very quiet lanes in this attractive part of the county. It’s warm in the infrequent sunshine, but the air’s cold so we’ll keep moving. There’s plenty to see – a couple of red kites, two herons (one doing aerobatics!), an escaped heifer making off down the road at Holdgate (did it really enter the field behind the church, closing the gate behind it?), the usual uninterested sheep and a smattering of assorted mushrooms and toadstools. And cakes from Tigger’s Ickle Shop too! What more could one want?
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A wander around familiar lanes, starting from the village hall at Willey. There’s plenty to see at this time of year, though much of it will be gone in another few weeks.
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Saturday 22 October: Last day on Skye, and it’s an “old folks’ outing”… “Let’s drive round to Dunvegan – we can watch the seals. There are usually plenty of them on the rocks beside the Claigan road, just beyond the castle. Not today! Perhaps they put them all away for the winter? Instead, a solitary heron and a couple of diving birds (cormorants? Not sure – too far away) – and, in the still air, the loch is mirror-like. Just the thing for a reflective last look at the island – tomorrow we’re on the long road south.
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Friday 21 October: A short but interesting walk beside, and above, the sea. There’s a path, though it’s not always very distinct, from the road corner near Kilmaluag old churchyard to the ruins of the WW2 radar station. It’s not on the tourist trail, so it’s quiet – I didn’t meet anyone else. The views are extensive – from the eastern shores of Lewis to the north-west Highlands. The path continues some way towards Flodigarry, but I’ll save that for another day, and head back along the road.
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Thursday 20 October: We’re still on Skye, and the weather on Skye is still… Barely a breath of wind. We’ve taken the car down to Uig, and we’re walking through the woodlands beside the shore, then up what was once a quiet road to what is now one of the most-visited places on the island – the Fairy Glen. We won’t battle it out on Castle Ewen with the selfie-snappers – but we’ll enjoy the reflections in the pool. The little patch of woodland nearby is wonderful – dank, green and mossy-bouldery with some amazing lichen growing on the trunks and low branches. Not sure about the fairies, but there could be elves amongst these trees…
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There are all kinds of interesting fungi beside Shirlett Lane this afternoon. I’ve no idea what most of them are (the fly agarics – quite a colony of them – being the obvious exception. Red with white spots, if anyone’s not sure). The others? Well, some are the size of dinner plates, others barely a centimetre across. Some are white, some muddy brown, with all shades between. Some shiny, some dull, some waxy, some I wouldn’t want to touch… I love this time of year!
… to Sròn Vourlinn I will go (to the tune of “Tangle o’ the Isles” perhaps?)
Wednesday 19 October: It’s a fine, bright afternoon, perfect for the hills. Sròn Vourlinn is not a particularly high hill, but its shape is impressive, the view from the top is extensive, it’s in an astonishing area of impossible pinnacles and ridges – and being about a third of a mile beyond the range of most visitors, it’s quiet. Really quiet!
The path up past the two lochs meets the popular tourist path from the Uig-Staffin road in a rocky hollow, and suddenly there are numerous other people. Some of them are noisy – don’t they understand? Why are they here? Ah – I see. It’s so they can take selfies. From the convergence of the paths, the way climbs to Fir Breugach, where there’s a slightly awkward rocky step onto the main ridge. Here, most of the others seem to turn back along, and up, the ridge. Some will continue the way I’m going, but they only seem to go as far as the first (and possibly slightly higher) summit of the Sròn Vourlinn ridge. Then they take a selfie, turn around and head back again. Beyond this point, I’ve got that final third of a mile to myself, and at its northern tip, I’ll stop, sit down and take it all in (along with a square of chocolate…). This place is far too good to hurry!
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Tuesday 18 October: Duties done, I’m allowed out. Taking the car as far as the village hall, I’m walking along quiet roads to the grassy clifftop, where there are no paths, but the way is obvious… In the clear air, the hills of Harris, around 25 miles distant, seem closer than usual. Like my Flodigarry walk, I’ve got this little part of Skye to myself (and the sheep)
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