Exploring the north shore of Loch Sunart

Bound to the north by the Sunart district of Ardnamurchan and to the south by the Morvern district, Loch Sunart is a 19 mile long sea loch, parts of which are leased for the purposes of fish farming.  

There is a local legend about a doomed love affair between a Celtic chieftain and a local girl. The Chieftan's mother opposed their marriage and turned the young girl into a swan to thwart the couple. Tragically the young man accidentally killed the swan while hunting and when he learned of her true identity  he killed himself to join her at the bottom of the loch. Since then swans have supposedly been not been resident although I can't confirm if this is true! 
Garbh Eilean
There is a multitude of other wildlife however, and a great place to observe it all from is the Garbh Eilean bird hide near the small village of Ardery.The hide overlooks the shoreline and Garbh Eilean (Rough Island) sits just offshore.

                              Common seals bask on the rocky shore at low tide.

 A large and noisy heronry has become established on an adjacent island.

We had read that this was a good place to spot Otter and we called in each time we were passing by during our week's stay. We were out of luck sadly but Garbh Eilean is a lovely place to visit all the same. It's a good idea to wear something warm though as the hide is quite exposed to the wind coming off the loch.

Dun Ghallain
Dun Ghallain -“Fort of the Storms”- is a sheltered lagoon between Laga Bay and Salen. There are the remains of an Iron Age fort nearby, and the anchorage was used by the Vikings over 1000 years ago.
A  circular walk through Scots pine and lichen covered oaks leads down to the sheltered bay, where we spent a blissful couple of hours in the sunshine just enjoying the perfect peace and quiet.

Ben Resipol in the distance

Common Terns

The arrival of a Hercules plane flying low over the loch was a surprise!

Sàilean nan Cuileag
Sàilean nan Cuileag -"The Bay of Flies"- is a natural harbour formerly used to export goods, such as charcoal, oak bark and brushwood. The Vikings are said to have used the small harbour to overwinter their boats. The short walk circles an ancient burial mound as it descends through native oak woodland to the bay. 

 Someone had been busy carving toadstools from some of the fallen trees along the shoreline.

 Sàilean

The village of Sàilean (Salen), lives up to it's Gaelic meaning of "small inlet" as it hugs the bay of the same name on the north shore of Loch Sunart. The surrounding woodlands of birch and oak  were the basis for a thriving bobbin making industry in the 19th century. US and Canadian Commandos prepared for the D-Day landings in this area of the loch, amongst others.

Salen Bay

On our drive back to the cottage we spotted this beautiful Buzzard, perched near the roadside. Luckily the roads in Ardnamurchan are relatively traffic free, enabling us to stop and take a few photos.

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