Carnasserie Castle

As well as providing us with shelter while we ate our sandwiches we had a poke round this fairly imposing ruin. The castle dates from the mid to late 16th century, and stands upon the summit of a ridge at the upper end of Kilmartin Glen. The castle was built as a residence for Bishop John Carswell, the first Protestant Bishop of the Isles, a close associate of the 5th Earl of Argyll who granted the lands and castle of Carnasserie to his chaplain in 1559. Although burned in 1685 by Royalist forces during the 9th Earl of Argyll’s rebellion against James VII, Carnasserie Castle is nevertheless a well preserved structure, with the walls of the east tower and domestic range surviving almost to their original height. 

Click here for more information. 

Some elaborate external architecture.

Vertical arrow slits and horizontal crossbow slits.

Inside looking up from the kitchen to the main hall.

A tight spiral staircase leads up to the roof.

A decent fireplace!

A rooftop view....

And looking in....

Ormaig Rock Art

The morning promised to be dry, so we headed out to visit the Ormaig Cup and Ring carvings. We parked at Carnasserie carpark and headed up the hill, on what was generally a well waymarked path - although a few extra markers as you drop down to Loch Craignish (for reassurance) would have been good. It was a tad damp underfoot, but well worth the walk despite the downpour on the way back. 

Leaving the carpark - clear signage!

The path makes it's way through a series of ridges towards the coast.

Lichen-clad Larch.

As you come down the forestry track towards the coast you can just about see the site. 

and then....

Then on the way back a chance to look at the fungi and lichens ...

Angel's wings ...

A world in miniature...

Standing Stones.

And back towards the carpark and Carnasserie Castle - somewhere dry for sandwiches! 

Knapdale fungi and lichens

While looking for Beaver signs we enjoyed the temperate rainforest and it was good to see so many fungi beginning to appear too....not ideal conditions for photography though as it was raining, otherwise there would have been many more fungi pics. 

Lungwort.

Peltigera sp.

Usnea sp plus????

Yellow Stag's Horn Fungus.

Yellow Legs.

Possible Wrinkled Club? 

Helvella sp.

Chanterelles.

Angel's Wings.

Knapdale Beaver walk.

Today was due to be wet - it was, so we headed out to Knapdale and the Beaver Centre - a very nice and friendly information centre. We decided to loop round both Loch Barnluasgan and Loch Coille-Bharr, looking for Beaver signs, and we weren't disappointed. Both Lochs have good waymarked circular paths. 

Loch Barnluasgan.

Loch-side trees draped in Usnea lichens.

Our first signs of Beavers.

A Beaver slide ...there were quite a few down banks both onto and across the path.

Recent activity - lovely gnaw marks on the chippings. 

An older stump.

And more....

The Beaver dammed pool.

Loch Coille-Bharr.

A varied path.

And a glimmer of sunlight!