Easdale Island

Another lovely day, 15 degrees and the cold wind had died down. Went down to Ellenabeich and took the ferry across to Easdale Island to have lunch at the Puffer Bar, always great food. Today’s special, according to the ferryman, was freshly caught crab open sandwiches. Delish.

We walked round the island in glorious sunshine, the paths were through amazing wild flowers which have taken over the old spoil heaps. It’s always a wonder to me when we step onto one of these islands, no more than a five minute ferry ride, it’s as if time has reverted to my childhood when these same flowers flourished within a five minute walk of my city home.

I’ve blipped Easdale before, one of the Slate Islands off Seil Island south of Oban. The quarries are all disused and often water filled now, like this one on the west side. You can see Mull in the distance. We had this amazing mackerel sky most of the afternoon.

On a day like today, it’s idyllic down among the islands, but we have been twice when it was too wild to get across to Easdale and once when it was impossible to stand upright without holding on to something. People taking the ferry with us were returning with grocery shopping, a lawn mower, a mop, a strimmer and a suitcase of clothes. A reminder that every little thing you need has to come via that small outboard driven boat which carries 10 people at most. The ferryman I talked to said it’s hell in January, continually battling with the elements. And he was young enough to be my son, and possibly my grandson. It must take a special mind set to live on the edge like these people do. Gotta admire them.