Evening view towards the hills of Jura
Argyle, in the west of Scotland, has a rewarding diversity of scenery and interest for the visitor. These photographs are from its western area, between Loch Fyne and Knapdale, which lies on the coast beside the island of Jura. Being the west coast sunsets somehow just cannot be avoided! And a nod is also given to the pre-historic past for which the area, especially around Knapdale, is famous.
The bridge at Loch Shira where the River Fyne enters Loch Fyne
The sands at Inveraray with the pier to the left. A three masted ship is moored at the quay which must have made the journey up Loch Fyne to where Inveraray is situated, near the head of the loch, over 70 miles from the open sea at Campbeltown
The present Inveraray castle was built in the mid 1700s, and replaced a building by then 300 years old. The seat of the Dukes of Argyle since its rebuilding - it exudes opulence
In contrast to Inveraray Castle, Carnasserie Castle near Kilmartin lost its roof in the late 1600s, it was essentially an extended tower house being built in the late 1500s for the local rector John Carswell
Spring coming to the banks of Loch Fyne
Flora, fauna and geology between them account for much of the interest in Argyle, together of course with human history. Here three photographs of those three aspects of the natural world
And for geological interest, a cliff of textured rock looking for all the world like the grain of wood
At this angle the diagnostic dog like head shape, of this common seal, is hard to see
Loch Fyne, in still morning air
North of Lochgilphead, the Kilmartin area has many pre-historic remains, (above) such as stone circles
Tumuli are stone mounds covering graves. Nearer a simple grave. Argyle monuments age from 3,000 to 1,000 BCE
Some stone teeth, like the stone circles, are man made. Other teeth, like these on the Knapdale
coast overlooking Jura, are made by geological processes
A man made monument stands alone...
The hills of north Jura framed by a gaunt mouth
...whereas these seem to relate to one another with a significance now lost
The Kilmartin stones in conclave
Modern versions of monoliths perhaps? And certainly a contemporary way of linking islands in...
...the form of the Caledonian MacBryne ferry plying its way between Islay and Kennacraig
These deep sea lochs that penetrate far into the shelter of the hills, offer yacht owners vacations on one of the world's most popular coastlines
Going...
going...
The west coast with its hills, islands and sea - and then the sun sets on them. How can a poor photographer resist?
. . .
Trailers...
The next page
of this section has pictures of a stone circle in the Lake District and from there it is but a short jump to Japanese Calligraphy classes!
The next page
of the Mosaic Section is headed 'Embedded History'.
Or go to the contents Go to the contents of the Mosaic Section. of the Mosaic Section.
The last page had pictures from Rannoch Moor
To country with many rather grander monuments of a similar age to those seen above
More geological teeth - these are from Cao Bằng in Vietnam
...guide to this site