The Ochils Mountaineering Club

no not due to visiting the distilleries

but the weather

first ferry home yesterday was actually cancelled due to the weather
they could not even sail from Port Askaig which is more sheltered

the afternoon one was rather choppy as well, but i like it that way

Beinn Bheigier , the highest point, gives a good rocky walk with no evidence of other humans , I wonder how often it is climbed ,







Jura in mist all weekend

I climbed it a few years back from the NW one Easter. Cold & occasionally snowy.
Found it to be a somewhat boggy greasy side but good on top with grand views down into a secret wild glen at Proaig.
There was also a Golden Eagle hanging about.
I think a number of bird watchers go up reasonably regularly as there are Golden Plovers, Grouse & others on the high ground and divers on the high lochs. Very rarely Ptarmigan sneak over from Jura.
There is a long chain of sinkholes running down the western flanks of this group in what I think is the last vestige of the Lismore limestone and may well have caves underneath.
Also on Islay Beinn Tart A'Mhill on the Rhinns is an easy walk with a track all the way to the relays on the summit (reminiscent of Ben Gulipen)and has fantastic views to Mull and Donegal.
I've still got to get to Rubha A'Mhail & Sgorr Bhreac at the north end, maybe this New Year.

Beinn Tart a Mhill may well be an easy walk , but there are handwritten 'MOD land, keep out signs' which I ignored only to reach the summit ,only to descend and meet the farmer who told me exactly what he thought of access legislation , so that afternoon did not finish that well.

I don't think its the MOD 's fault as they don't usually bother about hillwalkers going to masts , its just this guy using them as an excuse

There are at least 2 known caves in the limestone there, described in Alan Jeffreys' "Caves of Scotland" book. Neither is very big, but as the book dates from 1982, there may have been new discoveries, either newly discovered entrances, or extensions of the existing caves, since then. There has certainly been a lot of discoveries of new caves and extensions of old ones elsewhere in Scotland since the book was published, including a major breakthrough in Assynt just this spring.

Sorry that should be "Scotland Underground" by Alan Jeffreys in my last post.

I remember the MOD Keep Out signs which are obviously of the farmer's own make as the real ones would be metal pinned to mesh & razor wire with the wording including 'This is a place within the meaning of the Official Secret Act'.
Perhaps he should be reported to the local Access Officer.
Islay has a number of farmers (no crofters here) who want to keep everyone & every goose out unless they get a large subsidy.
its a shame as most people I've met there are really friendly.

I don't think there has been to much exploration of the limestone on Islay but there are plenty of other caves in the north of the island, usually each with its own dead sheep, deer, goat, etc.
As for the Sutherland cave called Rana, I have a colleague who would like to introduce me to the 'darker' parts of the area but since 14 years was spent excavating Rana out until they could get in you can get the idea that he is a bit obsessive.

Islay does have a number of crofters - get your facts right!!!!!!

OK
I've wandered about Islay a good few (too few) times over the last 30 odd years but I'm still trying to figure out where the crofts are.
I've surveyed sites from Nave Island to Lurabus and I've walked hills & coast from Beinn Bheigir to the Oa but all I've ever come across are farms and farmers. (and a few lairds, nearly met Margadale once, luckily my class was too low.)
Or are they attached to the houses in the villages.
Anyway take off the mask & introduce yourself.
I'll be back over for New Year.(there's no midgies then).

The crofter said exactly what I was going to say to you.
I think you should just stick to opinions because goodness knows what 'facts' you'll come out with next!

The internet reveals all:

http://www.islayinfo.com/islay_farm_land_use.html

There should be at least one working croft - Tormisdale. The crofters are the Islay and Jura contacts for the Scottish Crofting Foundation.