Kilmartin Glen I - The Rock Art Pilgrimage

Last Friday, we travelled up to Argyll on a small break to Kilmartin Glen.

The drive up through Glasgow and around the Clyde was painless and quite interesting because I hadn't been past the Faslane area before (big boats!)

When we passed Inveraray, we caught a preview of the situation at the Connect Festival, which we were heading back to on the Sunday... it's quite a small town and when we passed mid-afternoon looked quite civilised.

When we arrived at the Glen, our first stop was at Cairnbaan. Last time we came here (April 2005) we'd taken one look at the climb involved and decided life was too short! This time, we eagerly donned our walking boots and headed on up. Phew! Quite a sharp haul up a tight path now hidden behind some new houses...through the trees... and onto the hillside. The carvings were marked out by a fenced area. A short time later, after settling into the photographing bit, we were joind by a delivery van that had driven up a track. Doh!

I entertained myself looking at the views both back down across the Crinan Canal to Lochgilphead and up to Kilmartin, studying sedums and doing killer sudoku. See B's photos of Cairnbaan here



After returning down the hill to the car we drove towards Kilmartin itself, to check into our B&B, Dunchraigaig House. It's a cute little place, immaculate inside with nice surroundings and our room overlooked the Ballymeanoch stones!

Ballymeanoch stones

We ventured back out for dinner, fancied the Kilmartin House Restaurant (at the Museum) but found it closed, so went across the road to the Kilmartin Hotel. It's a traditional pub, which tries to do nice meals but we were a bit disappointed. Clean but basic, you might say.

Next morning we enjoyed a wonderful breakfast, fruit salad first then porridge and a fry-up - yum! Plus, home-made lemon & raisin muffins!

We got talking to a photographer bloke who was staying there, working on the Half Life project. We'd first heard of it from Janet at the Rock Art Meeting in June and were keen to find out more. The whole village seemed to be buzzing about it! It wasn't due to start until Monday night, but apparently there was going to be a preview of the preview, that very night... Locals who had taken part, helpers and limited interested parties had been invited to attend. Hmmm......

Well first we got our arses in gear and headed off to find Ormaig. Firstly, we needed a map, so stopped off at the Kilmartin Museum. A piece of art caught my eye which I resisted... for now!

The walk to Ormaig started at Carnasserie Castle carpark, and headed up the track behind and up the hill. It was made easier by the black arrowed markers, directing people to the planned Half Life installation at the stones ...

Carnasserie Castle

The weather was dull and misty - it had been raining and more was expected but the result was that we were carrying lots of gear and getting very sweaty in the humidity!

The walk took us up and through a forested area, the signs continued all the way, and when we reached about 3/4 of the route, we found a decent road which before long brought us at least three cars, one of them containing the photographer from breakfast! Doh again!

It took us about an hour in total to reach Ormaig. Yes there is a track through the quarry, but apparently you need permission to use it. Hmmm.... you're not telling me that all those folk asked first!

We descended down to a level where there was a nice view across Loch Craignish to Ardfern marina. The carvings were only about 200 metres from the track through the trees. Wow! Lots of lovely deep rosettes, cups and runnels, on several panels some still with trees growing around them. It's clear that there had been work going on to clear the area, but apart from the mozzie machine there was little sign of activity yet. No Half Life "installation" that we saw - too early perhaps.

Ormaig

B spent 2.5 hours taking photographs here! I spent my time reading the instructions on the mozzie trapper and watching a dragonfly, and occasionally being drafted in to hold the flash unit. Forgot my sudoku.

Up the hill again, picking and eating some brambles on the way. We stopped off at the Museum for tea and cakes (stopped serving lunch at 3, fair enough) and I bought the artwork that had been calling my name. It's done in embroidery onto silk and other materials, called "Rock Carvings (2)" by Christine Mackenzie. It's got Ormaig rosettes and mimics the fissures in the rock. Lovely!



So while we were at the museum, we broached the subject of tonight's Half Life show, and the girls in the little room serving as boxoffice told us that our B&B host had tipped them off that we might drop by for some tickets! Hoorah! Gratis! How fantastic! Very chuffed....

Half Life story to follow next ...