Fort William
snow!!!
05/12/11 12:16 Categorised as: Highland Light | Scotland
first serious fall of the winter, and first to reach the low altitude we live at
Widget says it’s here to stay a while
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could this be the last time
the last time we’ll look out the window and see
the world’s last ocean-going paddle steamer, the PS Waverley docking at the Fort William town pier?
Could be, because she’s under threat. The company of enthusiasts (Paddle Steamer Preservation Society) who bought the ship from Calmac for £1.00 in 1976 are having serious difficulty keeping her going with current fuel prices.
So this may be the last shot we’ll get of her reversing away from the pier, beginning her characteristic reverse U-turn across Loch Linnhe, before heading off down the loch to Oban and beyond. Let’s hope not….
You can see more about the PS Waverley, and maybe contribute to help her survive another year, here, and on her Facebook page here
a Hebridean adventure
starts here
Down and out of Fort William, in the Cooper D Convertible
and off to Skye. This time via the Glenelg to Kylerhea Community Ferry. The road to Glenelg gives a new perspective on the hills of Kintail, as we climb up above Loch Duich
and as we look back from Skye
The Ferry boat itself reveals its origin as the wee vessel that used to ply the waters of Loch Leven, twixt N. and S. Ballachulish, before the Ballachulish Bridge was built about 40 years ago now
The Cooper D purrs gently over the hills and (not very) far away, and we see the sun go down over the Minch from Uig at the western end of Skye.
Tomorrow to Harris, and beyond!
we're back
from our first, long-delayed, much prevaricated
trip to the Eilean Siar, the Western isles.
Ten days across Lochaber and Skye to Harris, Lewis and North Uist. With a very brief foraging trip to Benbecula.
And now we’re back in the metropolitan hubbub that is Fort W...
... and it’s another regatta night at the yacht club. So it’s good to see the Lochaber light again, and yachts on the water below the kitchen window.
Backfill of blog with tales and pics from the Isles to follow in the next few days....
For tonight, no more. This being the tenth anniversary of Jim’s mother’s death.
just another winter sunset
22/11/10 17:46 Categorised as: Scotland | Highland Light
in Fort William. Just one hour ago.
Loses a bit in the jpeg compression, but still - hopefully gives some idea why we choose to be here...
that time of year again
31/05/10 23:35 Categorised as: Highland Light
each year about this time we here in Fort William get one or two visits from the last ocean-going paddle steamer in the world.
Some years we’ve sailed on the Waverley, down Loch Linnhe to Oban and beyond to Iona, or out by the Sound of Mull to Tobermory and into the Atlantic beyond Mull and Ardnamurchan. This year we just happened to meet her as we were driving home from the Kilmallie Singers’ annual concert at Ardrishaig.
Saw her first by Castle Stalker, and drove on to await her by the Corran lighthouse,
then finally as she arrived at Fort William’s town pier
(Note: Built in Glasgow in 1948, the PS Waverley is just a wee bit older than Jim, and we wondered if she’d make it back this year. Not her age, you understand: just that a couple of days ago was the 70th anniversary of the Dunkirk evacuations, and we wondered if the Waverley might be over there, since her predecessor, the previous PS Waverley, was sunk at Dunkirk.)