The days are short here this time of year and one has to make the most of daylight – and sunlight, if there is any! Sunrise this morning was at 8:59 AM – YES, almost 9:00 AM! It seemed to take longer because of the mountains that surround us! The short days actually can work to your advantage as you seem to get great light morning and afternoon and no direct noon-day sun! I’m learning how to use this kind of light and it is beautiful.
It was a good day to wander down to Ardtornish Castle – thankfully I was able to drive most of the way as it is a 3.75 mile hike otherwise. This was a good reconnaissance day as I could observe the light on the castle and anticipate where it might be in the afternoon. It stands at the seaward end of a promontory which extends in a southerly direction into the Sound of Mull, about 1 mile (2 kilometres) south-east of the village of Lochaline, Highland. The castle, which dates to the early 14th century, was one of the principal seats of the high chiefs of Clan Donald from the early 14th to late 15th century, but Somerled had a fortress here in the mid 12th century. Ardtornish was the hub of strategic sea lanes important to Somerled and his descendants. Today, the castle sits on the 35,000-acre Ardtornish estate with 25 acres of established gardens around the house, and as many as 200 species of rhododendrons, exotic shrubs and water features. There are several self-catering holiday cottages on the estate, one of which I am making my home for 11 days. There is much exploring to do in this area so I will be keeping an eye on the weather and the road conditions as I set out to explore.
