The single track road into Lochbuie. |
The hills of the Isle of Mull in the background. |
St. Kilda's Episocopal Church |
Looking out on the loch from the Church |
War memorial. |
The sign sort of says it all. |
The entrance to the field that leads to |
At the gate to the field. |
View of the area surrounding the field. |
Looking back towards where we parked the car (circled), about 1/3 of the way to the standing stones. |
Amidst the standing stones at sunset. A far more personal experience than Stonehenge. |
Stones with rabbit holes - like something out of watership Down. |
As we drove out of Lochbuie with the sun setting, and the bridge doing its best to support the weight of our car! |
Of all the places I've been over the years, perhaps my most "magical" walkabout was at Lochbuie, on the southern shore of the Isle of Mull, in May 2009. When most people think of ancient standing stones, their first thought (and perhaps their only thought) is invariably of Stonehenge, which I've visited (and quite enjoyed). But there are standing stones circles almost everywhere in the United Kingdom. With most of them, unlike at Stonehenge, you can walk up to them and stand amidst the stones, and you can do so without the crowds that are inescapable at a place like Stonehenge.
Lochbuie is one of those places. The area is surrounded by highland hills, and a beautiful views of the water, and wildlife and free range farm animals, and old castles, and giant bushes of flowers from whence you can actually hear the drone of bees, and most of all, blessed solitude. To get to the standing stones, you park your car on the road, and venture out into a field for about a mile or so, past the rabbit holes and cow patties, and then suddenly there you are. Catch it at sunset like we did, and you feel like you're in one of those "true" places at one of those "true" moments. Like I said - magical!
Paul Kimball
5 comments:
Really lovely shots, Paul - thanks for posting them! Lochbuie really does seem like a magical place.
D
Great pics, Paul. I know as much as Robert Frost how way leads on to way, but the next time you're over this way, I would consider it a privilege to have you drop in for a meal or a just a visit accompanied by beer.
Dia,
The entire Isle of Mull is a magical place. Of course, one can say that for just about any spot in Scotland!! :-)
Paul
Ig,
Consider it done. I'll probably be back in the fall sometime... beers it is!
Stu
P.S. What the heck happened to El Cerdo Ignatius?? ;-)
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