Sunday walk at the Crinan Canal

Hello, I'm back, sitting in my office, looking at the wind blowing the rain sideways outside. I could have been out in it if I'd stayed in Scotland another day, but it got to 5.30pm last night and I thought, I'm off home.

I could have slept in the car, it was too windy to put the tent up, or I could have paid for B & B, but I had already done lots of walking, and seen lots of trees, hills, and water, no need to stay any longer when I had done everything I wanted to do. So I drove all night to get back here at 5.30am. Of course it wasn't twelve hours of driving, I stopped five times in laybys and service areas, to get my head down. It's quite comfy across the seats when you pack pillows around you, almost like being in bed ;o) Altogether I have travelled 1,015 miles. I'll work out the total cost of the holiday later when I have filled the car up with petrol.

The pictures on this post are from yesterday, so they are out of sequence with the rest of them which are loaded on the mini computer, I'll add them soon. I'm sure you won't mind darting backwards and forwards trying to work out where I was on which days. I don't suppose it matters which order I post them.

I got the 10.55am boat back across to Oban. Couldn't resist taking this pic as it was arriving. I am fascinated by how the front end lifts up to reveal the vehicle ramp. As I had arrived early I was almost at the front of the queue and was the second car to drive off.

I picked up some petrol and bread at Tesco and got onto the A816 and drove south to Crinan. My friend has a holiday cottage here, but unfortunately it is booked so I cannot use it. The area looks interesting, and there is a camp site nearby, so it's worth a look.

The canal is nine miles long, it was built in 1793 as a short cut avoiding the long journey around the Mull of Kintyre, for the boats bringing the produce from the Western Isles to the markets of Glasgow and the Clyde. It has been named as Britains Most Beautiful Shortcut.

When you walk the tow path the canal is on one side and the sea on the other. There are fifteen locks for the boats to pass through.

Crinan Basin is lovely to amble round.

Although it looks like a beautiful sunny day, the wind was making the sea quite choppy.

Here is a boat in the lock waiting for it to fill up so he can park in the basin.

It takes a few minutes and the water level has risen sufficiently for the gates to be opened...

and off he goes to park up.

I walked part the way along the canal, it was a lovely place to visit and maybe I will go back again, but for now I think it's time to get off back home.

I went to bed for a couple of hours this morning and didn't hear Janet coming in to take mum puss to the vet for neutering. The two kittens looked sad at being left on their own, and the little room needed a good clean so I got on with the job. Mum puss came back at 3pm and seemed quite lively considering she had had her insides stitched up. No more babies for you now my dear.

More pics to come, I'm feeling a bit befuddled, need a good nights sleep.