Killinallan2023 - Islay
Circular walk: 6.3 miles
what3words address for parking:
///fights.wasp.acclaim
There’s parking at the end of the tarmac road just before a gate and the road becomes a roughly surfaced track. We had a slightly anxious moment leaving our car and passing through the gate as a herd of cows with their calves had taken up residence in front of it; and a very large, muscular bull was beside the gate and rather too interested in us. I’d never heard a bull bellow at such close range. I have now. All was well…
On a sunny day there’s nowhere more beautiful. When we first walked this route a few years ago there was a large seal colony on the sandbanks; the seals were as interested in us as we were in them. Sadly no seals this time but lots of birds; especially large numbers of rather comical sandpipers .
The first time we walked here we went along the beach first and back to our car along the roughly surfaced track. This time we got the less interesting part over with first (the track) and then turned down to the beach a couple of hundred yards before the river (the Gortantaoid River) stops you going any further. Cut diagonally across the grass and as you approach the dunes and river mouth there is a gate that takes you through the fence and down to the beach over the sand dunes. A good place to stop for lunch.
The walk back was stunning and the light was amazing. This was early September, a beautiful sunny day and we were the only people on the beach. Bliss.
walking
PeterHadfield on scottexservices.com