Wednesday, 12 August 2015

Island 282 - A' chleit, Loch Eriboll, Highland

A' chleit is a small low lying grass covered tidal island located off the west coast of Loch Eriboll.  It is approximately 200 metres long by 80 metres wide and the highest point is 10 metres above sea level.  The grass on the island is much better quality than that on the mainland, a fact which hasn't gone unnoticed by the local sheep. The geology in this part of Scotland is extremely complicated but the geology map of Loch Eriboll that I looked at shows A' chleit as being composed of a different Cambrian rock type to the mainland to which it is adjacent.

There is no path down to the island from the A838.  I parked in a layby almost opposite the island where there was a handy gate, so I didn't have to climb over the barbed wire fence.  It was then a 500 metre walk across boggy grassland to access the beach.  A rough rocky track runs along behind the beach to allow the fish farm staff to access their fish tanks.  You can see some of them in the loch on the left hand side of the photo below.

This was a landmark island for me, as it marks the point when I had visited as many offshore islands as there currently are Munros (Scottish mountains over 3,000 feet). I decided long ago that I wasn't going to collect Munros, as I don't like endlessly walking uphill. In fact I have never been up a single Munro and have no intention of doing so.  I much prefer islands but set myself the challenge of visiting as many islands as there are Munros.  Challenge completed!

 Causeway still covered an hour or so after high tide

 A' chleit
 The local sheep are attracted by the superior grazing offered by the island.  However they thought I was dangerous and made their way back to the mainland as soon as they could.

 Small cairn on the top of A 'chleit

 If you look carefully you can see the sheep on their way back across the rocky causeway to the mainland.

Have these rocks been smoothed by the passage of glaciers over them during the last ice age?

 Looking south down the east coast of A' chleit

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