Ardnamurchan - Kilchoan and Mingary Castle

Kilchoan, the most Westerly village on mainland Great Britain, is the largest settlement on the Ardnamurchan peninsula and pretty much the closest thing to the city lights that you'll find for miles; I mean, it has a shop, a garage, a hotel and even a tourist information office. It also has a car-ferry terminal from where you can catch the boat over to Tobermory on Mull and, with seven crossings a day during the Summer months, it's obviously a popular route. The shop, a life-line to anyone staying in the area, is pretty well stocked and not over-priced and has a very decent range of beers and wines to pass away the solitude of cottage life.

Mingary Castle

We drove on down to the tourist information office, which lies on the road down to the ferry terminal, and had a bit of lunch in the small café in there. It wasn't bad either - home-made soup, rolls, buns, etc.; what else do you need for a quick snack to keep you going in the middle of the day? From there it's a short drive down to the pier where there are some good views out over the Sound of Mull and back over to the ruins of Mingary Castle, which lies about a mile round the bay from Kilchoan.

Built in the 13th century for the MacIains of Ardnamurchan, the castle sits atop a rocky outcrop in Kilchoan Bay overlooking the entrance to Loch Sunart and the Sound of Mull. Like most Scottish castles of that era, it's had a pretty eventful history from being used by James IV in the late 15th century to help him suppress the MacDonalds, the Lords of the Isles and in the early 16th century it was besieged and taken by the MacDonalds of Lochalsh.

Mingary Castle

In 1588 the Macleans of Duart on Mull captured the castle with some involvement from a ship of the Spanish Armada en-route back home after their failed invasion of England. In the 17th century the castle was captured during the Wars of the Covenant and during the 1745 Jacobite rebellion it served as a government garrison. Today, it's in pretty poor repair and access to the interior of the castle is restricted for fear of causing someone an injury.

Getting to the castle involves either a trek round the shore from the pier or you can drive out just East of the village where you'll find a small track leading down a place where you can park and then walk down to the castle. Needless to say, we chose the easy route as the weather wasn't that great and we fancied wandering further along towards Ben Hiant, which is the highest peak in the area.

Ben Hiant

After a bit of clamber down to the beach from the castle and pottering about a bit on the rocks, we did indeed wander further along the track towards Ben Hiant and the weather had brightened up a bit so we got some good views of the hill and across to the Island of Mull. It's a pity it wasn't as nice earlier or we'd have probably gone to the top of the hill as the views out over the Sound of Mull are supposed to be excellent.

Ardnamurchan - The Lighthouse And Bay MacNeill

Ardnamurchan Lighthouse

If you're in or around Ardnamurchan, then a visit out to the 36 metre high, pink granite lighthouse on Ardnamurchan Point is a must-do. The lighthouse was built in 1849 by engineer Alan Stevenson, the uncle of writer Robert Louis Stevenson, and it's the only lighthouse in the UK built in the Egyptian style. It's also commonly described as the most Westerly point on the British mainland but it's not quite. A wee hillock about a kilometre to the South called Corrachadh Mòr is the real most westerly point.

You can reach the lighthouse by means of the single-track road just beyond Achosnich and at one stage it's controlled by traffic lights due to a blind corner going round a cliff edge just before you reach the car park. For the more adventurous, there's a path leading over from Portuairk, past the sandy beach at Bay MacNeill and which joins the road near the lighthouse.

The Small Isles

It's all automated now but it houses an exhibition called the Kingdom of Light and, for a fee, you can climb the spiral stairs to the top of the tower to get a view of the surrounding sea and landscape. Close-by, there's also a small tea room and shop which does a decent range of scones and cakes. The electricity supply was fluctuating badly on one of our visits and I think we were lucky to get a hot cup of tea at all; the place was on battery power and the traffic lights were out of action, which led to a few head-head confrontations on the narrow road.

There are good views out over the Small Isles of Muck, Eigg and Rùm and we drove round there a few times. We even ended up down on the very small beach and scrabbling around looking for cowries; found a few too!

Dozing On The Beach At Bay MacNeill

On a better day, we took the path from Portuairk up over the hill and got some really good views out over Ardnamurchan Point and out to the islands. We dropped down from there into the valley beside Sgurr nam Meann and followed the stream down to Bay MacNeill, a largish beach of white sand and rock. However, the weather was so nice, we ended up just staying on the beach with me running around with the camera and Lorna having a doze in the sun.

Ardnamurchan Point

Ardnamurchan - Portuairk

We spent a week on the Ardnamurchan peninsula this Summer, staying in the wee hamlet of Portuairk. Ardnamurchan, the most Westerly tip of the British mailnland, is also one of the last unspoilt places on the British mainland; a place of white sandy beaches, rolling hills and even a volcano or two.

Ardnamurchan Sunset

Getting There

Getting to Ardnamurchan is fairly easy, if a bit onerous as far as the driving goes. We drove up the A82 to Nether Lochaber, which lies about nine miles south of Fort William, and took the Corran Ferry across Loch Linnhe to Ardgour. This avoids the much longer route that you can take by heading up to Fort William and heading along the A830 and cutting off onto the A861 at Kinlocheil or continuing on to Lochailort and then taking the A861 down to Salen; either way, it's a long drive.

From the ferry, there's 13 miles of decent road until you get to Strontian and then a horrible 35 miles of single-track road to Achosnich passing through Kilchoan, the largest village in the area. I don't mind driving on single-track roads, in fact I quite like it as it means you have to concentrate on driving, but 35 miles of this really windy and rolly road at an average speed of about 25 m.p.h. is very, very wearing. From Achosnich, it's only a few more miles to Portuairk and we were very glad to see it.

Portuairk

Portuairk (Port of the Wild Boar)

Portuairk, which claims the honour of being the most Westerly settlement on the Scottish mainland, consists of only a handful or two of small cottages at one end of Sanna Bay. There's not a lot else to say about it other than it's a very pleasant little place with a natural harbour, protected from the worst of the weather and where the locals keep a few boats tied up, and it's surrounded by hills. Oh, and it's ruled by the flock of sheep that roam all over the grassy areas surrounding that end of the bay.

The nearest shop is in Kilchoan but it's fairly well stocked and the prices aren't that bad at all. for eating out, there's the Sonachan Hotel just past Achosnich and the Kilchoan House Hotel in Kilchoan. There's also a week tea-room in the Kilchoan Tourist Office and another out at Ardnamurchan Point but that's about unless you want to venture a fair way back along that single-track road.

Accommodation

We rented a cottage right down on the beach front, called simply The Bungalow, from a company based in Kilchoan and which I found online. They have a fair number of properties for rent on Ardnamurchan and, sad though it is, there seem to be more holiday homes there than those occupied by locals. The cottage was plainly furnished but reasonably well kitted out and it even had Sky TV, although that may have been because the chances of getting terrestrial TV out there was probably remote.

Portuairk Beach

As with most of these holiday cottages, it was really too big for just the two of us and could take six easily but that's the price of a quiet week in the countryside. With a decent sea view, the sunset shot above was taken from the front door, the beach only a few yards away, hills close by and absolutely no hustle or bustle, it suited us just fine and proved an ideal base from which to explore Ardnamurchan.

Crete - Heraklion

It was time for a break from beaches and archaeological sites on Crete so we hopped on the bus and headed into Heraklion for the day. Heraklion is the largest city and the capital of the island. It's had a fairly mixed history; Probably a port for the city of Knossos during Minoan times, the city proper was founded by the Saracens back in 824 A.D., then passed into the hands of the Byzantine Empire who then sold it on to the Venetians, who called it Candia. After them, it passed into the Ottoman Empire and they eventually made it a republic until it was given over to Greece in 1913. So it's had Minoans, Arabs, Romans, Venetians, Turks and Greeks in control of it over the centuries.

Castello del Molo, also called Koules

We'd been to the city on a previous visit and had spent most of that day in the archaeological museum. It wasn't the plan at the time but the museum is huge and it takes a long time to wander through all of it. Most of the good stuff from all of the ancient sites around the island has ended up here so it's worth a visit if you're interested in that kind of thing. Anyway, we'd already done that so this day was for a more general wander around.

The bus station is quite close to the harbour so that's where we headed first with the intention of visiting the Castello del Molo, which dominates the entrance to the Venetian harbour tand is also known as the Rocca a Mare and the Koules Fortress. This version was built around 1523-1540 to protect the enclosed harbour and predates the second Venetian fortifications around the city. We had a good old wander around the fortress, both inside and out, and it offers some excellent views out over the city, against the backdrop of the Idi mountains. Closer to the harbour, you can see the enormous Venetian shipyards or arsenals, which were used to house and build ships.

Morosini Fountain

After lunch in a seriously busy restaurant just up from the harbour, we wandered up the 25th of August Street, heading for Eleftherias Square. On the way, we stopped in the little El Greco Park and passed the impressive Byzantine cathedral of St. Titus as well as a host of architecturally beautiful buildings. We also stopped at Lionaria Square, which is home to the beautiful Morosini Fountain but it was being renovated and was both incomplete and difficult to see. We eventually ended up at Eleftherias Square, a huge open square but not particularly interesting.

Agios Titos

From there we headed over to the St. George's Gate on the Venetian city walls, which was used as the main route between the city and the port. It's now used mainly as an art exhibition venue. We also had a brief detour around the nearby little Georgiadis Park before heading back to the bus station and out to Hersonissos.

Crete - Malia

With our three-day stint with the hire car over, we thought we'd take the local bus service along to Malia for the day. The buses run every 30 minutes during the day but there's no way of knowing when they'll turn up as all the times posted seem to indicate the time they leave Heraklion. There's a nice wee disclaimer at the bottom of the timetable stating that "any delays in service are due to traffic!". So twenty minutes later than when we thought a bus would come, one did…

Malia Palace

Malia is a strange sort of resort town. Above the main road is the old town of Malia, where the locals live, and it's full of little windy streets and white houses; just what you'd expect from a little Greek village. However, below the main road is a different world; a hell on earth if you're our kind of tourist. The main strip down to the beach is a yob's paradise of English and Irish bars, all claiming to sell the cheapest and largest amounts of alcohol they can. Fancy a goldfish bowl full of synthetic alcohol? Yes, well you can buy as many as you can drink here in Malia.

We've stayed in Malia on two previous visits to the island but always in the off season, when it's quieter and the invasion of bar-crawling rabble is either over or hasn't begun. It's actually not a bad place to visit during those quieter periods. Anyway, the bus dropped us off in the centre of town and we headed East, walking about three kilometres out to visit the archaeological site of the Minoan Palace of Malia where, according to legend, Sarpedon, the third son of Zeus and Europa and brother of King Minos, ruled here. The first Palace was built around 1900 B.C. but destroyed in 1700 B.C. and a new Palace built but like all of the other Minoan palaces on Crete, that was destroyed in 1450 B.C. We'd been here before but it seemed a reasonable target for a short walk in the sun.

Tropical Beach

After an hour or so wandering around the ruins, taking the odd snap and chasing butterflies, we started wandering back towards Malia with the intention of getting a bit of lunch and then lazing about a bit on the beach. We found quite a nice little taverna along the coastal road and had a decent lunch before wandering over to the nearby beach for a bit of a lie about and maybe even a nap. It was a bit quieter there due to being a wee bit out of the town so we pretty much spent the rest of the afternoon there on the sand.

After a while we started back towards town, taking a detour to go via Malia Port. the little harbour along the way. We thought we'd maybe see a few old Greek fishing boats there but it's all gone modern now. Well, except for a few derelict looking bits of harbour machinery. Wandering back towards twon we spotted an old, ruined windmill and what looked like a very run down and abandoned water park.

Back in town we had a bit of a wander around to remind ourselves of the place and ended up down at sea again, looking out at the little island offshore with its obligatory wee white church. After that we found the bus stop, waiting over a hour for one to show up, and headed back to Hersonissos. You can see all of the pictures taken on this visit to Malia here.

An Island In The Sun

Crete - Kritsa and Lato

With our visit to Mochlos cut short by the public holiday, we headed back towards Aghios Nikolaos and stopped off on the way at a little place called Festos Beach for something else to eat. There wasn't much there but a little hotel and café and a little beach but it looked pleasant enough to stop for a while. We had some real food to stave of the hunger pangs and then a wander around for a bit before deciding to head inland towards the village of Kritsa and, if time allowed, the archaeological site at Lato.

The Ruins of Lato

Kritsa is about 10km West of Aghios Nikolaos and is supposedly one the most picturesque villages on the island. Built on a hill and surrounded by olive groves, it certainly looks the part - all nice little white houses spread round the hill but it didn't grab us as interesting enough to stop. Maybe it was too late in the afternoon or a side effect of the public holiday but it seemed a bit on the quiet side so we opted to head out to Lato and see what it was like.

The narrow road from Kritsa to Lato feels like a long and winding one but we eventually got there with me worrying a bit about having enough fuel to get back to Hersonissos. Anyway, the road ends at Lato and as with Gournia earlier in the the day, it was closed for the holiday but luckily the gates had been left open.

The city of Lato was built in a fairly defensible position overlooking the Gulf of Mirabello and between two peaks. The ruins date back to the Dorian period, about the fourth or fifth century B.C., although it was probably built earlier than that and in its day, it was one of the most powerful cities on the island. The ruins are spread over terraces on the hillside and include walls, houses, a theatre, a temple and shops and the views out over the gulf and down to the modern city of Aghios Nikolaos are excellent.

The Ruins of Lato

Lato is one of the best excavated Greek cities on Crete and the ruins are impressive by any standard so it's well worth visiting. It is however not Minoan, which means it doesn't get as much tourist traffic as the more popular archaeological sites like Knossos, Malia or Phaestos so it's a much quieter place. There were a few other people around while we were there but it is very quiet, the most noise coming from the bells tied to the goats that you can see climbing around on the hillside. It's a bit of a clamber but you can climb almost all the way to the top of one of the peaks and get a really good view but take care, the drop on one side is precipitous.

Our hired car was due back that night so after a good wander around the city and a bit of a rest, we headed back to the modern world. Tomorrow. we planned to get the bus to Malia.

Crete - Mochlos

After an hour or so wandering around the ruins of Gournia we headed East for the little village of Mochlos, also called Mokhlos or Mohlos,which Lorna said had one of the view accessible beaches on that part of the coast. Mochlos is located about 5km off and below the main road and it's a fairly steep road down to it but the drive is pleasant enough.

Mochlos Island

Mochlos' claim to fame here is not for the village or its nice wee bay but for the little island of the same name just offshore with its archaeological site of an ancient Minoan settlement. All there seems to be there now though is the little white church of Agios Nikolaos. However, we weren't there for the ruins as we'd just done that at Gournia and all we wanted to do here was to laze by the sea and have a bit of lunch. Boy were we to be disappointed…

It was May 1^st and that's a big public holiday on Crete so, for the same reason that Gournia was closed, Mochlos was absolutely packed with Cretan families. The village was full of cars so finding a parking spot took ages and bear in mind that these wee streets are only wide enough for one car at a time. Okay we got parked and then went on the hunt for some lunch but that too was a waste of time as everywhere was full of munching Greeks. Not normally a problem but these guys know how to enjoy a meal and with lots of large tables full, the restaurant staff were really under pressure.

Useful Container

We gave trying to get lunch and bought some drinks and a snack from a little shop and then headed for the seaside. Which brings me to the other revelation - Mochlos has no beach or at least we couldn't find it easily enough so we ended up sitting on the rocky foreshore for a while. It wasn't so bad and we had a wander around the village, which is quite nice, for a while but ended up heading for Kritsa and Lato as an alternative diversion for the rest of the day.

So if you happen to find yourself on Crete on May 1^st, then be aware that anywhere you go might either be closed or full of locals enjoying a well-earned break themselves.

Crete - Gournia

Gournia is the site of a Late Minoan town/palace complex on Crete dating back to about 1550 B.C., although there are remains going back as far as 2000 B.C. here as well. Called the "Pompeii of Minoan Crete" due to the good state of preservation, it occupies a low hill close to the sea on the Isthmus of Ierapetra, overlooking the Bay of Mirabella. It's actual name is unknown and it was named after the hollow vessels called gourni found all over the site, many of which can still be seen at the entrances to the rooms. Unfortunately it was destroyed in 1450 B.C. like most of the rest of the Minoan civilization.

Gournia

Gournia is another large and fairly well excavated archaeological site. Unfortunately we arrived to see it on the first of May, which is a holiday on Crete, and it was closed for the day. It's fairly visible on the hillside through the fence so, undaunted and having driven a fair distance, we wandered round the edge of the site and found a way in. I'm surprised they didn't just leave the site open as there's nothing of monetary value and we noticed a fair number of cars pulling into the little road outside the gate and then giving up and going away again.

The remains of the place are in fairly good condition and it's easy to see the layout of certain parts of the town and palace. It was very peaceful and quiet with no-one else around so we had a good nose around and enjoyed the views out over the sea and the Gulf of Mirabella before retracing our steps back out and onward to Mochlos.

Gournia

Crete - Matala

Matala lies about 75km South-West of Heraklion on Crete and, in its past, was the seaport for both the ancient cities of Gortys and Phaestos. It has a lovely sandy beach and since we've visited here before and found it was such a nice place to spend some time in, we went back again.

Panoramic View of Matala

It's famous for the man-made caves carved into the rock face on the North side of the surrounding bay. They were carved out during Neolithic times and have been mainly used as tombs over the centuries, although they were used by a hippie community during the 1960s and 70s. Why anyone would ever want to spend one night far less the entire Summer in one of these caves is beyond me. You only have to look inside them and see the little shelves the bodies were obviously placed in to rule out any idea of them being homey.

It's other claim to fame is as the landing point on Crete of Zeus and Europa. The story goes that when Zeus spotted Europa he hatched a plan to have his way with her. Taking the form of a white bull, he mingled in with her father's herds and when she and her friends were out gathering flowers, Europa saw the bull and, so taken with its beauty, she climbed onto its back. Needless to say, Zeus took that opportunity to leg it and run into the sea with her. He then swam to the island of Crete with Europa on his back, landing on the beach at Matala where he transformed into an Eagle and carried off to Gortys for a bit of fun.

The Caves of Matala

Anyway back to present day Matala. What was once a pleasant little fishing village has gradually been turned into a tourist resort, full of restaurants and tavernas. That's not to say that it's not a nice place but it's certainly busier even than when we were first here some years ago. If you like beaches and the casual life of lazy tavernas, then it's definitely worth a visit. The caves are interesting too and, if you're adventurous enough, then you can climb up to the higher ones.

Next time we go to Crete though, we'll probably give Gortys and Matala a miss and visit Phaestos and then neighbouring Kalamaki beach instead as it's supposedly less commercialized than Matala.

Crete - Gortys

Since we had the car we thought we'd take a run over to Matala again but this time we'd stop off at the ruined city of Gortys, which is on the way there. Last time we were on Crete, we passed it by in our rush to get to the seaside and it was dark on the way back so we missed it.

Aghios Titos, The Church of St. Titus

Gortys, also known as Gortyn or Gortyna, was one of the most important cities on Crete. After the Roman conquest of Crete in 67 B.C., Gortys was declared the capital of the Roman province of Crete and Cyrenaica, replacing Knossos, a position it held until the Arab conquest of Crete in 828 A.D. It's probably most famous now for the discovery of the 12 inscriptions of law, which form the oldest Greek law code and are considered as the greatest contribution of Classical Crete to world culture.

The place lies in ruins now, mostly due to an earthquake in 796 A.D., but the site of this once huge city is massive. The main archaeological site, where you'll have to pay the usual entry fee, only covers a very small portion of the city - the Odeon, the Church of St. Titus and a Plane tree linked to the myth of Zeus and Europe. Frankly, there's not a lot on show here - the great inscription of the Law Code of Gortys and almost all of the recovered statues are all locked behind bars so you only get a glimpse of them. If you really want to experience the size of the place, then just wander around the outskirts or go across the road and dive in among the olive trees.

The Law Code of Gortys

We wandered out and went along the road to the right. Once across the stream, there's a path leading back along the side of the main site but which also leads you along the side of the hill above. There are several ruins on the hillside and, if you're adventurous enough, access is open so you can wander in and up. The ground here is covered with flowers so I spent a few moments or three chasing butterflys among them as well.

We also crossed the road and wandered down the road opposite to Mitropolis for a bit and then plunged off left into the olive trees. The whole area in there is full of the ruins of the city. Some are obviously important as they've been fenced off but there's still lots to see and we spent a fair bit of time just wandering among the trees and flowers, enjoying the sun, before heading on to Matala.

The Ruins Of Gortys

Crete - The Lasithi Plateau

The last time we were on Crete we hired a car and drove up to the Lasithi Plateau, a large, scenic plain located in the Eastern part of the island. You'll also see it spelled as Lassithi is some texts and it's about 70km from Heraklion, lying at an altitude of roughly 840m. What makes it unusual is the fact that it's one of the few permanently inhabited areas at such an altitude around the Mediterranean and the Winters can be very harsh with snow often persisting until mid Spring. Anyway, we didn't have a camera last time so we went back again…

Panoramic View Of The Lasithi Plateau

The surrounding mountains make the place a natural bowl and alluvial run-off from melting snow has made it an extremely fertile place, continuously inhabited from 6,000 B.C. aside from a couple of hundred years when the Venetian rulers prohibited cultivation and kicked the natives out. Those same Venetians, once they'd relented and let the farmers back in, ordered the construction of a large system of drainage ditches, still in use today, that transfer the water to a sinkhole on the Western edge of the plateau. The Lasithi plateau is most famous for the thousands of white-sailed windmills that were used to irrigate the land for centuries. However, most of them have been abandoned and fallen into disrepair having been superceded by modern diesel and electrical pumps. That doesn't stop the tour offices promoting visits to see the windmills of Lasithi though but be aware that you won't see very many of these now at all now. Still there is some interest in renovating and restoring some of them so maybe in time, the plateau will again be home to a horde of white sails.

Once you get up onto the plateau, the road winds round the edge of it as that's where almost all of the little villages are and even these are perched on the edge of the rocky slopes so as to give every last bit of good land to farming. There's the odd little farmhouse dotted around here and there but it's mostly all fields and fields of vegetables. However, it's also famous for one other thing and that's being the birthplace of Zeus, mythical king of the gods.

If you follow the road around to the South-Western end of the plateau, then you'll reach the little village of Psychro and it's from there that you can trek up the path to the Diktaean Cave, which is where the legends say that Zeus was born. It's a fairly steep path but you can hire a very expensive donkey ride up if you're feeling unable to manage it, although I thought it was just too pricey.

Well, we're still fit enough for a plod up a mountain path so off we went and it was worth the trek up as the views out over the plateau are amazing. Add to that an abundance of wildflowers beside the path and enough butterflies to keep me chasing around with the camera to little avail made it an excellent walk. After about twenty or thirty minutes climbing, we eventually reached the cave entrance with its obligatory archaeological representatives. One to sell you a ticket to the cave and one to take it from you again as you enter or should I say descend…

What you get is a fairly big hole in the ground with steps going down and down and down into the darkness. These days the cave is lit up a bit so there's no need to take a torch and a guide as was once advised. The drawback of all that modernization is that it's now a major attraction and you almost have to queue behind the trail of like-minded tourists as you wander down those steps.

According to the legend, Zeus' father Kronos had sworn to devour all of his children at birth to avoid falling foul of a prophecy that one of them would overthrow him as leader of the Titans. However, Zeus' mother Rhea tricked Kronos at the birth by giving him a stone wrapped in swaddling to swallow instead and left the baby Zeus in the Dikteon Cave. Here the goat nymph Amalthia nurtured him and the Kuretes protected him by dancing and clashing their spears against their shields to drown out the baby's crying.

NB: The cave is called by many names, probably due to translation differences from the Greek so you'll see it called any of Dikteon Cave, Diktaean Cave, Diktean Cave, Dikteon Andron, Diktaion Antron or any variation of these.

As I've already said, the cave is reasonably well lit these days so there's really no need to worry that you'll fall over your own feet. What's more likely is that you'll slip on the steps as they can be a bit wet in places so some care is still needed while wandering around down there. That's really about it and after wandering down to the bottom of the cave with its little pond, it's time to wander all the way back up again. Of course, the cave itself is full of the stalactites and stalagmites normally associated with such places and some of them have been been very nicely illuminated with coloured lights to add to the mystical atmosphere of the place.

Dikteon Cave

Once you get out of the cave, it's an easy stroll back down the path to Psychro, or Psichro as it's often referred to, enjoying again the views out over the plateau. There are several cafés at the bottom of the path and we had a reasonably tasty lunch in one of these. We fancied eating out on the balcony as the views were lovely but it was bit on the windy and chill side so we ended up inside close to an open and roaring fire of all things.

We then had a slow drive, following the road round the plateau, until we eventually found the way off down to Agios Nikolaos with a thought of visiting there for a while but it was getting late by then so we headed back to Hersonissos for the night.

Crete - Koutouloufari

Having been based in Hersonissos for a few weeks, we got to wandering around a bit and one day we took a stroll up to the little village of Koutouloufari, which lies on the hillside above the town. It's not that far, about one and a half kilometres, so it's a fairly easy stroll as long as it's not too hot. Beware of the Swallows though! They use the relatively straight roads for attack runs on the insect population so don't be surprised when they zip past you at shoulder height, they're only looking for lunch.

Rustic Bliss On The Road Up To Koutouloufari

Koutouloufari is a much quieter place and offers some excellent views out over the Bay of Malia and the town of Hersonissos so it's ideal to spend an afternoon just chillin' if you need a break from the more hectic lifestyle of Hersonissos.

It's a traditional Cretan village with lots of little white houses and narrow streets leading off the main road, which leads along the other little villages of Piskopiano and Hersonissos. Everywhere you look there are flowers, flowers beside doors and windows or climbing up walls and over roofs. You can walk between Koutouloufari and Piskopiano without hardly noticing the gap but you'd probably notice that Piskopiano is a little less tourist oriented but only a little as it did seem to have a fair number of restaurants as well.

A Geranium Spotted While Having Lunch In Koutouloufari

Koutouloufari on the other hand simply abounds with tavernas and restaurants so you'd be hard pressed not to find somewhere to just sit down, relax and have a drink and something to eat while you're there. We stopped and had lunch in a small café run by a Dutch couple and had planned on coming back one evening for dinner but we never made it.

For anyone interested in the culture and history of the villages, then there's an very old but nice looking Orthodox church on one of the roads up to the village and there's also a Byzantine church in Piskopiano worth checking out.

On returning to Hersonissos we found a road that led us directly down on a more gentle slope to where we were staying at Star Beach Village. It was a very pleasant walk down between flower-strewn borders and olive groves so the visit to Koutouloufari passed the afternoon very nicely.

Hersonissos Harbour From Koutouloufari

Crete - Hersonissos

We're not long back from a couple of week holidaying on the Greek island of Crete. We've been there a couple of times previously but have never stayed in Hersonissos before so here's my slant on the place…

First a bit of clarification. I'm talking about Limin Hersonissos and not the little village of Hersonissos, which lies inland a few kilometers. Limin Hersonissos, the port of Hersonissos, is commonly just called Hersonissos for the sake of the tourist population. It's a small town about 26 km East of Heraklion, the capital of Crete, and it's the most developed tourism area on the island with loads of hotels, restaurants, bars and clubs. There's also a fair smattering of beaches and sandy coves for those wanting to sunbathe by the sea.

Hersonissos Harbour

As to when to go, we were there for the last week in April and first week in May but the place wasn't really fully open and only really started to get going a bit in the second week. Some restaurants and bars, etc. were still being fitted out and loads of the hotels around still hadn't filled their pools. The first of May this year was the island's Easter celebration and I'm sure that's when things start kicking off so I don't think we'd go earlier than that again.

Accommodation

There are loads of hotels and apartments to choose from in Hersonissos but we stayed in the Star Beach Village, which is located a little to the East of town, because we got a very decent deal from the travel agent on a late booking. That said, the place is actually quite nice and the staff were all pretty friendly. The location isn't perfect for anyone wanting to hit the town every night as it's either a twenty-five minute walk or a taxi ride there.


Star Beach Village bill themselves as four-star plus but I think they're being a bit on the generous side. The public facilities are all very good in they have a nice big lounge with a bar, a restaurant, decednt sized pool and pool bar and an internet suite, gymnasium and shop. The rooms are also okay but the facilities don't really hit the mark for anyone wanting to do a bit of real self-catering.

Beach Huts

The "village" is layed out in separate, three-story blocks and we got a standard, one-bedroom suite, which was actually quite roomy. However, what's billed as a kitchenette is a fitted module that looks like it came from MFI. It's got a sink with no drainer, a fridge, a kettle and some basic utensils. If you want cooking rings or pots and pans, then you have to ask for them and they give you a little portable duel ring unit that takes up even more space beside the sink. Not ideal if you're taking a family.

The Star Beach Water Park is between you and the sea so there may be a noise problem in high season. It didn't bother us at all when we were there but I noticed a few mentions of this online and you could hear a bit of beat from the music occasionally. If anything the place is a bit of a bonus if you have kids and entry is free.

Eating Out

There are loads of restaurants and tavernas to choose from in Hersonissos. There are a few along the main street but most are down on the harbourside street and you can choose from Chinese, Indian, Italian and Mediterranean as well as the more traditional Greek cuisines. There are even a couple of burger/gyros bars if all you want is some fast food.

We tried the Lee Garden Chinese restaurant a couple of times as the food was reasonably good and the staff were friendly. It was also about halfway along the walk into town so it was an easier option one night after a bit of a trek in the hills.

Stormy Seas

Closer to Star Beach were the Taverna Tarantella and Theodora's Garden. The Tarantella is a family run Greek restaurant and, while the staff are friendly and food reasonable, it's a bit on the basic side as far as the ambiance goes. Theodora's Garden is another good Greek restaurant but is much more popular so usually a lot busier.

The local Indian restaurant is Passage To India just across from the church on the main street. The food was okay but nothing impressive by Scottish curry standards and the service wasn't all that great either. I overheard the manager saying that they had a place in Malia as well and if it's the same one we tried when we were there, then it explains why the food here was so mediocre. There's another Chinese restaurant, who's menu looked good enough, beside it but we didn't try it.

As for the rest, there are a few Italian restaurants down near the harbour but neither are that great. They're okay but nothing to queue up for. As for the steak houses, both the Manos and Gourmet are pretty good and we ate in these a few times. We didn't try this but, if you're looking for something just a bit more refined, then Kymata down by the harbour might suit. The menu just looked a bit too nouvelle cuisine (poncy) for the likes of us so we gave it a miss.

Entertainment

Hersonissos is an extremely busy town, well it is once May gets under way and the holidaymakers start arriving on masse, so there are a large number of tavernas, bars, Irish bars and clubs for those looking for some entertainment. However, since it was early in the season, we found a lot of them were a bit on the quiet side.

The Irish bars were mostly empty and the New York bar wasn't much busier, mostly because of the dreadful music it was playing. Music bars Tiger and Status were still a bit quiet but got busier as the night went one and I imagine they'd be pretty lively later in the season. We ended up spending more than a few nights in the U2 Rock Bar as it played some decent heavy rock and metal music, which is more to my taste if not Lorna's.

All in all, there are loads of pubs, bars, clubs and discos to choose from so there's bound to be something for everyone here. Luckily, Hersonissos has a wide variety of visitors so you'll get lots of French, German and Dutch tourists as well as us Brits there so it's not quite as much of an English Hell as Malia has turned into (more on this later).

Happy New Year From Fort William

We woke up on New Year's Day in Fort William to yet another fairly grey and damp outlook but, undeterred and after a decent breakfast, we drove round to the Nevis Range ski resort to take the gondola up Aonach Mor for a bit of a cobweb-breaking wander around the mountain and then lunch in the Snowgoose Restaurant.

Loch Linnhe On New Year's Day

The gondola cable car system transports visitors over 2.3km up to 2,150ft on the north face of Aonach Mor, the eighth highest mountain in Britain, in about 12 - 15 minutes. That's only just over half-way to the summit but you can get some pretty good views of the surrounding landscape on the way up.

Unfortunately, the weather wasn't great and the cloud was swirling around up there along with a little light drizzle. Not exactly brilliant weather for a stroll. There are a couple of shortish strolls from the gondola top station out to some viewpoints. You can go west to the little hummock of Meall Beag, where you can get some good views of Carn Dearg Meadhonach and Carn Mòr Dearg on the back side of Ben Nevis. These two peaks form the lead in to the Carn Mòr Dearg Arrete route to the top of our highest mountain.

Carn Dearg Meadhonach from Meall Beag

We climbed the Ben by the Carn Mòr Dearg Arrete route some years ago and it's well worth the effort as the views out over the Aonachs and Grey Corries are excellent and you don't need to trudge up that boring tourist path. On top of that is the perceived danger of walking along the arrete itself and then the stiff climb up a boulder field to the summit. The other walk on Aonach Mor takes you north out to the little top of Sgurr Finnisg-aig where there are some good views out over Corpach and the Great Glen, weather permitting.

Feeling a bit damp and cold after both walks, we headed back to the Snowgoose for a bowl of hot soup and a roll to warm us up. It's a bit like a motorway café half-way up a mountain but the food is definitely better. They do a good range of hot and cold meals, catering for tourists, walkers and skiers alike. A cup of steaming hot tea and a cake to follow and we were ready to head back down to civilization.

Eating Out

We'd spotted a little restaurant in Cameron Square, called simply -No4-, the night before and after a shuftie at the menu, we'd booked a table for our New Year's evening meal. Situated just off Fort William's High Street, -N^o4- is a quiet little place with a touch of old fashioned colonial style, from the prints of India around the walls and the fact that the waiting staff were all pretty obviously from around there too.

However, you won't find any curry dishes here as the food is most definitely focused on local Scottish produce such as salmon, venison and lamb. Lorna had a Caesar Salad and I had more soup to start and then we tucked into a Chicken Forestiere and a Braised Lamb Shank on crushed potato with a rich port sauce and a fairly decent serving of fresh vegetables on the side. I was pretty stuffed by the time we'd scoffed that lot but Lorna finished of her meal with what looked like a very tasty Sticky Toffee Pudding.

If you fancy a bit of civilized dining with good food and service, then you might well find it worth trying. Strangely, or maybe not after the night before, most of the bars were closed so we headed back for an early night.

The Silver Sands Of Morar

This was out last full day in Morar so we thought we'd better go and have a walk round the Silver Sands, which is what the area is most famous for. The Silver Sands run all the way from Morar down to Arisaig and have featured in quite a few movie and TV series location shoots. There are also some very good views of the islands of Eigg and Rùm and you can even see the hills on Skye.

The Islands of Eigg and Rùm from the Silver Sands of Morar

We drove round and parked in the car park on the South side of the River Morar estuary and wandered down onto the sands. From there it's a straightforward walk West along the edge of the river mouth, skirting the few rocky outcroppings between the beaches as you go. In theory, you could walk all the way round from Morar to Arisaig but you'd need the tide to be a bit lower than we had it as we got stuck on a highish outcrop, which Lorna didn't fancy descending down from to get to the next beach. It would have meant a bit of hand-over-hand scrambling and she just didn't fancy falling off as it was quite high.

So we backtracked and had lunch and a laze on a nice bit of white beach and then went back to the car and drove round to the Camusdarach car park on the West coast side. From there it's a nice walk through the dunes to the beach, which is one of the best in the area. Anyway, being out for a walk, we headed South along the coast and picked our way from beach to beach until we'd almost got down as far as the Traigh golf course, whic h is where we'd normally end up if coming from the South.

Camusdarach Beach

Another long laze on the sands and then it was time for the walk back up to Camusdarach and back to Morar in time for our tea.

Mallaig

The weather forecast for today said it’d rain and so it did. It’s not very heavy but it’s that kind of fine, persistent rain which, given enough time will soak anything unprotected right down to the skin.

Mallaig Harbour

So, after lounging around the house for a bit and getting a bit bored, we headed for Mallaig to pass a few hours and to see if our mobiles could pick up a signal and to see if anyone was trying to contact us. We did and no one was, which was good.

We’ve been in Mallaig a few times and we even stayed there for a weekend once but it rained then as well; couldn't see the end of the pier for the downpour. The Hogwarts Express was in town and a ferry had docked as well so it was quite busy with tourists, all milling around and wondering what to do to pass the time in the rain before either their ferry boarded or the train retuned to Fort William.

We dutifully joined in an milled around a bit as well, then went for tea and a scone since everyone else seemed to be doing that as well; okay we like teas and scones, it's a Scottish thing. Anyway, it got us out of the drizzle for a bit and then we picked up some more beer and cider before heading back to Morar.

Loch Morar In The Rain

It was still raining when we got back but I had a stroll down to Loch Morar to see if I could get any photographs of the loch in the drizzle. I'm not convinced they turned out that great but I wandered along to where the loch flows out into the River Morar, where there were some boats tied up and from where I could get a shot of St. Cumin's, with it's unusual round tower and spire.

Port nam Murrach

With the weather still looking changeable, we drove down to Arisaig and then out to the end of the Rhu road with the intention of walking out the mile and a half or so to the beaches at Port nan Murrach.

Port nam Murrach Beaches

There’s the remains of an old pier at the end of the road and enough space to park four for five cars. The rest of the way is pretty straightforward; just follow the track out to Rhue House and, just before the house, you’ll see a way-marked path heading off on the left, between an outbuilding and the fence. Follow this somewhat muddy path and you’ll eventually reach the beach at Port nan Murrach.

There are two beautiful little white sand beaches here. No dunes a such though, regardless of the name. The waterline at the Eastern beach is covered by thousands of little pink, cream and yellow periwinkles while the Western beach is covered in limpet shells. Of course, on both you’ll also find the rare little cowrie shells as well but they are very few and far between. I remember reading that only one in a thousand shells is a cowrie but I reckon they’re far rarer than that.

Eigg and Rùm from Port nam Murrach

Port nan Murrach is probably the nearest place on the mainland to the Island of Eigg so you can get some really good views of the island and its cliff-draped coastline. You can also see the Island of Rùm just behind Eigg and, if it's clear, all the way over to the Isle of Skye and the Black Cuilin.

PS The local cattle use the beaches as well so watch out for their fairly sizable presents if you’re going to have a sit on the sand.

Camas Rhuba a’ Mhurain Beach

After yesterday's trek from Bracorina to Stoul, we were feeling a bit weary so we fancied a day at the seaside for a change. There was also the chance of a long walk on the beach, if our legs were up to it, so we headed over to the beaches on the road to Arisaig, just North of Portnaluchaig. The area is more popularly known as Camusdarach but we were going a wee bit more south of Camas an Daraich so technically it was more like Camas Rhuba a’ Mhurain. The sandy beaches around Camusdarach have been a popular choice for movie locations over the years and is best known for scenes in Local Hero as well as Breaking the Waves and TV series Hamish Macbeth and Monarch of the Glen.

Camas Rhuba a’ Mhurain Beach

This whole stretch of coast, from the mouth of the River Morar down to Arisaig, is a beach-lovers paradise. The sands are white and soft and there are lots of little secluded coves and bays in which you can find an appropriate nook to nestle down into and snooze for a few hours in the sun. We camped at Back of Keppoch some years ago so we're pretty familiar with the area and have spent many a day lazing on these beaches.

You can also go for a long walk along the coast here or hunt for the rare little European Cowrie or "Groatie Buckie" shells that you can find if you’re lucky and don’t mind getting down on your hands and knees; It passes the time if you get bored lying around. You can also get some good views out to the islands of Eigg and Rùm and even a decent glimpse of the Cuillin hills on Skye.

The Island of Rùm

Bracorina To Stoul

It’s Monday and it looks like the rain is going to hold off, at least in the West, so we threw together a pack lunch and headed along the North side of Loch Morar to the end of the road at Bracorina. This the starting point of two popular walks and there’s room for six or seven cars to park here.

If you’re feeling energetic, there’s the long walk along the loch side to Tarbet on Loch Nevis but it’s a 15 mile round trip unless you organise the ferry to pick you up and take you back to Mallaig. We’ve wandered along about half of this walk before and we really didn’t feel up to a trek of that length this time.

Loch Morar and Eigg

The shorter walk is over the hill to the old deserted hamlet of Stoul on the shore of Loch Nevis. The path to Stoul heads off North just after crossing the bridge at the end of the car park. It’s well signed so you can’t miss it, just turn left after going over the bridge. This is quite a strenuous walk so make sure you’ve got decent boots on and clothing to cope with any weather.

The sign at Bracorina says 2.5 miles to Stoul but this very generous and it’s probably closer to three by the time you spend losing and re-finding the path at the Stoul end so that makes it about a six mile round trip. The guides for the walk say that the maximum height gained is 235 metres (765’) but you’ll do that a few times over the day so you’ll have climbed over 1,500’ by the time you’re done.

The path is well defined at the start and climbs up until you get to Lochan Innis Eanruig. All the way up there are some good views back over Loch Morar and out to the islands of Eigg and Rùm. The path then skirts round the edge of that little lochan and heads over the peat hags and down to Lochan Stole, where you have to cross the loch by means of a quaint stepping stone bridge. Once over the stones, the path runs up and along the east shore of the lochan until it climbs up to Bealach nan Sac, which is about as high as you get on the walk. It then drops very steeply down to Stoul on the shore of Loch Nevis.

Sgurr na Ciche, Garbh Chioch Mhor and Sgurr na h-Aide

The views from the top of the bealach are splendid. You can see over Loch Nevis to Inverie in Knoydart, one of the most inaccessible parts of Scotland. You can also look up Loch Nevis to where it narrows at Kylesmorar and Kylesknoydart and, if the clouds are being kind, all of that is presented against the amazing backdrop of the pinnacled summits of Sgurr na Ciche, Garbh Chioch Mhor and Sgurr na h-Aide.

We lost the path once we started down to Stoul as it degenerated into a lot of sheep tracks through heavy bracken. This is where that 235 metres height comes in as that’s about how far the drop is to Stoul so it is very steep and care must be taken if you are going to go down. You can see the ruined houses and shingle beach from the top and I suspect a lot of walkers don’t go much further than that, thinking about the hard climb back up, and that probably accounts for the lack of a decent path as well.

Undaunted, we worked our way down towards the largest ruined house, which had a large Scots Pine beside it. It was a good place to head for as there was a gate in the fence, allowing us through to the houses and beach. The hamlet is split into Easter and Wester Stoul, on either side of a small shingle beach, but all of the buildings have been abandoned. Those with roofs are now the territory of the local sheep so I doubt if anyone would be keen to spend a night in any of them.

Wester Stoul

We parked our bums under the big Pine tree and got a bit of shelter from the biting wind from that and a bit of old ruined wall. We had a rest and a bit of lunch before heading back across the beach to Easter Stoul to look for the path back up. Needless to say, what looked like the right path also disappeared into the bracken and we ended up just striking straight up to the top of the bealach the hard way. That’s over 760 feet (235 metres) from sea-level in a very short distance and our legs were aching by the time we got up there.

Once at the top we spotted the original path over the moor so it easy to cross over to that and trudge wearily back to Bracorina.

Loch a' Bhada Dharaich

We woke late to a rainy Sunday morning in Morar. To the West, the island of Rùm was obscured by clouds but the view East along the loch was looking a bit clearer so we had hopes that it might clear later on. Meanwhile, we had lunch and watched the British Moto GP, which also suffered from the rain.

After lunch, the rain stopped and the clouds lifted a little so we thought we’d risk a short stroll up to Loch a' Bhada Dharaich, the Loch of the Oak Thicket, which lies about a mile North of Bun an Lòin on Loch Morar.

Loch a' Bhada Dharaich, Lochan a' Mheadoin and Loch an Nostarie

We parked in a lay-by just before the jetty at Bun an Lòin and found the start of the walk just past that, where a path leads up to a house. The walk is signed so you shouldn’t miss it. Follow the path up to the house and, despite the fact that whoever lives there has attempted to turn the path onward into a midden, keep on going. Once past the house and it’s untidy residents, the path meanders North, roughly following the line of the Allt an Lòin, the burn of the pools, which runs down from Loch a' Bhada Dharaich.

The path is, in theory, waymarked with yellow striped posts but we found these either very hard to locate or almost misleading. As for the path, when you can see it, it is very boggy so a decent pair of boots is essential or you’re going to get very wet feet. The lower section of the path winds through a small wood beside the burn but once past that and onto the open moorland, it becomes very indistinct and easily lost but bear in mind that your goal is at the head of the burn so you can’t really get lost. We flushed a deer out of hiding while walking over the moorland here.

After a few “lost path” episodes and once following the arrow on one of those yellow posts into what was a pathless bog, we eventually caught sight of the loch. Ploughing on, we emerged at the South end of the loch, near a stand of Beech and Pine trees (no Oaks in sight). Lorna spotted a large bird flying low across the loch just as it came into view; could have been a heron or a large bird of prey but she didn't get a good look at it.

Small Heath Butterfly

There was a small hill here so we climbed that on the off chance of spotting that bird again. We pulled out a waterproof mat to sit on had a snack and drink while admiring the view over Loch a' Bhada Dharaich, Lochan a' Mheadoin and Loch an Nostarie, with its little tree covered island. No sign of that bird again though!

We thought about wandering down closer to the lochside but the wind was picking up and there were a few rain drops so we thought better of it; maybe another day. The return path was much the same as the way up; we got lost in a bog several times but we made it down eventually. We did spot a bird of prey above us on the way down and, from the size, I’d reckon it was a buzzard but it was against the sun and we didn’t get a clear view of it. We also spotted a couple of butterflies and a frog jumped over my foot as well.