Scotland 2001 - Ferry to Islay


	After a good nights sleep in Lochgilphead it was time for the last part of the journey: The ferry to the Isle of Islay. It leaves from the ferry terminal in Kennacraig, a few miles from Tarbert. As the day remained quite grey and misty it unfortunately wasn't possible to see very far. On the left the view out of West Loch Tarbert, just after we left Kennacraig. After a while Islay appeared out of the clouds and mist. Some of the rocks were just showing above the mist hanging over the water. I'm not sure if it was the rock below right, but one of the first ferries to Islay ran aground on one of these in dense fog (I don't have the details to hand, but there is a book listing all the shipwrecks around the Isle of Islay. There's also a map and some details in the Museum of Islay life in Port Charlotte).

Having checking in at the Port Charlotte Hotel I decided to take a look around the southern end of the Rinns of Islay. Right and below three pictures from around Claddach. On the right the view over Port Mias-sgeire with Orsay and the Rinns of Islay lighthouse in the background. Below left the little beach at the northern end of Claddach. Below right the wave power station. It generates electricity by using the power of the waves coming in from the Atlantic. As far as I understand the waves flow into larges tubes and by doing that push out the air from these tubes. This in turn powers wind turbines which generate the electricity (Try www.wavegen.co.uk for more information). You can actually hear the air being pushed out from quite a distance.

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