Highland Games

Dancing competition

accompanied by bagpipes

I was helping out on a stall at Taynuilt Highland Games today (about 10 mile south-east of Benderloch on the opposite side of Loch Etive). These are a few of the snaps I took with a small compact camera.

The games field during the
throwing the hammer competition

Awards presentation

 The Scottish Sea Life Sanctuary at Barcaldine has a new feature for 2011 - a collection of turtles. The centre is found on the shore of Loch Creran on the A828 when going north from Benderloch towards Fort William.

The entrance - look for the large carved seals on the roadside!

The turtles

Turtles in close-up

View over Loch creran from the centre

Dramatic black-and-white shot looking into the Glencoe mountains from the centre

Fishing boat at mooring on the loch

More information about the centre - opening times, attractions, otter, seal and shark feeding times - human feeding at the cafe - the shop - here

If you book your tickets online during July 2011 you'll get a discount.

There is now a cycling/walking track from the centre running north to the Creagan Bridge over Loch Creran and beyond towards Appin. Other parts of this track are now open from Oban to Dunbeg, at Benderloch, and from Kentallen through Ballachulish to Glencoe. In time all these sections will be connected to make the Red Fox Trail between Oban and Fort William.

Orchids

Its been another good year for the orchids growing in the old gravel pit area above the beach at Benderloch. Perhaps not quite as numerous as last year but individual plants seem to have had taller flower stems.

Around Oban Piers

Some photos taken during a shopping trip into Oban 

Setting off to see the seals

Fishing boats

Three-masted ship at the North Pier
with St. Columba's Cathedral in the distance