Road to the isles, 27th June, to the west coast

After lunch in Tarbert we drove over to the west coast of the Knapdale peninsula. In the title I accidentally typed best instead of west, before changing it. This could be true though. Here the land is practically deserted by people and it felt very remote. The view across the ocean was of the Paps of Jura threading across the skyline, which was still threatening giving us momentous cloud formations.

The road runs north, single track, for 30 miles. We were attracted by a signpost to the Kilberry Stones.

These stones, grave slabs and crosses, had been collected from the local medieval parish church and stored in a basement of Kilberry Castle until 1951. They are now gathered in a special shelter where anyone can look at them. Here is one of the early Christian grave slabs, a West Highland grave slab and the late medieval  'Kilberry Cross'.

We felt it was time to look for somewhere to spend the night, although a place to camp along this quiet road seemed unlikely. But we were in luck. Strange as it seems, a little further north in a place called Coulaghailtro we saw signs for 'Port Ban Holiday Park'. Turning off the road we came to a group of static caravans with a shop and cafe and also a place for more transitory folk. 

We camped right on the shore and walked around the cove to an odd ruin on the side of the cliff. This was the 'Campbell Mausoleum', securely locked, on this benighted coast to keep people out or in? 

I also took more intimate pictures of the shore, although the light was getting very bad. The last photograph was taken just before we turned in for the night.

Our sleep was disturbed by heavy rain falling on the roof of the van and early next morning we noticed that the couple, camping with a small baby in a tent next to us, had gone in the night.