Road to the isles, 29th June, crossing the Atlantic by a bridge and the peculiarities of Ellenabeich

We were determined to get to Oban and then across to Mull by the evening but were again distracted. This time by Seil "island", where an ancient bridge crosses a narrow channel separating the island from the mainland, giving it the name of Bridge over the Atlantic. It's real name is rather more prosaically Clachan Bridge. It was designed by Thomas Telford and built in 1792/3.

At the end of Seil is the village of Ellenabeich. It was quiet when we arrived and we walked its few streets. It was formally a slate mining village but the slate was quarried out, although the row of miners' cottages still exists, with the road separating the houses from their gardens, and presumably once the outside privies.

This is the remains of part of the quarry, now filled with water and next a view of the cliffs overhanging the village.

There is a sheltered harbour where the slate was shipped from and an old jetty marks where larger boats once went across to the small island of Easdale.

By a notice board was propped an old very rusty motorbike and we passed the 'Highland Arts Exhibition', or more likely bric-a-brac shop next to an enormous car park with a large number of signs telling you where and how you should not park. We were intrigued until a coach showed up and disgorged it's occupants who bought ice creams and emerged from the shop clutching commemorative tea towels. It was time to leave.