THE STORY

Introduction

Visit to the North End

Starting out

The ancient churchyard and the Ogham Stone

The hillwalk

The shore, and the community cairn

Introduction

This was a perfect little circular hillwalk which 7-year-old Frances was able to enjoy along with Mum and Dad (her big brother Owen was planning to go for a run, but fell asleep in the hotel). We used the route in the Path Network booklet, with a bit of a variation towards the end.

Visit to the North End

We had reached the island at 12.20 p.m. on a Sunday afternoon, and drove up to the north end first of all just to get a feel for the place. It was about 5 miles of slow driving along a narrow road, and there were quite a few people out in twos and fours, cycling along the road.

The last bit of the "road" was a bumpy track, but we could have parked sooner and walked to the northern tip. There were lots of rocks to clamber over, and views across the sea to the Kintyre coast and the islands to the west. We were ready for something to eat, and headed back to Ardminish village, where we soon found the hotel just beyond the Post Office. Whilst waiting for our meal we had time to look through the Walk Gigha Path Network booklet which we bought at the hotel reception, and realised that there were quite a few walks to choose from for our two days on the island.

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Starting out

So around 2.30 p.m. we set out for a walk, still not quite sure which one to take. Maggie pointed up at the hill behind the hotel and said we should walk up there. Fortunately I managed to flick through the booklet and find route no 6 which seemed to be the right one.

First of all we walked down the road past the row of bungalows which - along with another row of cottages up to the right - constituted the main residential part of the village, and indeed the entire island.

A white and grey kitten pattered out to meet us and ran along with Frances. After passing the fire station on the left, we found the entrance ot the woodland on the right, over a little wooden bridge. A path led away to the left through the trees and we followed this, with the kitten following us. Frances had a clamber on a couple of trees, and then found a fallen tree which she could crawl underneath.

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The ancient churchyard and the Ogham Stone

Then we reached a little road beyond which lay a gate leading into Achamore Gardens. The longer option for the walk would lead through the gardens, and around the top of the woods which provided shelter for the exotic plants. The shorter route led us up the roadway, to the left of the the village hall. A little further on we reached Kilchattan Churchyard, one of the historic sites on the island. Entering the gate, we looked around at some of the old gravestones, and found a couple from the end of the 18th century. The ruined church itself is said to date from the 13th century, and it was surrounded by a protective fence.

We wandered up through the cemetery and then back onto the roadway, walking up towards some cottages. Just before reaching them, we went through a metal gate to the right giving access onto the hill. A couple of ducks were sitting comfortably in a rut left by a vehicle tyre, and watched as we passed by. The ducks seemed to be as amused by us, as we were by them.

As a result we missed the Ogham Stone reached by a barely discernible track up through the gorse bushes to the right, just beyond the gate. This bears inscriptions in the rare and ancient Ogham Script, and is believed to date from around 500 AD. (See the end of this page from the Heritage Trust website). Fortunately we found time before breakfast on the morning of our departure for a return visit, and found the stone on a grassy knoll protected by a square fence.

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The hillwalk

We followed the track left by vehicles up the grassy hillside. The track seemed to veer off to the left, but we carried on for the top of the hill. Away to the south the three windmills had come into view - known locally as the Dancing Ladies. 

The route bent this way and that around rocks and gorse bushes, until we found the highest point, with views to Creag Bhan further north. Maggie and Frances headed across to rocks on the right, with views down over Ardminish and across to Kintyre. It was a good spot to rest for a while and take in the scenery. The big smooth grey rocks up here were similar to those I saw the next morning on Creag Bhan and the smaller hilltop beyond, forming the rugged spine of the island.

As we set off again, the grasses underfoot seemed thick and bouncy, making it a great surface for hiking. The route in the Path Network booklet indicated we should set off down towards the Post Office and Ferry pier, but the map showed another path continuing north over the next hill of Cnoc Coille Bharr. We carried on over this, and then continued ahead and down towards the farm of North Ardminish.

The final hill section was across a field, heading towards a gate to the left of the farm. Before reaching the gate we had to pick our way carefully through a rutted area of boggy ground, and then reached "dry land". A farm track took us to the right, past the north side of the farm buildings, and down to the main road. We turned right along it, back towards the post office.

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The shore, and the community cairn

We had only been out for about an hour and a half, and decided to walk down to the shore, past the school. The road to the ferry bent round to the left, but another little road went straight ahead, down to a little sandy beach and the Boathouse restaurant.  At the junction, a pile of stones had been heaped up into a low cairn, and a notice behind it with a newspaper cutting indicated it was there to mark the community purchase of the island. Visitors were invited to bring stones from all over the world to place on the cairn, and record their names on a list in the post office. One day it could become an impressive monument to the renaissance of the Gigha community.

We spent some time down at the shoreline, watching the ferry unloading after its final crossing of the day, and the waves lapping on the rocks. Then it was time to head back.  A grassy track led from behind the cairn, across pastureland and up towards the hotel.

Contributed by: Andrew Llanwarne

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