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Life in the raw but not the buff at Cleats Shore. Paddling along the south coast of Arran with a tail wind we quickly left Ailsa Craig in the distance. Ahead (in the dip where Campbeltown Loch bites into the Kintyre peninsula) we could see Davaar Island with its lighthouse glinting in a shaft of sunlight.  Given the weather forecast, we were glad we were not setting off on a 20km crossing of the Kilbrannan Sound As we passed Clachaig farm we noticed this old and very large lime kiln. From the late 18th to the mid 19th century lime was used extensively to improve the land. Initially the kilns burned locally mined limestone but latterly the kilns used  limestone which was imported from Ireland. Our destination was... ...Cleats Shore. As we approached, a pair of shelduck were making their way along the coast with their... ...large brood. All of a sudden a black backed gull swooped down and flew off with one of the chicks. As the gull tried to swallow the chick alive, the male shelduck repeatedly attacked it but the chick was swallowed whole. Even then the shelduck kept up the attack until the gull managed to escape. It was a horrible sight of nature in the raw but that is what nature is, the gull also has chicks to feed. As we drew our kayaks up the sands it was still not quite 9am so it was definitely time for... ...breakfast. We had intended going up to the ruins at Cleiteadh but there were nesting ringed plovers on the upper shore so we stayed on the lower beach. The fresh wind was bitingly cold but we got plenty shelter from the dyke to... ...cook up our victuals, which we consumed while watching... ...this otter teaching her cub to hunt in the... ...lee of Cleiteadh Mor. All to soon it was time to wash up and... ...return to the boats. The sun came out which was rather a pleasant surprise as rain was forecast. Indeed it was pouring in the north of the island, so we had chosen well to circumnavigate clockwise and do the south first!

We  may have seen life in the raw at Cleats Shore but despite it being the only official naturist beach in Scotland there was not a nudist in sight. Given the air temperature, we decided not to exercise our legal right to go for a swim in the nude.
Posted by Douglas Wilcox at 3:15 pm Labels: Arran, beaches, buildings, Davaar Island, geology, industry, lighthouses, natural history, photography, sea kayaking


