Shell Beach just outside the Argyll fishing port of Tarbert. I've just come back from a long weekend of golfing and drinking, with a bit of wandering around thrown in. We had classic Scottish weather - everything from continuous heavy rain to dazzling sunshine. Tarbert is famous for it's seafood, and the apparently famous annual seafood festival happened one day before we arrived. This picture was taken on Sunday, when a stop for something to eat on a beach gave a great opportunity for photos.
Opportunities like this - an unfortunate crab that came to a swift end at the claws of an otter or seabird, or something. Artfully arranged, of course, as it was scattered over the rocks on the beach. In the background is the flat blueness of Loch Fyne, which at 40 miles long is one of the biggest in Scotland. At any one time you can see seals, otters, dolphins, eagles and basking sharks here - but for us, just a highly separated crab.
The town is seemingly surrounded by lochs, with West Loch Tarbert only a short hop over the hill. This is one of the three golf courses we played over the weekend, and the most picturesque by far. The land bridge between these two long sea lochs is only about a mile - probably one of the reasons Tarbert was started in that location. Vikings used to portage their longboats across this course on their way from sea to sea.
Further up the Argyll coast is Crinan, another stunning village. Loch Fyne is connected to Loch Crinan here with a quaint canal. Nine miles long, it connects the village of Ardrishaig on Loch Gilp with the Sound of Jura, giving boats a quick route between the Clyde and the Inner Hebrides. Otherwise, it's a long detour south around the Mull of Kintyre. There are few better spots for a Sunday lunch than the Crinan hotel, watching the fancy boats struggle through the lochs over a few pints and some local seafood.
Of course, it was Scotland, so the sunny weather only lasted so long...
