Bute: part two

After traversing about three quarters of the path, you reach St Blane's. The earliest parts of St Blane's Church date from the 12th century, with some 14th century additions. Like many Christian sites, however, there is activity going back earlier than the current building. There was probably a monastery here, possibly from the 6th to 8th centuries. For awhile, St Blane's Church was the parish church for the entire island.

Approaching St Blane's

The well!  Yay! I took lots of pictures of it, but I won't put them all up here.

A fairy tree - made me think of my sisters Morag & Beccah.

The 12th century doorway looking into the 14th century bit.

The upper burial ground. Believed to be reserved for members of the clergy and men. 

A hogback stone! Squee!

A lovely medieval stone in the lower churchyard (the lower churyard was for women). 

Look at this lovely cross!

The other side.

Bute: part one

I've been to Rothesay, on the Isle of Bute, several times. I've always found it a charming place. It has all the essentials: a ruined castle, a library and a museum. But last Wednesday I took my first foray further afield. I took a bus down to Kilchattan, and from thence walked out to St. Blane's. The bus driver was so friendly, and made sure I got out at the right spot, and warned me about the time of the last bus back in order to catch the ferry.

Well, the walk, I found out later, was only two and a half miles, which is nothing. But the terrain was quite wild in places - it ranged from very rocky to very muddy! I was blessing my sister Jennie for the gift of the wellies I was wearing, as I had mud splashing and sloshing nearly up to my knees (I often sunk in to my ankles, but it splashed higher as well).

I went to Bute to investigate some holy wells (as I'm working on that for my undergrad dissertation).
I fell in love with Bute. What an enchanting island. I'll stop writing and let you see for yourself!

It was beautiful weather, but very windy!

A little cavelet just off the path.

You probably can't tell, but BOY it was windy!

Terrible how the time slips by!

Like a badly kept journal, of which you may have guessed I am guilty, I've decided that it doesn't do to try to make up for lost time, to go over and re-create it. Not in long series of posts, in any case. So I'll just put up a few from September & October that are nice or memorable in some way. And from now on I'll try to be more faithful in keeping my blog.

Betty, a lady in our ward, had her 80th birthday party near the end of September.

We had a farewell dinner for Mercy, who went home to Kenya.

Using an old-fashioned 'film' on my ipod to take pictures. My hat's a tad too big for me! 

I love the train station in Wemyss Bay!

A lovely tree behind the church.

Autumn leaves, down in Preston at the temple.

A cheeky wee squirrel in the Botanic Gardens. 

Halloween decorations.

Meeting up with Alison (Jingwen), who graduated from Glasgow uni two years ago. It was so nice to see her again!

Saying goodbye to the Whitney's! They leave for Ireland recently.

The Whitneys & myself.