Rathlin Island 06 June 2023

 

Our day started with an unsuccessful rescue mission.
This small yacht was being taken over to the other pier at high tide this morning when it got stuck on a small sand bar.  We joined four others in an effort to pull it off as the tide was starting to drop.  Initially there was no community cohesion, and one of the helpers was told in no uncertain terms by the woman on the boat to STOP HELPING! He stormed off effing and blinding, not a happy bunny.  Despite our strenuous exertions the boat was stuck fast, and we gave up. The owner will have to wait for the next tide. We needed to go for a wee lie down!

After a rest and a bacon butty we all set off for the walk to the West Light to see the sea stacks and seabird colonies.  4.5 miles each way, but a beautiful walk.  And the spectacle at the end is fantastic and well worth the walk (there are two small buses running backwards and forwards to the West Light, and they were full on every run today). 



These stack are covered in breeding seabirds - Guillemots, Razorbills, Kittiwakes, Puffins and Fulmars.  The following photo is a close up of one of the smaller stacks and if you look closely you can see the individual Guillemots. There are a lot of birds.

The lighthouse is also fascinating.  It is built half way down the cliff and with the light at the bottom because otherwise the light would be too high above the sea and would be in cloud on many occasions.  It is also unusual in that it has a red light. Building it started in 1912 and took 6 years, involving the use of approximately 7 million kilograms of concrete, all mixed using a shovel (or that’s the story).



On our way back the view over Rathlin Harbour
(with a lovely Grand Banks in the centre) was wonderful.

Just along the shore from the harbour is the Kelp House - in the 18th and 19th centuries burned kelp, in demand for valuable chemicals, was stored here before being shipped to Scotland.

The Kelp House

We’ve had a lovely day on Rathlin. Lobster for tea:


Great Rathlin bird list today with 55 species.

PS. The wee blue yacht was refloated at 20.15.  We watched. 































































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