Charles had seen on social media an article on the lesser visited island of Siel around forty minutes south of Oban. Linking Siel to the mainland is the Clachan bridge which spans the Clachan sound, both ends of the sound spill into the Atlantic Ocean giving the bridge its more common name “The bridge over the Atlantic”. In the month of May the bridge becomes a blaze of colour due to the fairy foxgloves that come into full bloom.

Historically Siel and its neighbouring islands ( known as the slate islands) were the major producers of slate roofing tiles distributed around the world. We stayed at Elenabech a Scottish heritage site consisting mainly of old Quarrymen’s cottages with a small two roomed museum, shop and pub. Yet again we were impressed by the amount of information and the displays within the museum.

A short walk out of the village, An Clana house was hosting an open garden in aid of cancer. What a beautiful setting for a very understated house and garden overlooking the water with a backdrop of pine trees.

A short boat ride across the water from the harbour at Elenabech took us to Easdale island where nature had started to reclaim the old quarry workings. With a population of fifty two people there were few houses again mainly old quarrymen cottages with a few new builds. As there are no cars or roads on the island it was a pleasure to take a walk around the island which had many paths around the perimeter of the old workings.

These 2 locations along with a number of near neighbouring islands had been the heart of this Scottish slate industry around the mid 1800’s and at its height employed 250 people. It was competition from other slate producers in the U.K. and Spain and severe winter storms breaching the quarry walls that destroyed the industry. The mining on these islands was by digging into the island rock to a depth in places of up to 200 feet below sea level and leaving the edge of the island reduced in thickness which is where the breach occurred. One such quarry had contained a volcanic lava extrusion in the slate seam but they had quarried around it leaving a eerie shape in the flooded quarry.