Slate, slate and more slate!

Today's weather promised to be OK, so Tim and I set off to the island of Seil - my Blip today - to cross by small ferry to the neighbouring island of Easdale, which until 1850 was one of the main slate quarrying sites in Scotland. Output had been dwindling for some time, but the great storm of 1850 flooded the quarries, which were as deep as 300ft below sea level. Nowadays they remain as deep pools and a great deal of the island is covered in slate debris. 

We walked most of the way round the island and watched across one of the lagoons as a girl was throwing slates across the water. I tried to catch her in mid-throw - see extra. On the way back we visited the museum and had a snack in the café before returning to Seil.

A good day out - I hadn't been to Easdale for a long time. The village  of Ellenabeich on Seil is often referred to as Easdale, but the name belongs properly to the slate island. Very well worth a visit.