Just before the junction of the two roads you pass the remains of Cardoness Castle on your right, an example of a Scottish tower house castle. The castle was built by the McCullochs, a well known local family. They ran into financial difficulties in the 1600's and, reluctantly, were forced to mortgage the castle which was subsequently acquired by John Gordon and family, with whom the McCulloch's were in feud. One Godfrey McCulloch murdered John Gordon and was subsequently executed in Edinburgh, one of the last people to die on 'The Maiden', Edinburgh's version of the guillotine.
When we arrived at the smaller Skyreburn Bay, which lies within Fleet Bay, the tide was still too far in for us to safely walk on the beach. Fortunately, there is a little cafe there where the owner took pity on us and invited us in out of the cold, despite Covid restrictions. We enjoyed a nice quiet interlude with coffee, cake and the local newspapers waiting for the tide to recede.
When the tide did recede we had to gingerly pick our way across a boggy section to reach the more solid, sandy beach. What followed was one of the nicest stretches of shoreline we have walked since we started our coastal adventure. Because the tide was still high, when crossing one of the headlands we practiced our rock jumping technique to bypass the waters which were still up against the rocks. Within Fleet Bay on the westward edge are Skyreburn Bay, Dalavan Bay and Mossyard Bay and, when the tide is out, it is a huge are area of pristine sands. There are a number of Neolithic remains on this shore including cairns, burial chamber and cup and ring marks, evidence that it is an ancient landscape.
Built in 1768, by Sir David Maxwell of Cardoness as a place for prayer and contemplation, it remains open to the public for visiting. A service has been held in the chapel every August for over thirty years. An outdoor occasion, the service is generally followed (weather permitting), by picnics and frolics on the beach. The building itself is a lovely little structure. The shuttered windows open, decorative wrought iron windows throwing moving shadows across the floors, walls and ceiling. Rhododendron blooms, wild flowers and seashells add a splash of colour to the tranquil interior. It is a space that genuinely encourages you to stop awhile, take stock and enjoy the peace.
What kept us going was the hope of a hot drink at Carsluith Castle where there is a cafe. Just our luck, it was closed. However, we took use of the outside table to set up the Jetboil and produced our own hot java. We did not linger becaus as the rained eased we were beset by midges. Huge clouds of them descended on us and we ended up virtually running out of the place.