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Writer's pictureRae Rourke

Marble mines lost villages beautiful landscapes and the human factor🥺

Headed off to Skye in search of lost villages. At around about the same time as enclosures were happening in England during the agricultural revolution a similar occurrence was happening in Scotland. Unusually the English were not to blame. The clan chiefs were supposed to be custodians of the land and ensure the wellbeing of the clansmen. Unfortunately a perfect storm occurred linked as always to money and exploitation of the poor. The small holders who scraped a living subsistence farming and harvesting kelp( sea weed used in the manufacturing of glass) were suddenly not economically viable. Napoleons defeat meant a cheaper alternative could be sourced from Spain. This with new farming methods and the clans chiefs debts culminated in the farmers being forced from the land, some were paid to immigrate others starved as there was a Scottish potato famine at the same time. Genocide and social engineering and nothing to do with the English 😳.

We started our walk by passing the now derelict marble mines. There’s a disused railway that links them to the sea it is now a flat and accessible footpath. Needless to say we ignored this and headed overland.


And the church that used to serve the miners.


Past a disused well


Off towards the sea being buffered one again by wind and the rain.


To the sea and the lost village


Along the coast with breathtaking views.


Unfortunately looking the other way was this!!!


Along the coast line there was mile after mile of human waste washed ashore. It’s hard not to feel saddened by this. We tried to cut inland to return to the car. Surprisingly that didn’t go to well. Gordon not overly impressed!


We did stumble across another waterfall. Didn’t do much for Gordon but cheered us up a little.


Oh and this one!


Back passed the lost village


By this time the weather was improving and we had relocated ourselves.

Gordon happier as were we.


A detour around Skye planning our next walk. Around every corner is more majestic scenery, each as awe inspiring as the previous one.


Back home and planning our next trip 😎🌈. The weather the landscape the air all of it has to be seen to be believed. The pictures we take do not nearly do this country justice.

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