23. Black Beach

Fortunately the clocks had gone forward the night before so I had an extra hour’s daylight on my side as I left Calgary Bay, I decided to head further round the coast on the single-track road to find Black Beach (Traigh na Cille), a small secluded beach named after the colour of the sand ground from basalt. Parking by a gate, I headed through a field, gave some Highland coos a wide berth, and within minutes was on the beautiful beach, joined only by a hippy playing a didgeridoo among the rocks (yes you read that right). Each to his own, I say. The gentle waves made a surprisingly loud noise as they broke against the dark shore, adding (with the didgeridoo) to a rather mystical scene as the sun went down over Ulva in the distance. I left the hippy to himself and returned along the same winding coast road, back past Calgary Bay and on to a brief look at Tobermory, before reaching my hotel near Craignure just before dark.