241. Scalpsie Bay

This wonderful off-road beach on the west coast of Bute is notable for two features. First are the seals which gather around the north of the bay, which I can see from a distance.  There is a handy seal point viewing platform on the road above the bay, from where visitors can get a better view.  Secondly, the beach is scattered with wooden posts erected during the war as anti-glider invasion defences. I park by the road a few hundred metres from the beach and head down a track between two grazing fields, passing a dog walker on the way. It’s strange how a few scattered man-made features like these defence posts can change the vibe of a beach like this. Because they look so unnatural, they have a kind of allure and I feel a need to walk among them and imagine the circumstances which led to their erection. Why here?