Ardnamurchan - Portuairk - The Ball Run
On my first visit all those years ago I wondered what people who lived here did for a living. Perhaps retired birdwatchers or walkers or just enjoyed the peaceful life and the views across The Small Isles.
After my first visit to Ardnamurchan I raved about it to friends. One of my work colleagues told me that she had a holiday house at Portuairk and it had been in their family for many years. I thought I had found somewhere quite unique and she had been going there for many years. She said they often spent the month of August at the house, which was just wonderful for the children as they spent most of the time on the beach searching in the many rock pools for special treasures. By the time they went back to boarding school they were brown as berries and quite wild. They would take enough provisions for a month and shop for milk, bread and eggs in Kilchoan. She told me her husband spent a week with the family driving up from Edinburgh. He was an engineer and spent the whole week constructing 'The Ball Run'
He designed a construction built from sand that would enable a ball (marble)to be rolled along its length without falling off. They were more elaborate each year. The sand was hard and compact ideal for construction. It had to be built away from the waves so as not to be destroyed and it had to have twist, turns and loops. My friend said it was all consuming and took him the best part of the week, ready for the first rolling on the Friday evening. I think he spent his winter evenings designing it. The village gathered for a BBQ and the unveiling of the 'The Ball Run'.
It must have been quite an event and I wish I had a photograph or indeed seen it.
I visited again a few years ago, their house had been sold and it was quite a desolate place apart from the few sheep wandering amongst the houses. Bring back 'The Ball Run'
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| Portuairk - Ardnamurchan |
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