Ailsa Craig
A great one day trip to a special place in Scotland.
A few weeks ago I went to Scotland for the day. Normally I would say that you need at least a week there to make it worth the journey from Manchester (as most of you live much further away I'd say two weeks). Anyway, a lifetime is not long enough to photograph the beauty of this great country. This time though the trip was organized by a friend and it turned out that one day was perfect. We went to one specific place: Ailsa Craig.
Ailsa Craig History
Ailsa Craig is a small island in the Irish Sea about 12 miles west of Girvan on the Dumfries & Galloway coast. According to wikitravel.org, it is also known as "Paddy's Milestone" as it is roughly marks the halfway point of the sea journey from Belfast to Glasgow. Ailsa Craig is a spectacular landmark, rising steeply out of the sea up to 1110 feet at its peak. It can be seen from all along the Ayrshire coast, as well as Kintyre and from Northern Ireland, although it is only 3/4 of a mile long by 1/2 a mile wide.
From the mid-19th to mid-20th centuries, the island was quarried for its rare type of granite, known as "Ailsite" which was used to make curling stones. The floor of the Chapel of the Thistle in St Giles Cathedral, Edinburgh is also made of this rock. Ailsa Craig is now uninhabited, the lighthouse having been automated in 1990. The quarry is still operated from time to time, but there are no resident workers. The island is now a bird sanctuary managed by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) [1]. Huge numbers of gannets nest here and following a pioneering technique to eradicate the island's imported population of rats a growing number of puffins are choosing to return to the Craig from nearby Glunimore and Sheep Islands.
Our Experience
As you can see it is just a rock rising straight up from the sea, a vulcanic plug of a vulcano with all the rest of the vulcano eroded away. We left the harbour at 8:30am and landed just over an hour later. Simon had been there before so knew the way to the summit. He is an experienced climber and said this would be an easy walk. What he forgot to mention was that quite a lot of it was almost perpendicular! I was glad I decided to leave the tripod at the bottom of the cliff.
After a short break at Castle Well, we got to the summit (1110ft). The view was not spectacular because of the hazy atmosphere, but we were not complaining as it was a gorgeous, sunny and above all a dry day. I had brought with me the last remains of a bottle of Springbank 1966 malt whisky that I bought a few years ago. As I thought it appropriate to celebrate getting to the summit from where (on a clear day) we would be able to see Campeltown where the whisky was distilled. Just a few days before I had read that this bottle now retails for £1,800 if you can find one. That is not what I paid for it, I hasten to say. I just wished I'd bought two bottles!
Apart from the views and the cliffs there is some wildlife to photograph. Ailsa Craig is home to more than 10,000 pairs of breeding seabirds. Ten percent of the British Gannet population breeds here. If you go to the southern cliff/beach bringing an umbrella is advisable... You can also see dozens of Grey Seal that follow you around when you walk on the beach.
Other Photographic Opportunities
The other photographic interests are the industrial remains that can be found on the island. Until about 60 years ago there was a granite quarry on the island complete with miniature railway to transport the rocks. Most of the stones used in the sport of curling come from this island, something to do with the hardness of the special granite that is found there. There is also the abandon lighthouse keeper's accommodation as the lighthouse is now automated.
If you want to have a great day out you can organize your own expedition to Ailsa Craig. I recommend you get in touch with skipper Mark McCrindle (+44 (0)7773 794358). One return trip on the MV Glorious cost us £300 and the boat takes about 13 people I believe.
About the Author
Ruud is a Dutch photographer living in the UK. As can be seen from his work, he likes symmetry and rhythm in pictures. With his photography he tries to surprise, to engage the viewer and make them see beauty where it is not expected. Ruud likes images that tell a story. The most interesting pictures are those that can tell many stories at the same time. More of his work can be seen on http://www.vanruitenbeek.com.
Editor's Note: See more photographs from Ruud's trip to Ailsa Craig in the album "Ailsa Craig Trip 2011".
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