NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2016 SCOTTISH ISLANDS EXPLORER 47
Inchcolm
Page 44 Top: Inchcolm
by Fotosearch.
Page 44 Below and Opposite:
Inchcolm Abbey, taken by the
author, Susan Hulme.Another Rare Survival
Squat down to see where a remarkable 13th
Century fresco survives, in a tomb recess. e
painting, of what’s believed to be the funeral
procession of a long-dead Bishop of Dunkeld,
is another rare survival in Scotland, where so
much has been lost to harsh weather and rough
politics. ere are reminders of those days
everywhere too.
However peaceful the monks might have
been there - like the other islands in the Forth
- it has long been buffeted by human aggression
and passion. Fortifications - to resist pillaging
Englishmen, Bonaparte’s invasion, the Kaiser’s
and later, Hitler’s - such as Second World War
pill boxes, are dotted about the hillsides. ese
were built to defend the docks at Leith and the
naval dockyard at Rosyth.
Presumably, it’s too costly and too much
trouble to dismantle the stumpy concrete boxes
with their dank, malodorous interiors. More
usefully, a tunnel built by the Royal Engineers
still remains, housing the remains of the
NAAFI now redeployed by Historic Scotland
as a small gi shop. Alarmingly, the paths up to
the fortifications are just as ferociously
defended today.
Sustained Attack
Gulls are zealous parents, so dare to
venture up there in the breeding season,
and find yourself under sustained attack
from beaks, talons, and stinking green
guano. With no stoats or other ground
predators on the island, the gulls nest
carelessly beside or even on the path and
then panic about their eggs and chicks as
soon as the humans start tramping up
towards them.
It is much safer to stay down by the
shore, with a good picnic in a warm and
sunny spot, beneath the abbey walls,
sheltered from any chill breeze off the
water. Alternatively spend some time
down on the beaches themselves,
searching for tower shells and polished sea
glass in greens and blues and opal. In
summer, enjoy the peculiar sensation of a
paddle in the sea with a view of
Edinburgh Castle.
Just make sure you catch that last boat
home, and leave the gulls to rest
peacefully on their nests, the seals to bask
on the beaches again and, maybe, the
ghosts of the monks to meet for Evensong.Further Reading
Boats operate from April -
October from South
and North Queensferry
Maid of the Forth
0131 5000
maidoftheforth.co.uk
Forth Tours
0870 118 1866
forthtours.com
Seafari Adventure Tours
0131 331 4857
seafari.co.uk
Edinburgh Boat Charters
0131 554 9401
edinburghboatcharters.com
Historic Scotland makes
an additional charge for
landing of £5.50 adult /
£3.50 children.