Friday, September 18, 2009

Loch Striven

Loch Striven is a beautiful sea loch not far north of the Isle of Bute and about 8 miles long, extending north into the Cowal. It is very unfortunately being used as an anchorage for unused large vessels owing to the fall in world trade. (Loch Striven was also used to park ships during the oil crisis in the 1970s) There has been quite a local outcry, all to no avail of course - see "Anger at Striven ships" in the on-line Dunoon Observer. Click on "News Archives" for 3rd July 2009 - it's impossible to make a link here to this page but you can go to the main website here.


Two of the moored ships in the loch




There are so many pheasants around the whole area. If you drive up the road alongside the loch they will often run in front of the car as in the video below:



Looking back down this lovely loch from its most northerly point on a brighter day:




3 comments:

Gerard Ward said...

The pictures of the lay up ships is very interesting,I have never managed to get to loch Striven,the weather was so bad I turned back on a few occasion this year.

Have to say after following the story of the ships that I have no sympathy for the "locals" so many of us have to look upon ugliness on a daily basis,you cant hide from the modern world,besides do these folk realise that these ships bring all the materialistic items that we so enjoy.

I rather liked the comment "if you don't like ships don't live by the sea" As soon as the economy changes the ships will be gone.

That was a bit of a rant sorry
Gerry

Jane said...

Inclined to agree really and it's not even as though the ships are falling to pieces, they are being maintained and are quite interesting I think. Thanks for the comments, they are good points. Hope you get over there sometime - I think there might be some nice weather this month.

Anonymous said...

The two top photographs are not the ships moored here this year. The other photographs are , They have all now left the last two today.