18th June
The expedition set out from the House of Sheena at Portnalong where we were plied with elder flower cordial on a terrace set in a sea of ferns as the sun hurled down trillions of shimmering photons on us heads from an azure blue sky. The road to Talisker Bay led us through a desolate moorland along Gleann Oraid and we emerged at the hamlet of Talisker in cool glow of episodic drizzle.
Talisker Bay
The search then began for the pahoehoe lava which Jo had seen Tony Robinson reveal in this very bay in the Channel 4 series Building Britain, and Bruce contributed enthusiastically depite being severely castigated for leaving his sandwiches in the car.
Life on a wall of lava
Preshal More, a solidified mass of lava from the central chamber of a long since eroded volcano
Fool's pahoehoe in the sand
Beneath the laval tsunami
It was like the quest for the dinosaur's footprint all over again. The entire area was scoured but there was no sign of ropy lava or ripply rocks. Was it under sand or seaweed, was it all a hoax? The party grew restless.
The mission dissolved in a wave of frustration and recriminations. Had they but known how close they were to finding that rare, ripply, elusive treasure that is pahoehoe lava.
