A rdnaimirchan 



the sea-divers, such as razorbills and guillemots. Thus 

 the sea welcomes her bird population, which makes its 

 home here during the fine summer months of the year. 



Later, when summer has indeed come, and when day 

 after day of brilliant sunshine has melted the snow cap 

 from even the highest hills, companies of guillemots can 

 be seen, flying in long strings just above the water's 

 surface, and making their way rapidly towards the Sound 

 of Mull. I have often wondered what takes them on this 

 journey. It may be that they have their nesting cliffs on 

 the islands to the nor'ard; on Eigg, maybe, or on Canna, 

 and that they are travelling to the Lismore country to fish. 

 Through that narrow channel of the sea lying between 

 Duart Point on the Island of Mull, and Lismore Island, 

 the tide runs with the strength of a river in full spate, 

 and here is the happy fishing ground of the sea birds. 

 During any day in the months of summer, birds of all 

 kinds may be seen here, busy at their fishing. Sea swallows 

 in their hundreds hover like drifting snowflakes over the 

 tide, plunging rapidly in after the small .fry which swim 

 near to the surface. Manx shearwaters, perhaps the most 

 graceful of our sea birds, ride buoyant on the tide, and 

 when disturbed take wing with extreme grace of motion. 

 How unlike the clumsy cormorant ! They rise like feathers 

 from the water, and wheel and skim in rapid flight, "bank- 

 ing" steeply over until their long wings graze the water, 

 and showing to the full the poetry of flight. 



Built at a height of perhaps seventy feet above the level 

 of the high spring tides, and standing out at the extreme 

 point of Ardnamurchan is the lighthouse, known to every 

 sailor by reason of the brilliance of its white, steady light. 

 On dark nights of winter, when the wind, backing to the 

 south-east and increasing in force with each hour, sends 

 drifting clouds scudding low across the sky, then it is that 

 even from the distant Island of Tiree the glare of the 

 light can be seen reflected in the stormy sky, and to the 



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