![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/janewheeler.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/01\/1beachcombing.jpg?ssl=1\" "\\"1beachcombing\\"")
<\/a><\/p>\nthe tower house behind us, grimly romantic against the steep woods of oak and beech, but representing a warm and cosy interior within its immensely thick walls, furnished with huge feather cushioned sofas and chairs, mellow scottish country pieces, a long scrubbed pine table, and shelves of interesting books.<\/p>\n
the sun picks out treasures of shape and colour at our feet<\/p>\n thrown up from the strange underwater forests of the kelp beds offshore.<\/p>\n the holdfasts, broken off and rolled ashore, produce many coral-like forms;<\/p>\n some more like strange creatures of the deep,<\/p>\n and bright ribbons of orange, green, blood red and purple.<\/p>\n the woods above us echo the same branching shapes and warm rusty colours in the low angled sunshine.<\/p>\n on the rocks there are miniature lichen forests, and deep clear pools.<\/p>\n from Pluck Point the sun tinges Arran’s snowy hills with pink,<\/p>\n behind Saddell Bay the glen stretches back, surrounded by heather moor and conifer planation.<\/p>\n wind shaped oak trees remind one of a Paul Nash painting.<\/p>\n back in my cell-like room in the castle’s west wall I assemble some treasures on the deep window embrasure.<\/p>\n the next day the weather has changed completely – a warm wind from the south is bringing a heavy swell and wind-blown white horses up from the Irish Sea. the gale buffets the tower, in the night it sounds like a dustbin lorry grinding and banging away outside the gate.<\/p>\n a bracing walk up the beach reveals earlier walkers’ beach art.<\/p>\n and more irresistible kelp stems, their ribbon-leaves drying out<\/p>\n amongst mute messages of stones<\/p>\n and detached rocks thrown up by the storm<\/p>\n older branches of purple stained with ink blue<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n