Peanmeanach village and beach

After a few days in the cold snow zone the weather actually looked better a little further North, so we headed on the road to the Isles for a walk in the sunshine, which didn't disappoint.

Views to Eigg and Rum (I think!)

From near Arisaig, we headed off on a rough and icy path heading for the long deserted settlement of Peanmeanach and its beach.

The bothy at Peanmeanach

The path was hard going covered in ice pretty much all of the way, but the sunshine and views out to sea, and over to some of the islands made up for the treacherous path.

I admit to being surprised by how beautiful the area was. At the beach there were a lot of remains from an old settlement, along with a great looking bothy. The views back to snowy peaks also added to the experience.

I've read that there are viking links to this area, but the latest depopulation in this area began as early as the 1730s, with displaced tacksmen taking their people to Canada and America. The Clearances saw more driven out. The last residents of Peanmeanach itself are thought to have left as recently as the 1940s.