Ailsa Craig Island (Part 9)

As we make our way around Ailsa Craig Island to the landing jetty, we saw Gannet, Black Guillemot, Razorbill, Gulls, Shag. Also a good number of Puffin which apparently are increasing in numbers.

And who is this little chap?  Yesterday I told you I would show you something I had never hoped to see, well here he is.  Now I know this is a rubbish photograph but this little guy had just jumped down from hundreds of feet from the cliffs into the water. 

A baby Common Guillemot.

I switched my camera to video and you can hear him cherping, (once you see the Seal on the video) so that his father will find him.  
Now this was a very special moment for all of us to see. 

Two substantial foghorns with concrete housings were built in 1866, one at the north end of the island near the Swine Cave reached by the 'The Loups' path and the other at East Trammins on the south end, both were powered by compressed air that was piped from the lighthouse where a gas powered compressor was housed until 1911 when oil powered engines were installed.

One of the compressed air pipelines can still be seen within 'The Loups' path that was constructed above it. The compressed air cylinders that held the required 'store' of air are still prominent features, especially at the Trammins foghorn. Both foghorns were decommissioned in 1966 and a Tyfon fog signal was used until 1987 when improvements in ship navigation made it also redundant.

Ailsa Craig had two quite separate rail transport systems, one dated from 1886 and supplied coal, oil fuel and provisions to the lighthouse and gas works via the North Port and later the New Jetty and the other transported road stone from the quarries at Kennedy's Nags via the stone crusher to the Quarry Pier.

Ailsa Castle

The 12 metres (39 ft) high ruins of a 3-storey castle that stands on the eastern side of the island was built in the late 1500s by the Hamilton Family to protect the island from King Philip II of Spain. 

 The island was used as a prison during the 18th–19th century. The castle has two vaulted storeys and an oven is located in a cellar with evidence of a spiral stairway that once ran to the top of the tower. Three cinquefoils arranged in a 'V' shape are carved on the tower and indicate that the Hamiltons were linked with the structure. There are indications of an adjoining building that ran to the north.

The island, colloquially known as "Paddy's milestone", was a haven for Catholics during the Scottish Reformation in the 16th century, but is today a bird sanctuary.

The island has a fresh-water spring but no electricity, gas, sewage or telephone connections.

The only surviving buildings on the island are the lighthouse on its east coast facing the Scottish mainland, a ruined towerhouse, that was built by Clan Hamilton to protect the area from Philip II of Spain in the 16th century and the old quarry manager's house that is used by the RSPB.  

There will be more photos tomorrow when we land on the island to have lunch.

CLICK HERE if the video does not appear below. 

I hope you enjoyed this post and loved seeing the very young Common Guillemot safely landed in the water and then after cheeping, his father found him.  It was quite difficult  to find him through the viewfinder among all the hundreds of other birds.

Many thanks for visiting and also to those who leave comments.